The Nature Coast’s flagship community — flood-free on a 200-foot ridge, four golf courses, a 50,000-square-foot spa — and the most misunderstood “55+” address in Florida. Here’s what it actually is.
Before anything else, the fact every brochure skips: the Villages of Citrus Hills is open to all ages. It is a large master-planned community in the town of Hernando — which is in Citrus County — developed by the Tamposi/Nash family since 1982 and still building today toward roughly 10,000 homes. About 80% of residents are 55 or older, so it lives and feels like a retirement community, but only certain gated Terra Vista villages are formally age-restricted. If a guaranteed 55+ neighborhood is non-negotiable for you, that distinction decides which villages you can even consider.
| County | Citrus County (town of Hernando / Lecanto / Inverness) |
| Age restriction | Age-targeted / all-ages overall; only some gated Terra Vista villages are formally 55+ |
| Size | ~10,000 homes at buildout (developing since 1982) |
| Home types | Maintenance-free villas to custom single-family; villages include Terra Vista (gated luxury), Brentwood, Canterbury Lakes, Belmont Hills, Davis Reserve |
| Price range | ~$200Ks to $1M+ (Terra Vista at the top) |
| Elevation | 200+ ft, tops near 260 ft — outside mapped flood zones, no flood insurance required |
| Amenities | Four golf courses, three fitness centers incl. ~50,000 sq ft BellaVita spa, three resort pools, two tennis/racquet centers, Tiki Bar, hundreds of monthly events |
| The cost catch | Amenity access runs through an optional social/golf membership — a real third cost layer on top of price and HOA |
Two things set Citrus Hills apart from almost every other Florida 55+ option, and both are genuine. First, the elevation: on one of the highest points in the state, ridge homes sit outside flood zones and skip flood insurance entirely — a structural cost advantage in a state where insurance is pushing retirees out. Second, the amenity depth: four golf courses, the BellaVita spa, multiple fitness centers and pools, and a packed activities calendar rival communities twice the price elsewhere in Florida.
When Hurricane Helene drove a record 7.7-foot surge into coastal Crystal River in 2024, the ridge communities were never in the water’s reach — the surge hit sea level, not 200 feet up. For a buyer, that translates directly into the insurance line: no flood premium, and a wind-coverage profile inland of the open Gulf. It’s the single biggest reason Citrus Hills can carry cheaper than a coastal home that lists for less.
Citrus Hills’ amenities — golf, the spa, the clubs — are accessed through an optional social or golf membership that sits on top of your home price and HOA. It’s what makes the lifestyle work, and most buyers want it, but it’s a recurring cost that the “from the $200s” pricing never mentions. Get the current membership tiers and dues in writing before you model your monthly — we flag it as a distinct line rather than fold it invisibly into “HOA.” (We don’t print a dues figure here until it’s confirmed current with the community.)
Right for: a buyer who wants resort-grade golf and wellness amenities, values being high and dry, and is comfortable with a community that’s majority-but-not-exclusively 55+. Look elsewhere if: you require a guaranteed age-restricted neighborhood (then you’re limited to specific Terra Vista villages, or to genuinely 55+ communities like Timber Pines or Arbor Lakes), or you want the lowest possible carrying cost (a land-owned manufactured-home community like Brookridge will beat it handily). The community is excellent; it just isn’t the same product the marketing implies.
A local specialist can tell you which Terra Vista villages are formally age-restricted, pull current membership tiers, and run your true all-in monthly — before a sales center frames it for you.
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