When you shop for a home in a 55+ community, the asking price is the number everyone talks about. It is often not the number that decides whether the move works. In South Florida, two homes with the same price can cost hundreds of dollars a month apart once you add association fees, property taxes, insurance and the extras that never show up on the listing sheet.
We pulled the MLS records for 55+ communities across our area to put real numbers on it. Here is what owning in a 55+ community actually costs, and how to compare one community against another.
The monthly fee is the biggest number after the price
Over the past 12 months, 3,357 condos sold in 55+ communities in Palm Beach and Martin counties. The typical one sold for $137,000 and carried an association fee of about $635 a month. That is roughly $7,600 a year, or about 5% of the purchase price, every year.
The cheaper the home, the bigger that share gets:
| Sale price | Sales | Typical price | Typical monthly HOA | HOA per year as a share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $150,000 | 1,891 | $100,000 | $588 | 7.2% |
| $150,000 to $250,000 | 967 | $190,000 | $641 | 4.2% |
| $250,000 to $400,000 | 402 | $293,750 | $796 | 3.1% |
| $400,000 to $700,000 | 62 | $512,500 | $1,035 | 2.6% |
| $700,000 and up | 35 | $1,109,000 | $1,840 | 1.7% |
A $100,000 condo with a $588 fee costs about $70,000 in association fees alone over ten years, at today's rate. Fees rarely stay flat, so plan on that number going up.
Comparing communities side by side
Here is how a dozen well-known 55+ communities compare. Prices are the typical asking price and the fee range covers most listings over the past three years.
| Community | City | Home type | Typical asking price | Typical monthly HOA | HOA per year as a share of price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Century Village | West Palm Beach | Condo | $105,000 | $367 to $613 | 5.6% |
| Kings Point | Delray Beach | Condo | $112,000 | $573 to $826 | 7.5% |
| Monterey Yacht & Country Club | Stuart | Condo | $105,000 | $643 to $837 | 8.5% |
| Century Village | Boca Raton | Condo | $129,000 | $357 to $811 | 5.4% |
| Cedar Pointe Villages | Stuart | Condo | $152,450 | $411 to $627 | 4.1% |
| Huntington Pointe | Delray Beach | Condo and villa | $279,888 | $806 to $1,053 | 4.0% |
| Boca Lago | Boca Raton | Condo | $294,800 | $603 to $859 | 3.0% |
| Seagate of Highland | Highland Beach | Oceanfront condo | $558,000 | $973 to $1,175 | 2.3% |
| Mainlands of Tamarac Lakes | Tamarac | Single-family | $338,000 | $57 to $120 | 0.3% |
| Del Webb Tradition | Port St. Lucie | Single-family and villa | $489,910 | $319 to $553 | 1.1% |
| Esplanade at Tradition | Port St. Lucie | Single-family | $504,352 | $378 to $585 | 1.1% |
| Cresswind Palm Beach | Westlake | Single-family | $769,000 | $335 to $425 | 0.6% |
A few things jump out:
- Low price does not mean low cost. A $105,000 condo at Monterey Yacht & Country Club and a $105,000 condo at Century Village in West Palm Beach typically differ by about $250 a month in fees. Over ten years, that is about $30,000.
- Single-family 55+ communities often have lower fees than condos. In a condo, the association pays for the roof, the building exterior, insurance on the structure, and often water, cable and pest control. In a single-family community, you pay most of those yourself. That makes the HOA look cheaper, but your own insurance and maintenance costs go up.
- Newer communities and resort-style amenities cost more to run. Clubhouses, fitness centers, lifestyle directors and guard gates are all paid for through the monthly fee.
The figures for single-family communities like Del Webb Tradition and Esplanade come from fewer sales than the big condo communities, so treat them as a rough guide.
What the HOA fee includes matters as much as the amount
A $700 fee that includes water, cable, internet, building insurance and exterior maintenance can be a better deal than a $450 fee that includes almost nothing. When you compare communities, list what each fee covers and price out what you would pay separately for the rest. Each of our South Florida 55+ communities shows what listings in that community most often say the fee includes.
Also check for a master association. Many communities have one fee for your building or section and a second for the community as a whole. Make sure you are adding both.
Property taxes: do not trust the seller's tax bill
The typical 55+ condo that sold last year showed an annual tax bill of about $1,770. Be careful with that number. It is the seller's bill, and the seller may have owned the home for years.
Under Florida's Save Our Homes rule, the taxable value of a homesteaded home can only go up by 3% a year or the change in inflation, whichever is less. When the home sells, that cap goes away and the home is reassessed at market value the next January 1. A long-time owner's tax bill can be far lower than what a new buyer will pay.
If you make the home your primary residence, you can apply for the homestead exemption. For 2026, it takes up to $51,411 off the taxable value. If you are selling a Florida homestead to buy, you may be able to carry part of your Save Our Homes savings with you through portability, as long as you set up the new homestead within the time allowed.
This is changing. Florida voters approved Amendment 3 on November 3, 2026, with about 62% of the vote. It raises the homestead exemption on non-school taxes to up to $150,000 in 2027 and up to $250,000 in 2028. People who are permanent Florida residents by December 31, 2026 qualify for the larger amounts. People who become residents on or after January 1, 2027 start at about $50,000 and get the larger exemption after four years. If you are planning a move to Florida, that timing could make a real difference in your taxes. See our full breakdown of Amendment 3.
The costs that never show up on the listing
- Special assessments. About 1 in 12 active 55+ condo listings we looked at reported a special assessment. Many 55+ condo buildings in our area were built in the 1970s and 1980s. Florida's newer condo safety laws require milestone inspections for older buildings three stories and up, and require associations to fund reserves for major structural items. That is good for safety, but in some buildings it has meant large assessments or sharp fee increases. Ask for the latest reserve study, the milestone inspection report if there is one, and the minutes from recent board meetings.
- Insurance. In a condo you need your own policy for the interior and your belongings, and the association's master policy cost is built into your fee. In a single-family home you insure the whole house, including wind coverage. If the home is in a flood zone, flood insurance may be required. Get quotes before you are deep into your inspection period.
- Application and approval. Nearly every 55+ condo sale we looked at required an application and board approval. Expect an application fee, a background check and some waiting time. Some associations also require a deposit or a one-time capital contribution at closing.
- Club memberships. A small number of communities require buyers to join a club, which can mean an initiation fee plus annual dues on top of the HOA. Ask before you fall in love with the home.
- Recreation and land leases. Some older communities still have recreation leases, where owners pay rent for the clubhouse or pool, and a few have land leases, where you own the home but not the land under it. Both add a monthly cost and can affect resale and financing.
- Rules that cost money. Rental restrictions, pet limits and rules on guests or vehicles do not show up in your budget, but they can limit what you can do with the home later. If you might rent it out someday, check the rules first.
Paying cash, or financing?
About 78% of 55+ condo sales over the past year were cash purchases. If you plan to finance, ask early whether the building qualifies for the loan you want. Some older buildings and some associations with low reserves or pending litigation are hard to finance, which also shrinks the pool of future buyers when you sell.
A simple way to compare total cost
For each community on your list, add up the monthly cost of:
- The association fee, plus any master association fee
- Your estimated property tax as a new owner, divided by 12
- Your own insurance, including flood if needed
- Anything the fee does not cover: water, cable, internet, lawn care, pest control
- Any club dues, recreation lease or land lease
- A cushion for fee increases and special assessments, especially in older buildings
Then compare those totals, not the asking prices. The cheapest home on paper is often not the cheapest one to live in.
Let's compare them for you
We look at the fees, the reserves, the rules and the recent sales for every community our clients consider. If you want a side-by-side comparison of the communities on your list, reach out to Paul Christle or call (561) 420-9620. You can also start with our Find Your Home tool. Choose 55+ living and we will pull the communities and homes that fit.
About the numbers: market figures come from Beaches MLS records analyzed by Exodus Realty. The 12-month figures cover 55+ condominium sales in Palm Beach and Martin counties from October 2025 through October 2026. The community comparison uses MLS listings from the past three years; HOA ranges cover most listings and exclude the highest and lowest 10%. Homes sold outside the MLS are not included. Tax information comes from the Florida Department of Revenue (Save Our Homes and 2026 homestead exemption) and the Manatee County Property Appraiser, as of October 2026.