55+ and Active Adult Communities Around Wilmington, NC

By Buddy Blake · Updated October 19, 2026

The short answer: Around Wilmington, true age-restricted (55+) communities are a short list: Del Webb Wilmington and The Haven inside Riverlights, Del Webb Wilmington at Mallory Creek near Leland, and Del Webb Ocean Isle Beach and Courtyards by Carrell in southern Brunswick County. Many of the best-known names, like Brunswick Forest, St. James and Compass Pointe, are not age-restricted. They are all-ages communities with big amenity packages. Knowing the difference up front saves you a lot of wasted weekends.

55+ vs. "active lifestyle": what the labels mean

A 55+ community is a legal housing type. Federal fair housing rules let a community limit sales by age if it is built and run as housing for older persons. Under those rules, at least 80% of the occupied homes must have at least one resident who is 55 or older, and the community has to publish and follow its age policies. The exact rules for guests, younger spouses and other residents are written in each community's own covenants.

An "active lifestyle" or "resort-style" community is different. It may have a clubhouse, pools, pickleball and golf, and it may be marketed heavily to buyers thinking about retirement. But anyone can buy there. Builders and websites mix these terms up all the time, so always ask one question: Is this community legally age-restricted, and can I see the age policy in writing?

Why the difference matters to you

Rules: Age-restricted communities have occupancy rules that can affect who may live in the home and how long guests may stay.
Resale: When you sell, your buyer pool is limited to people who meet the age rules. That can be a plus or a minus depending on the market.
Amenities and dues: Both types can carry significant HOA dues. Compare what each fee actually covers.

Age-restricted (55+) communities in our area

These are the communities we could confirm from current builder or news sources as 55+ age-restricted. Communities change, phases sell out and new ones open, so confirm the details with the builder or HOA before you decide.

Community	Where	What to know
Del Webb Wilmington	Inside Riverlights, along River Road, about 10 minutes south of downtown Wilmington (New Hanover County)	About 547 homes planned. Clubhouse of roughly 15,000 square feet with fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, pickleball, tennis, bocce and trails. Residents also have access to Riverlights amenities.
The Haven at Riverlights	Riverlights, Wilmington	A Pulte neighborhood of about 151 low-maintenance homes for buyers 55 and older. Lawn care is included in the HOA fee.
Del Webb Wilmington at Mallory Creek	River Road area near Leland (Brunswick County)	Just over 750 homesites on about 300 acres. Plans call for a clubhouse of about 20,000 square feet, indoor and outdoor pools, pickleball, a dog park and a community garden.
Del Webb Ocean Isle Beach	Shallotte area, near US 17 and NC 179 (Brunswick County)	Gated, with one- and two-story home plans. Plans include a 20,000-square-foot clubhouse, indoor and outdoor pools, eight pickleball courts and an amphitheater.
Courtyards by Carrell	Ocean Isle Beach (Brunswick County)	A smaller 55+ courtyard-home community. The HOA handles landscaping and irrigation for each homesite.

See what is for sale right now on our 55+ homes in Southeastern NC page, or narrow it to New Hanover County or Brunswick County.

Popular all-ages communities with big amenities

Many buyers who start out looking for "55+" end up liking these master-planned communities just as much. They are not age-restricted.

Brunswick Forest (Leland): A large community of about 4,500 acres with Cape Fear National golf course, a fitness and wellness center with an indoor pool, and more than 40 miles of trails. See homes in Leland.
Compass Pointe (Leland): A gated community of about 2,200 acres with a Rick Robbins-designed golf course, indoor and outdoor pools and a lazy river. Golf carts are a common way to get around.
St. James (near Southport): Four golf clubhouses and 81 holes of golf, a marina and a private oceanfront beach club. See homes in Southport.
Riverlights (Wilmington): The larger community around Del Webb Wilmington, with a lake, trails, river access and a marina village. Only certain sections inside it are age-restricted.

If golf is a must, start with our golf community homes search.

Buddy's take

Most buyers end up buying something that doesn't match their first list 100%. I've watched people come down here set on a 55+ community and fall in love with an all-ages neighborhood two miles away, and the other way around. Start early. Spread out a map, drive both kinds, and let what you see change your mind. That's not wasted time. That's how you avoid buying the wrong home.

Continuing care and independent living options

Some buyers want more than a low-maintenance home. They want a plan for the years when they may need more help. That's where continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), also called life plan communities, and rental retirement communities come in.

How a CCRC works

A CCRC offers several levels of living on one campus or nearby. Most residents move into independent living, such as an apartment, villa or cottage. If they later need assisted living, memory care or skilled nursing, it's available through the same community.

You sign a contract before you move in. Most CCRCs charge an entrance fee, which may be partly refundable, plus a monthly fee. Contracts generally fall into three types:

Life care (Type A): Housing, services and future levels of care are included, usually with little change in the monthly fee.
Modified (Type B): Includes a set amount of care. After that, you pay more.
Fee-for-service (Type C): You have access to care, but you pay current rates when you use it.

In North Carolina, the Department of Insurance licenses CCRCs and publishes their disclosure statements, which show fees, contract terms and finances. Read the disclosure statement, and have your attorney and financial advisor review the contract before you sign.

Options near Wilmington

Community	Where	What to know
Porters Neck Village (long known as Plantation Village)	1200 Porters Neck Road, north Wilmington	An entry-fee life plan community on a 58-acre campus. Independent living, with assisted living, memory care, rehab and skilled nursing through its care center.
Brightmore of Wilmington	2324 41st Street, central Wilmington	A rental community with no entrance fee. Independent living, assisted living at The Kempton, and assisted living and memory care at The Commons.

Rental retirement communities are another path. You pay monthly rent that often includes meals, housekeeping and activities, with no large entrance fee. The trade-off is that future care is usually not promised. You may need to move or pay more if your needs change. Assisted living homes in North Carolina are licensed by the state Department of Health and Human Services.

Questions to ask any community: What's included in the monthly fee, and how much has it gone up in recent years? Is there a waiting list for independent living or for higher care? What happens to the entrance fee if you move out or pass away?

One-story and primary-on-main homes

Most buyers we talk to about 55+ living want everything they need on one floor. Many of the newer 55+ plans are single-story, but not all. Some add a loft or bonus room upstairs, and some resale homes have the primary bedroom down with guest rooms up.

Search one-story homes in Southeastern NC.
Search primary-on-main homes if you're fine with a guest room upstairs.
Read our guide to one-story homes in Southeastern NC for what to look for: no-step entries, wide doorways, walk-in showers and the garage-to-kitchen path.

Healthcare access

Drive time to doctors and hospitals is worth checking for any address. Here are the main hospitals in our five counties:

Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, the region's largest hospital.
Novant Health Scotts Hill Medical Center, north Wilmington near the Pender County line, which opened its full hospital in June 2026 with 66 inpatient beds and an expanded emergency department.
Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, Bolivia, serving central Brunswick County.
Dosher Memorial Hospital, Southport, an independent community hospital.
Novant Health Pender Medical Center, Burgaw.
Onslow Memorial Hospital, Jacksonville, which is moving into a phased affiliation with UNC Health.
ECU Health Duplin Hospital, Kenansville.

Before you pick a community, check which specialists you need, which hospital systems your insurance covers, and how long the drive takes at the time of day you'd actually go.

HOA costs and rules to check

Amenity-rich communities are not cheap to run. Before you write an offer, ask for these:

Current HOA dues and what they include (lawn care, irrigation, clubhouse, cable or internet, gate staff).
Any separate master association or club dues on top of the neighborhood HOA.
Any planned or recent special assessments, and the size of the reserve fund.
Transfer fees or capital contributions charged when you buy.
Rules on rentals, golf carts, boats, RVs, fences and exterior changes.
For 55+ communities: the written age and occupancy policy, including guest stays.
Golf: whether membership is required, optional or separate from the HOA.

Also look at your property tax bill. Rates differ by county and town. Our guide to property taxes on the Wilmington coast walks through it.

Before you decide: a visit checklist

Visit on a weekday and again on a weekend. Walk the clubhouse, pool and trails, not just the model home.
Drive to your doctor, the grocery store and the nearest hospital at the time you would really go.
Check the flood zone for the exact address on the state's Flood Risk Information System, and get a homeowners (and flood, if needed) insurance quote before you offer.
Ask the builder or HOA for the age policy, HOA budget and covenants in writing.
On new construction, ask what is standard and what costs extra, and plan for your own independent inspections.
Ask how many homes are still to be built and how long construction traffic will last.
If you might rent the home out for part of the year, read the rental rules first.

Buddy's take

Before you commit, take a few slow walks through the neighborhood at different times of day. Say hello to a few people out walking. Tell them which home you're thinking about and ask what they know. Neighbors are a phenomenal source of information, and they'll tell you things no sales office will.

The one thing buyers overlook most: who the rules will let live there, visit, and buy from you later.

Most people compare 55+ communities and all-ages amenity communities by looking at the clubhouse, the pool, the pickleball courts and the price. Those things matter. But the biggest difference is often in the community rules, and many buyers don’t read them closely until after they’ve moved in.

In a 55+ community, think about:

Who can live in the home. Age requirements usually apply to residents. If an adult child, a younger spouse or a caregiver may live with you someday, find out exactly what the rules allow. How long guests can stay. Many communities limit how long younger visitors, including grandkids, can stay. That can matter a lot if family visits for the summer. Who you can sell to later. Your pool of future buyers is limited to people who meet the age requirement. In a strong market that’s often fine, but it’s something to plan for.

In an all-ages amenity community, think about:

The noise and activity level. Pools, playgrounds and school buses bring energy. Some people love that. Others realize they wanted something quieter. How crowded the amenities get. A busy summer pool or a packed fitness center can feel very different from the brochure.

For both, look at the HOA closely. Ask what the fees cover, how often they’ve gone up, and whether any special assessments are planned. Two communities with similar amenities can have very different monthly costs.

My advice: before you choose, read the covenants and rules, not just the marketing. Visit on a weekday and a weekend. Talk to a few residents. Then picture your life five or ten years from now, including the family who will come to visit. That usually makes the right choice clear.

Keep looking

Questions people ask

Is Brunswick Forest a 55+ community?

No. Brunswick Forest in Leland is not age-restricted. It is an all-ages master-planned community with golf, a wellness center and miles of trails. The same is true for St. James and Compass Pointe.

Which communities near Wilmington are actually age-restricted?

Current sources confirm Del Webb Wilmington and The Haven, both inside Riverlights in Wilmington; Del Webb Wilmington at Mallory Creek near Leland; and Del Webb Ocean Isle Beach and Courtyards by Carrell in southern Brunswick County. Always confirm with the builder or HOA, since new phases and communities open often.

Can someone under 55 live in a 55+ community?

Sometimes. Federal rules require at least 80% of occupied homes to have one resident 55 or older, so a community's own covenants decide who else may live there and for how long. Ask for the written age policy and have your attorney review it.

Are there continuing care retirement communities near Wilmington?

Yes. Porters Neck Village in north Wilmington is an entry-fee life plan community, and Brightmore of Wilmington offers independent living, assisted living and memory care on a rental basis. The NC Department of Insurance licenses CCRCs and posts their disclosure statements.

Are 55+ homes all one story?

No. Many are single-level, but some plans include a loft or a second floor. Filter for one-story or primary-on-main homes if stairs matter to you.