Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Lakewood Ranch
Discover why others are making Lakewood Ranch their new home.
If you recently visited Lakewood Ranch on a vacation and have thought about living here year-round, you are definitely not alone. There are so many great reasons to relocate to Lakewood Ranch and to make it your new home. Whether you're a young family starting out or you're seeking that perfect retirement home in an active community, below are my TOP 10 reasons to move to Lakewood Ranch.Top 10 Reasons to Move to Lakewood Ranch
- Lakewood Ranch is the #2 Top-Selling Community in the Nation for 2024
Lakewood Ranch was recently named as the #2 best-selling, master planned community in the nation (for full-year home sales in 2024) by RCL & Co, a well-respected and independent real estate consulting firm. View List of Community Rankings. Located just east of I-75 at the University Parkway exit, the 58-square mile community of Lakewood Ranch offers residents a high-quality of life with three town centers, a myriad of shopping and dining options with the new University Town Center Mall (UTC), top-rated schools, 150+ miles of recreation trails, pet-friendly parks and more.
# Community Name City Type 2024 Sales
(full year)1 The Villages The Villages, FL 55+ 3,208 2 Lakewood Ranch Sarasota, FL All Ages 2,225 3 Cadence Henderson, NV All Ages 1,386 4 Sunterra Katy, TX All Ages 1,325 5 Summerlin Las Vegas, NV All Ages 1,055 Sales numbers based from January 1 - Dec 31, 2024. - Florida Has No State Income Tax
The lack of a state income tax is one big benefit of living in Florida. This means that you keep more of your hard-earned dollars. In place of a state tax, the state of Florida earns dollars from the millions of tourists that visit our state each year through a 7% sales tax (state level) and a 5% tourist tax (county level) on revenues from rental properties and hotel stays that are for a term of 6 month or less. Once you become a Florida resident, you will be thankful for the tourists as they pay your share of the state taxes. - Lakewood Ranch Offers Real Estate at all Price Points
As a top-rated master-planned residential community, Lakewood Ranch offers residents housing options at various price points from the 400s to $2.5+ Million. At the end of December 2024, the average Lakewood Ranch home price is now $641K. Whether you are a younger family starting out or you are simply seeking your perfect retirement home, you’re sure to find housing matching all your wants and needs at your desired price point. Lakewood Ranch has 18 approved home builders including national builders as well as local builders. For exact housing prices and a list of current Lakewood Ranch homes matching your criteria, contact Abigail Altier, our Lakewood Ranch relocation expert listed on this page. - Lakewood Ranch is a Top-Rated Golfing Community
The Lakewood Ranch community was designed with golfing and golf-course living in mind. There are four golf courses within the master-planned community which are all certified Audubon international sanctuaries. Within the main Lakewood Ranch Golf & Country Club (LWRG & CC) are the two main courses of Cypress Lakes and the King's Dunes which offer a combined 54 holes of golf. Both courses were designed by Arnold Palmer and private to members only. The 3rd course is the Royal Lakes Golf Course located in Country Club East, and offers 18-holes of superb golf. This course is also private to members only. The 4th golf course in LWR is the Legacy Golf Course which offers 18 holes of golf and was designed by Arnold Palmer as well. This is the only non-private course in all of Lakewood Ranch open for public pay. Additionally located on the Ranch is the private Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, which offers an 18-hole championship course designed by Tom Fazio. - Lakewood Ranch Offers Lots of Resident Amenities
As a top-master planned community, Lakewood Ranch was created with abundant resident amenities in mind. The grande Lakewood Ranch County Clubhouse offers 44,000 square feet of space with casual and fine dining options. The clubhouse also includes a newly-renovated, 20,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art athletic center and a tennis facility with 20 courts. Lakewood Ranch also has a smaller 16,000 square-foot Clubhouse at The Lake Club with abundant amenities as well. - Lakewood Ranch Offers Year-Round Recreation
Lakewood Ranch offers year-round recreation for the outdoor enthusiast with its 150 miles of interconnected trails and sidewalks. Even the majority of its streets were designed with bike lanes in mind. Lakewood Ranch also opened its Premier Sports Campus in 2011 which is a multi-purpose facility offering 22 full sized mixed-use fields for soccer, lacrosse and other organized team sports. Just west of the Interstate is the new Nathan Benderson Park which offers a 3.7 mile exercise trail around its lake which is often home to national rowing championships. - Lakewood Ranch Offers Polo Matches
Upon the opening of the Sarasota Polo Club in 1991, tailgating and watching a polo game in Lakewood Ranch has been a popular past time for many. From early December through mid-April, players from around the world come to compete on Sunday afternoons where the public is welcome to attend this 130-acre facility. General admission tickets are $12 per adult and children under 12 are free. Tickets are available at the gate, which opens at 10am Sunday mornings, and the polo matches begin at 1pm. In addition to Polo, Lakewood Ranch is also home to the Sarasota International Cricket and Rugby Club. - Close Proximity to University Town Center Mall & Nearby Shopping
When you live in Lakewood Ranch, you are centrally located around endless dining and shopping options. Just west of Interstate-75 is the new University Town Center Mall with its many restaurants and upscale department and boutique stores. Along the University Parkway corridor are many shopping plazas offering popular restaurants, healthy-living grocery stores and trendy craft beer establishments. Just north of Lakewood Ranch is the Ellenton Premium Outlet Mall which offers 130 designer and brand outlet stores for the whole family. - Lakewood Ranch is a Top Florida Retirement Community
For many of the reasons listed on this page, Lakewood Ranch has become a top-rated Florida retirement community. For those who choose to relocate to Lakewood Ranch for their retirement years, they will enjoy a high-quality of life in a picturesque natural Florida setting, enjoy many amenities including golf, tennis, biking and nearby beaches, enjoy many local restaurants with outdoor dining options, have access to quality healthcare and medical providers as well as enjoy a beautiful home in one of the many maintenance-free communities on the Ranch. - Lakewood Ranch Offers Three Town Centers
Lakewood offers three distinct town centers for its residents to gather with friends and family while enjoying outdoor performances and events, restaurants and shopping, as well as local amenities including movie theatres. Lakewood Ranch Main Street, the first town center, officially opened back in 2006. The second town center is The Green at Lakewood Ranch and is located at SR 70 in the northern end of the community. The third town center is the Waterside Place and resides just south of University parkway in Sarasota County. Waterside Place has waterfront restaurants, local shops, performing arts, recreational activities. It's also the future home of The Players Centre for Performing Arts.
Lakewood Ranch Relocation Resources
- Top 10 Reasons to Relocate to Lakewood Ranch
- Lakewood Ranch Relocation Guide
- Lakewood Ranch Relocation Reviews
- Moving to Lakewood Ranch Blog