Lakewood Ranch vs The Villages: Which Is Better for 55+ Buyers?

This guide compares The Villages with the two age-restricted villages in Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Manatee and Sarasota counties): Del Webb Catalina and Cresswind. Prices and fees come from each developer’s published pages in 2026 and change often, so confirm them before you buy.

How do The Villages and Lakewood Ranch’s 55+ villages compare at a glance?

The Villages is a vast, all-in 55+ town with lower prices and free executive golf; Lakewood Ranch’s 55+ villages are smaller neighborhoods inside a mixed-age community near the Gulf beaches and Sarasota.

	Del Webb Catalina (Lakewood Ranch)	Cresswind (Lakewood Ranch)	The Villages
Builder or developer	Del Webb (PulteGroup)	Kolter Homes	The Villages
Size	About 1,300 homes	649 homes, gated	83,498 residents in the Census-defined area (ACS 2024)
Starting prices (2026)	Villas from the $350s; single-family $400s to $1M-plus	High $400s to $1M-plus	Patio villas from the low $200s; designer homes low $300s to $1M-plus; premier homes $600s to $1M-plus
Monthly fee	HOA $335 to $409	HOA $429, maintenance included	Amenity fee $204
District assessment on tax bill	Not listed by name on the Stewardship District’s fiscal 2026 schedule; ask the builder for the lot’s disclosure	Stewardship District, about $1,560 to $1,757 a year (fiscal 2026)	Village Community Development Districts; varies by home
Golf	None listed by the developer	None listed by the developer	Free executive golf with the amenity fee
Signature amenities	15-acre amenity campus on a 70-acre lake, 12 pickleball courts (8 covered), 12 miles of trails	Clubhouse, fitness center, resort pool, tennis, pickleball, bocce, dog park	Recreation centers across the community, town squares, more than 4,000 activities and clubs
Nearest hospital	Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 180 beds	Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, 180 beds	UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, 315 beds
Gulf beaches	About 15 to 18 miles	About 15 to 18 miles	Inland Central Florida

Lakewood Ranch’s figures come from the developer’s village pages and the Lakewood Ranch Stewardship District’s fiscal 2026 schedule. The Villages’ figures come from its cost-of-living page (dated February 24, 2026) and the Census.

Where are they, and how far apart?

The Villages is in inland Central Florida, about 129 miles northeast of Lakewood Ranch, or a little over 2 hours by car, according to Rome2Rio. It spans parts of Sumter, Lake and Marion counties, and Orlando is about 56 miles away.

Del Webb Catalina and Cresswind are both on the Manatee County side of Lakewood Ranch, east of I-75. Lakewood Ranch is about 12 miles from downtown Sarasota and about 9 miles from Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), and Gulf beaches such as Siesta Key and Anna Maria Island are about 15 to 18 miles away. See where Lakewood Ranch is and what the commutes are like.

Which costs less?

The Villages usually costs less to buy into and has a lower monthly fee, but compare what each fee includes.

Purchase price

The Villages lists patio villas from the low $200s, cottage homes from the upper $200s, courtyard villas from the mid $300s and designer homes from the low $300s to $1 million-plus. In Lakewood Ranch, Del Webb Catalina villas start in the $350s and single-family homes run from the $400s to $1 million-plus; Cresswind runs from the high $400s to $1 million-plus. The Census puts the median owner-occupied home value at $410,900 in The Villages and $678,200 in the Lakewood Ranch census area (ACS 2024), though the Lakewood Ranch figure covers all ages and home types.

Monthly and yearly fees

Fee	Del Webb Catalina	Cresswind	The Villages
Monthly HOA or amenity fee	$335 to $409	$429 (maintenance included)	$204
Yearly district assessment	Ask the builder; not listed by name for fiscal 2026	About $1,560 to $1,757	Varies by home and district

The Villages gives an example total of $969 or more a month for a patio villa, including the amenity fee, utilities, taxes, insurance and assessments. Ask for a similar all-in figure on any Lakewood Ranch home: HOA, Stewardship District assessment, property tax, insurance and utilities. Our CDD fees guide and cost of living breakdown show how those add up.

Taxes

Both are in Florida, so neither has a state personal income tax, and both offer the homestead exemption and the Save Our Homes cap. Property tax rates differ by county and district; check the county property appraiser for any address. Our homestead exemption guide covers the Manatee and Sarasota steps.

Which is better for golf and activities?

The Villages is built around golf and a huge activity calendar; Lakewood Ranch’s 55+ villages center on pickleball, fitness and clubhouses, with golf available through clubs.

• The Villages includes free play on its executive courses in the amenity fee, with a trail fee if you use your golf car. It reports more than 4,000 activities and clubs and has several town squares with shops and dining.
• Del Webb Catalina has a 15-acre amenity campus on a 70-acre lake, 12 pickleball courts (8 covered), a wellness center and spa, a café and restaurant, a golf simulator and 12 miles of walking trails.
• Cresswind has a resident-only clubhouse with a lifestyle director, a fitness program, tennis, pickleball, bocce, a resort-style pool, a dog park and an event lawn.

Golfers in Lakewood Ranch often look at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club, a private club with 72 holes on four courses, open to all ages. Lakewood Ranch also reports more than 150 miles of trails and more than 50 clubs through Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. See our golf guide and clubs and groups.

Who lives in each?

The Villages is overwhelmingly retirees; Lakewood Ranch’s 55+ villages sit inside a mixed-age community. The Census puts the median age at 74.8 in The Villages and 53.5 in the Lakewood Ranch census area (ACS 2024). At least 80% of homes in The Villages must have a resident 55 or older, and residents under 19 are not allowed to live there permanently outside three designated family neighborhoods.

In Lakewood Ranch, your 55+ neighbors are surrounded by all-ages villages, schools, sports fields and town centers. Some buyers like that mix; others prefer The Villages’ all-retiree setting. The developer reports an average resident age of 49 across Lakewood Ranch.

How does healthcare compare?

Both have a full hospital nearby, and both are adding capacity. The Villages is served by the 315-bed UF Health Spanish Plaines Hospital, which opened in 2022. AdventHealth plans an 80-bed hospital in the area, expected to open in 2030; WUSF reports other full-service hospitals are at least 30 minutes away.

Lakewood Ranch Medical Center, inside the community, has 180 beds after a 60-bed tower opened in 2026, and Sarasota Memorial opened a freestanding ER on University Parkway in 2025. See our healthcare guide.

How much will each keep growing?

Both are still selling new homes quickly. RCLCO’s mid-2026 ranking, as reported by the Business Observer, put The Villages first nationally with about 1,800 new-home sales in the first half of 2026 and Lakewood Ranch second with about 1,064. Both Del Webb Catalina and Cresswind were still listing new homes in 2026, while the original Del Webb Lakewood Ranch village is sold out and resale only.

So which should you choose?

Pick by where you want to live day to day: the Gulf Coast or a self-contained retirement town.

Choose Del Webb Catalina or Cresswind in Lakewood Ranch if you:

• Want Gulf beaches, Sarasota’s arts and the SRQ airport within a short drive
• Prefer a smaller 55+ neighborhood inside a mixed-age community
• Want a newer home and a strong pickleball and fitness focus
• Are comfortable with higher prices and HOA fees

Choose The Villages if you:

• Want free executive golf and thousands of clubs in one place
• Want the lowest entry price and a lower monthly fee
• Like an all-retiree community built around town squares
• Do not mind living about two hours from the Gulf beaches near Sarasota

For more, read our guides to 55+ communities in Lakewood Ranch, retiring in Lakewood Ranch, and the profiles of Del Webb Catalina and Cresswind.