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Company Towns

By
Editors

There is money to be made in end-of-life amusements for wealthy retirees.

(Mark Wallheiser / the Washington Post)

The Villages

  • Location: Sumter County, Florida; Marion County, Florida

  • Size: 51,200 acres

  • Homes: 71,000

  • Slogan: “Free Golf for Life”

  • Description: A sprawling 55-plus community infamous for its active residents, living a freewheeling lifestyle in what is — according to popular legend — the “STD capital of America.”

Lake Weir Living

  • Location: Ocklawaha, Florida

  • Size: 400 acres

  • Homes: 300

  • Slogan: “Live Where You Ride”

  • Description: Lake Weir Living is a retirement community dedicated to “toy” lovers: elderly people who can’t quite give up their motorcycles, RVs, boats, cars, and other vehicles.

Latitude Margaritaville

  • Location: Daytona Beach, Florida; Watersound, Florida; Hilton Head, North Carolina

  • Size: 8,820+ acres

  • Homes: 10,400

  • Slogan: “Growing Older but Not Up”

  • Description: Named for the eponymous Jimmy Buffett song, this Jimmy-Buffett-themed chain of three communities is home to residents who share two interests: golf and liquor.

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