55-Plus (Active Adult) Communities in the Washington, DC Metro Area

There are so many options of where and how to live once you become a senior.  I’ve already written lots of posts detailing different independent and assisted living communities in the area.  I’ve also written about senior villages, which offer you a way to stay in your home or move to one-level living in a mixed-age neighborhood, but still be able to take advantage of activities and resources for seniors.  Now I’d like to examine more closely the 55-Plus (or Active Adult) Communities in the Washington, DC Metro Area.

55-Plus communities are for seniors who are in reasonably good health, and can live independently.  At least one owner or resident must be 55 or older in order to qualify to live in a 55-plus community, and many have rules that prohibit children from living in the community.   55-plus communities offer seniors a way to be free of many home maintenance chores, to enjoy convenient classes, groups, and amenities that are aimed at them, and to make new friends with other like-minded people.  Typically people would buy a home (or condo) in a 55-Plus community just like they would buy a home in a multi-age neighborhood, but the home association or condo fees are higher, in order to pay for the many amenities and services available in the community.  There are also usually rentals available in 55-Plus communities, by individual owners.

I live in Montgomery County, MD, and many of the people around here are under the impression that there are no 55-plus communities in the area, other than Leisure World in north Silver Spring.  There are actually lots of 55-plus communities in this area, but they are almost all 30 minutes or more from downtown Washington, DC.  I will cover many of the communities in detail in future posts, but for now I just want to give you an overview of where they are.

In Maryland, there are 55-plus communities located in Silver Spring, Ellicott City, Laurel, Columbia, Odenton, Annapolis, Gambrills, Fallston, Marriottsville, Elkridge, Jessup, White Plains, New Market, Dowell, Bel Air, Waldorf, Catonsville, Severna Park, Frederick, Upper Marlboro, and Edgewater.  As of now, there are at least thirty-five 55-plus communities located in the Washington-Baltimore Metro Area in Maryland.  In the Metro Washington DC area in Virginia there are at least twenty 55-plus communities.  They are in Fairfax, Woodbridge, West Springfield, Sterling, Lorton, Manassas, Ashburn, Bristow, Dumfries, Gainesville, Haymarket, Lansdowne, and Warrenton.

So, if you are willing to live in the suburbs of Washington, DC, there are a huge number or 55-plus communities to choose from.  Please contact me with any questions or if I can help you begin a 55-plus (or other) home search in the DC area.