The fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States has 110,000 residents, 42 golf courses, and more golf carts than New York has taxis.
The Villages, Fla., whose population is largely made up of retirees over 55, is a retirement community that has sold more than 50,000 new homes since 1986, generating $9.9 billion in revenue. Home prices range from about $150,000 to $1 million.
The privately owned community has rules that determine everything from how long children can visit for to how many pet fish residents can keep, and developer H. Gary Morse also owns the local newspaper, radio station, and TV channel.
Resident Jerry Conkle, who has lived in the community for two decades, calls the development "an adult Disney World" and says that everything he needs is a golf-cart ride away and he can't imagine living anywhere else. "There's hardly any crime," he says. "I don't know any place that's safer than here."
Source: "Fastest-Growing Metro Area in U.S. Has No Crime or Kids," Bloomberg.com (June 27, 2014)
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