Which 55+ Community Is Right for You?
Thinking about a 55+ community in Melbourne, Viera, or Palm Bay? There are nine communities featured on this page, and we have put them side by side to make comparing your options a little easier.
The appeal of 55+ living is easy to understand. Less maintenance means more time to enjoy the things you actually want to do. Depending on the community, that might mean heading to the pool, meeting friends at the clubhouse, playing a game of bocce, or simply locking the door and heading out of town without worrying about everything waiting for you at home.
What can be harder is choosing the right community. On paper, many of them sound very similar: gated entrances, clubhouses, pools, single-story homes, and low-maintenance living. But once you look a little closer, the differences start to matter. The nine communities featured here range from about 125 homes to 1,500, span several areas of Brevard County, and each offers a different lifestyle and atmosphere.
Below, we break down the size of each community, its amenities, what makes it different, and some of the details that may help you decide which ones are worth seeing in person.
Misty holds the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation from the National Association of REALTORS® and works with buyers and sellers throughout Brevard County’s 55+ communities, not just the nine featured here. If you are considering another community or simply are not sure where to start, reach out. We are always happy to help you compare your options.
Viera and West Viera
Heritage Isle
- 1,500 homes
- 478 acres
Several villages joined by Legacy Boulevard, with a manned gate around the clock and a 21,000 square foot clubhouse with its own bistro.
Bridgewater at Viera
- 870 homes
- 1,593 to 2,807 sq ft
Lennar, from 2017. 125 of its 408 acres are lakes, so water views are common.
Grand Isle
- 336 homes
- 1,500 to 2,500 sq ft
A full time activities director who runs the community calendar.
Del Webb at Viera
- 14 floor plans
- still building
Built by Pulte and still going up, around a 30,000 square foot clubhouse.
Melbourne
Pine Creek
- about 200 homes
- 1,300 to 2,000+ sq ft
Small and close knit. A pond for fishing, and lawn care, sprinklers and exterior painting handled for you.
Alamanda Key
- 300 homes
- 1,468 to 1,882 sq ft
A few miles from the ocean, with duplexes alongside the single-family homes.
West Melbourne
Compass Pointe
- 155 homes
- 1,400 to 2,300 sq ft
A putting green, horseshoe pits, shuffleboard and bocce. Lawn maintenance included.
Savannahs at Sawgrass Lakes
- 125 homes
- 1,641 to 2,034 sq ft
A beach volleyball court and an outdoor movie viewing area.
Palm Bay
The Timbers at Everlands
- still selling
- 1,308 to 2,807 sq ft
Lennar broke ground in 2023 and it is still selling. Houses, twin homes and villas.
What to Compare Before You Choose
- How large you want the community to feel
- There is a considerable difference between living in a community of 125 homes and one with 1,500. Some buyers enjoy having a larger social calendar and more neighbors around them. Others are looking for something quieter and more close-knit.
- What the association takes care of
- This varies considerably from one community to another. Some associations include services such as lawn maintenance or exterior upkeep, while others leave more to the homeowner. There may also be additional costs to consider. Heritage Isle, for example, has a Community Development District assessment on the property tax bill. Fees and services can change, so these are details worth confirming when you are seriously considering a home.
- How the age restrictions apply to your household
- All nine communities are intended for residents 55 and older, but their individual rules are not identical. A younger spouse, an adult child living at home, or grandchildren staying for an extended visit may be treated differently depending on the community. This is one of those details that is better checked before you fall in love with a particular house.
What “55+” Actually Means, Legally
This is the question we get asked most, and almost nobody explains it properly.
A 55+ community is operating under an exemption from the federal Fair Housing Act, which otherwise makes it illegal to discriminate against families with children. The exemption sits in 24 CFR 100.304, and a community has to meet three things to claim it.
At least 80 percent of its occupied units must have at least one occupant aged 55 or over. It must be intended and operated for people 55 and over. And it must publish and follow written policies showing that intent.
Two things follow from that, and they surprise people.
Only one occupant has to be 55. The rule counts units, not people. A younger spouse or partner is not excluded by the federal rule.
And the 80 percent requirement does not mean every resident must be 55 or older. Federal law requires at least 80 percent of the occupied units to have at least one resident who is 55 or older. The law does not require a community to permit younger households in the remaining units, however. Individual communities may adopt stricter occupancy requirements.
What the federal rule does not do is set the community’s own policy. Each one writes its own rules on top of that floor. How long a grandchild may stay, whether anyone under a certain age may live there permanently, how the community verifies ages: all of that is in the association documents, and it varies between the nine on this page.
So the honest answer to “can my husband live there, he is 52” is that the federal rule does not stop him, and the community’s own documents decide it. That is a document we can pull and read with you before you get attached to a house.