Sarasota County again placed two master-planned communities near the top of the national rankings in 2025, underscoring the area’s outsized role in the U.S. master-planned housing market. According to RCLCO, a national real estate consulting and research firm, Lakewood Ranch ranked No. 2 overall among master-planned communities with 2,085 new-home sales, while Wellen Park ranked No. 8 with 992 sales. Together, they made Sarasota County one of the few places in the country with multiple communities in the national top 10.
Lakewood Ranch also retained its position as the nation’s top-selling multigenerational master-planned community, extending a streak that now spans eight consecutive years. The rankings came during a period when new-home sales dipped in many markets, making the continued performance of both Sarasota County communities notable. The top ranking went to The Villages, a retirement community in Central Florida, spanning Sumter, Lake County and Marion counties.
To compare, in 2024, the most recent full year of countywide data available, Sarasota County had 10,930 home sales total. That includes 7,486 single-family homes and 3,444 condos or townhomes.
Manatee County had 10,079 home sales total, including 7,485 single-family homes and 2,594 condos or townhomes…