55+ & Active-Adult Communities in Central Texas
A verification-first guide to for-sale homeowner communities along the I-35 corridor and into the Hill Country — what's age-restricted, what's only marketed that way, and which town each one actually sits in.
Search "55+ communities" anywhere near Austin or San Antonio and you'll drown in national directory sites that fold rental apartments, independent-living facilities, and continuing-care campuses into the same list as homes you can actually buy. Worse, most of them blur the single distinction that matters most to a buyer: whether a community is legally age-restricted or simply marketed to people over 55 while remaining open to all ages. This guide covers for-sale homeowner communities only — single-family homes, patio and garden homes, and age-targeted sections of master-planned communities — across the Central Texas towns Texas Home Talk already covers. No apartments. No rentals. No care facilities.
We built it for three kinds of readers at once:
Relocation-intent buyers
Researching from out of state and trying to match a community to the right town, budget, and lifestyle before you ever fly in.
Sellers tracking the market
Watching where downsizing and right-sizing demand is concentrating so you can time a move and read the local comps.
Engaged current residents
Following what's being built and broken ground on next door — and which neighbors are arriving as these communities fill in.
Age-Restricted vs. Age-Targeted: The Distinction Nobody Else Flags
Under federal housing rules, a community can lawfully limit residency to households with at least one person 55 or older only if it qualifies for the "housing for older persons" exemption — typically meaning at least 80% of occupied homes include a resident 55+, with the community publishing and enforcing that policy. That is an age-restricted community. Many Texas communities instead build a clubhouse, a lifestyle director, and a pickleball court, then market the whole thing to retirees — while legally welcoming buyers of any age. That is an age-targeted community. Both can be excellent. They are not the same purchase, and conflating them is the most common error in this category.
A note on figures: age rules, HOA dues, home prices, and build-out counts change constantly and vary by phase and builder. Where a detail isn't locked down by a developer or city source, we say so and tell you to confirm it directly. Treat every dollar figure and age rule below as something to verify with the community before you write a check.
Active-Adult Communities Near Austin
The Austin side of the corridor is anchored by the largest active-adult community in Texas — and, for the first time in a generation, a brand-new Del Webb to go with it.
Sun City Texas
The benchmark. Texas's largest active-adult community, begun in the mid-1990s and still building toward a planned ~10,000 homes, with three golf courses, multiple fitness centers, resort pools, and well over a hundred resident clubs. Both resale and new-construction homes are available.
Del Webb Austin at Lost Pines
The headline of the moment: Del Webb's first new active-adult community in the Austin area in more than three decades. Broke ground in 2025 inside The Colony master-planned community near the Colorado River, with 513 homes planned across 160 acres. Home sales opened in early 2026 and 20 families had closed as of July 2026; the amenity center is targeted for early 2027, so today's buyers are arriving well ahead of the clubhouse.
Regency at Santa Rita Ranch
A gated active-adult enclave nested inside the larger, all-ages Santa Rita Ranch master plan, with its own resort-style clubhouse, pool, pickleball, and bocce reserved for residents. A strong fit for buyers who want a dedicated 55+ amenity life without leaving a vibrant, mixed-age master community.
Active-Adult Communities Near San Antonio
The southern half of the corridor centers on New Braunfels — Texas Home Talk's home market — with established and brand-new options ringing the city and reaching into the Boerne Hill Country.
Del Webb New Braunfels at Veramendi
The newest active-adult option in our flagship market, set inside the larger all-ages Veramendi master plan minutes from Historic Downtown New Braunfels, Gruene, and the Comal and Guadalupe rivers. A modern clubhouse, fitness center, pickleball, and resort pool anchor the 55+ section; the surrounding Veramendi community welcomes all ages with its own parks and trails.
Regency at Esperanza
A single-level active-adult neighborhood inside the award-winning Esperanza master plan, with its own resort-style Hacienda clubhouse, pool, pickleball, and bocce reserved for residents. Marketed as the Boerne area's dedicated 55+ option, with single-story homes from Toll Brothers and a full-time lifestyle director.
Hill Country Retreat
An established, gated Del Webb community on San Antonio's far northwest side — and an important one to understand, because it's fully built out. There's no new construction here; inventory is resale only, centered on a large amenity campus with indoor and outdoor pools, tennis, pickleball, and roughly five miles of walking trails.
Kissing Tree
Sitting almost exactly halfway between Austin and San Antonio, Kissing Tree is the corridor's other heavyweight and the natural counterpoint to Sun City. Its 20-acre amenity campus, "The Mix," includes a two-story fitness center, indoor and outdoor pools, a biergarten, golf, and 18 pickleball courts, with a planned build-out north of 3,000 homes.
Marketed to Retirees, Open to All Ages
These communities show up constantly on "55+" directory lists, but they are age-targeted, not age-restricted — built and marketed for active retirees and downsizers, yet legally open to buyers of any age. If a guaranteed 55+ environment is non-negotiable for you, confirm the current policy directly before assuming. If you simply want a low-maintenance, lock-and-leave home near great amenities and don't need an age rule, these belong on your list too.
Campanas at Cibolo Canyons
A gated, Mediterranean-styled luxury garden-home neighborhood with a 10,000-square-foot clubhouse, marketed openly to "working professionals and active retirees" alike. One-story, lock-and-leave living near the TPC golf resorts — but explicitly open to all ages.
Amorosa & El Sonido at Campanas
Sister "active lifestyle" enclaves within the same Cibolo Canyons master plan, sharing resort amenities and the same low-maintenance pitch to downsizers and busy professionals. Frequently listed under "55+," but the master-community amenities include all-ages features — another reason to confirm the actual residency rules.
Looking further ahead: Del Webb has floated additional Central Texas expansion, including land near its existing Georgetown footprint. As of this writing those plans are proposed rather than approved, and their age-restriction status is unconfirmed — we'll update this guide as anything breaks ground. Del Webb's next confirmed Texas opening, Sugar Land at Ryehill, sits southwest of Houston, well outside the Central Texas corridor.
Where To Start, Depending On Why You're Here
Relocating from out of state? Anchor on the age-restricted four — Sun City, Lost Pines, Veramendi, and Kissing Tree — then choose by town first and amenities second. The town determines your taxes, your hospital, your drive to the airport, and your weekend; the clubhouse is similar everywhere.
Tracking the market to sell or time a move? The new-construction openings (Lost Pines and Veramendi) are the demand signals to watch, because builder pricing sets the ceiling that nearby resale homes — including the built-out inventory at Hill Country Retreat — get measured against.
Already living in one of these towns? The phased build-outs mean your neighbors are still arriving. Following who's moving in, and which sections open next, tells you where your local amenities, traffic, and community calendar are heading.
55+ Communities in Central Texas: FAQ
What is the difference between an age-restricted and an age-targeted community?+
An age-restricted community legally limits residency to households with at least one person 55 or older, under the federal housing-for-older-persons exemption, and enforces that policy. An age-targeted community is built and marketed for active adults and retirees but remains open to buyers of any age. Both can offer the same amenities, but only one carries an enforceable age rule, so confirm a community's current policy directly before assuming.
Which 55+ communities near Austin are confirmed age-restricted?+
On the Austin side of the corridor, Sun City Texas in Georgetown and Del Webb Austin at Lost Pines in Bastrop are both Del Webb age-restricted communities. Sun City is the largest active-adult community in Texas and offers new and resale homes, while Lost Pines is Del Webb's first new Austin-area community in over three decades, with home sales that opened in early 2026.
What is the newest 55+ community near New Braunfels and San Antonio?+
Del Webb New Braunfels at Veramendi is the newest active-adult community in the New Braunfels market, set inside the larger all-ages Veramendi master plan minutes from Historic Downtown New Braunfels. Near Boerne, Regency at Esperanza by Toll Brothers offers single-level active-adult homes inside the Esperanza master plan.
Are the Cibolo Canyons communities really 55+?+
Campanas, Amorosa, and El Sonido at Cibolo Canyons in San Antonio are frequently listed as 55+, but they are age-targeted rather than age-restricted. They are built and marketed for active retirees and downsizers while remaining open to buyers of any age. If a guaranteed 55+ environment matters to you, verify the current residency policy with the community directly.
Can I still buy a new-construction home in these communities?+
It depends on the community. Sun City Texas, Kissing Tree, Del Webb Lost Pines, and Del Webb Veramendi all offer new construction, though Lost Pines and Veramendi are building in phases. Hill Country Retreat in San Antonio is fully built out, so homes there are available only on the resale market.
Written by the Texas Home Talk Editorial Team. Texas Home Talk is Central Texas's hyperlocal real estate and community guide, covering the Hill Country, the I-35 corridor, and the San Antonio metro. Community details, age policies, and pricing change frequently — always confirm current specifics with the developer or community before making a buying decision.
55+ Communities in Central Texas: The Short Version
The strongest 55+ communities in Central Texas span both metros. Among active adult communities near Austin, Sun City in Georgetown and Del Webb at Lost Pines in Bastrop lead. For 55+ communities near San Antonio, Del Webb Veramendi anchors New Braunfels, with age-restricted communities Hill Country buyers favor near Boerne. Kissing Tree in San Marcos sits at the midpoint of the 55 plus communities I-35 corridor map. Confirm each community's age policy against the federal HUD housing-for-older-persons rule, and verify pricing directly.