With advances in medicine and living standards, more and more people are living into their 80s, 90s, and beyond. The number of people in the world aged 65 and older is expected to reach 1.5 billion by the year 2050! This creates booming business for retirement communities seeking to provide comfortable, safe, and enjoyable accommodations and medical care for seniors. Such communities also provide peace of mind to family members, who can know their loved ones are cared for and can socialize with others of their own age. This article will look at some of the largest retirement communities in the world and the amenities they offer.

Methodology

We scoured the internet for you to find the largest retirement communities on earth and assembled a list in ascending order based on the number of residents. Increasingly, people from more developed countries are traveling to foreign countries for more affordable medical care and retirement options. So our list includes some of those. If you’re looking specifically for retirement communities in the United States, be sure to check out our article The 9 Largest Retirement Communities in the U.S.

What Can You Do With This Information?

If you’re considering retirement and want to be part of a large community with a lot of opportunities tailored for people of your demographic, this can be a starting point in your exploration. If you’re an investor looking to capitalize on a fast-growing and profitable industry that provides practical help to people, again, this research can help you get started. Finally, if you have a business or service that caters to the needs of seniors, you might find this list helpful for targeted, ethical marketing to make them aware of how you can serve them.

8. Tellico Village, Tennessee (U.S.)

Tellico Village is located on Tellico Lake on the Little Tennessee River southwest of Knoxville. Its 3,983 residents can enjoy golf, a yacht club, walking trails, a public library, shopping, and churches. Homes are available for rent or purchase.

7. Greenwich Gardens, New Zealand

Greenwich Gardens, managed by Metlifecare, is situated on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand. It has about 5,500 residents. Housing options include villas, apartments, and a care home for those with greater needs. The amenities include a library, spa, gym, indoor swimming, restaurant-style dining, and a hair salon.

6. Leisure World, Maryland (U.S.)

If you’re 55 and older, you might enjoy retiring at Leisure World in Montgomery County, Maryland. About 8,000 people live there. In addition to the shopping, entertainment, and cultural attractions Greater Washington, D.C. has to offer, residents enjoy walking trails, concerts, golf, a pool and hot tub, and on-site clubs and organizations.

5. Kings Point, Florida (U.S.)

Kings Point is a gated community in Sun City Center, Florida, with about 12,207 residents. The housing options are mainly villa condos arranged in duplexes. Each home has covered parking for one or two cars. Golf is big at Kings Point, with 8 different courses. There’s also tennis, pickleball, bocce ball, basketball, and softball. There are over 100 clubs and interest groups on all sorts of topics, including arts and crafts, cards, continuing education, fitness, travel, and much more.

4. Forum Mare Nostrum, Spain

Forum Mare Nostrum, located in L’Alfàs del Pi, Spain, gets its name from the Roman name for the Mediterranean: “our sea.” The modern retirement community of that name is located in a micro-climate that gets 300 days of sunshine a year. About 20,500 multicultural residents live there, with about half coming from countries other than Spain. 233 properties surround a large central building providing healthcare, social activities, and amenities. Residents can eat in a restaurant and bar, make use of wellness centers, enjoy concerts, classes, excursions, and much more. 

3. Green Valley, Arizona (U.S.)

Amenities for the 20,729 residents of Green Valley, Arizona, include golf courses, fitness centers, swimming pools, tennis courts, organizations, interest groups, and outdoor activities like cycling, hiking, and birdwatching.

2. Sun City, Arizona (U.S.)

The 40,000 residents of Sun City, Arizona, live in condos, single-family homes, or attached dwellings. They enjoy 8 golf courses, rec centers, restaurants, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, 30 churches, a synagogue, a woodworking shop, pickleball, tennis, horseshoes, bocce ball, classes, organized trips to local attractions, and 200 clubs and interest groups.

1. The Villages, Florida (U.S.)

The largest retirement community in the world is The Villages, located in south-central Florida. Its 138,000 residents live in a cluster of communities with options of single-family, attached, condos, and manufactured homes. The amenities include over 100 outdoor pools, 41 golf courses, 100 miles of golf-cart-legal roads and trails, stores, restaurants, banks, healthcare facilities, recreational facilities, 3,000 clubs and organizations, and free nightly entertainment in town squares. All this goodness is located conveniently 60-90 minutes from Orlando International Airport, Disney World, Kennedy Space Center, Sea World, and Universal Studios. Hopefully, you like visits from the grandchildren because, with all that nearby, they might just want to move in!

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