John Burns Research and Consulting (JBRC) announced their annual top 50 master-planned communities (MPCs) for 2025. In their 15-year survey history, this year’s sales threshold is the sixth-highest performing. 2025 boasted stable sales in highly developed master-planned communities. Topping the overall list is The Villages, The Villages, FL with 3,611 sales in 2025 and a 13% year-over-year growth. Following in the top five are Lakewood Ranch, Cadence, Babcock Ranch and Sunterra. Additionally, the Asante master plan in Phoenix achieved the highest year-over-year sales growth, up 192% from 2024.
Leading sales factors of MPCs encapsulate the overall lifestyle planning. Factors like high-quality amenities, access to strong schools, enhanced security and/or controlled access, mixed product offerings appealing to multiple life stages and built-in sense of community and belonging remain large factors in their success.
“Despite elevated inventory, which affected even top-performing MPCs, communities that combined targeted incentive strategies, compelling lifestyle positioning and well-coordinated sales execution outperformed.” said the team at JBRC.
Photo Credit: Sunterra Starwood Land featured in the December issue of Builder and Developer.
