Comparison
The Villages vs Stone Creek by Del Webb
Facts, sourced, with the unreliable numbers labeled as unreliable. I am not going to tell you which one to pick, and anyone who does without knowing your situation is guessing.
The short answer
Stone Creek is a gated Del Webb community in Ocala with a reported 3,800 homes and one championship golf course open to public play. The Villages is a multi-county development governed by Community Development Districts, with a per-parcel infrastructure bond that Stone Creek does not appear to have.
| The Villages | Stone Creek by Del Webb | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Sumter, Marion and Lake counties | Ocala, Marion County, southwest off SR 200. 6320 SW 89th Court Road. |
| Size | Developer states 150,000+ residents and 70,000+ households. The 2020 Census counted 79,077 in the narrower Villages CDP. | Reported at approximately 3,800 homes by two third-party sources. not independently verified Del Webb does not publish a total. |
| Developer | The Holding Company of The Villages | Del Webb, part of PulteGroup. A national production builder. |
| Age restriction | At least one household member 55 or over, and no one younger than 19. Visitors under 18 limited to 30 days per calendar year. | Marketed as 55+. Exact governing-document terms are behind a resident login and were not verified. |
| Governance and fees | Monthly amenity fee, posted at $189, plus per-parcel bond and district assessments on the tax bill | Del Webb states high-speed internet and TV are included in HOA fees in select phases but publishes no figure. Third-party sources conflict: one reports $192 to $443 per month, another reports $216 base, $299 with lawn care, and about $379 for villas. not independently verified No CDD was identified. |
| Golf | 15 championship courses plus 40+ executive courses. Executive golf included in the amenity fee. | One course: Stone Creek Golf Club, an 18-hole championship course at 7,221 yards. Open to public play with tee times bookable seven days ahead. Membership rates are not published. |
| Getting around | Extensive multi-modal path network with more than 50 golf car tunnels | Not documented as a community-wide cart transportation network. |
Sources: The Villages figures from thevillages.com FAQ and districtgov.org, plus Stellar MLS closed sales January 1 to September 21, 2026, compiled by Cristian Gonzalez, eXp Realty. Census figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. Competitor figures are cited on each row and come from the communities' own sites where available and from third-party real estate portals otherwise. Fee figures marked not independently verified conflict between sources and should not be relied on. Confirm current fees, age requirements, and governing documents directly with each community before making a decision. All retrieved September 2026. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Updated September 2026.
Production builder versus district government
This is the structural difference worth understanding, because it drives the cost comparison more than any amenity does.
Stone Creek is a Del Webb community, which means a national production builder set the floor plans, built the amenities, and handed ongoing management to an HOA, in this case FirstService Residential. The costs are HOA dues, and internet and TV are bundled in select phases.
The Villages is governed through Community Development Districts, which are units of local government. They issue bonds to build infrastructure, and your share of that debt is assigned to your parcel and repaid on your tax bill. That is the bond, and it is the single largest thing that makes a Villages listing price incomplete. The bond explainer covers it properly.
Comparing total cost honestly is harder than it looks
A Villages home at $400,000 with a $28,000 bond balance and a $189 monthly amenity fee is not directly comparable to a Stone Creek home at $400,000 with HOA dues that bundle internet. The structures are different enough that a side-by-side monthly figure only works if you build it for the two specific homes you are choosing between. I will do that for any two addresses you send me.
Golf is the widest gap
Stone Creek has one championship course, open to public play. The Villages has 15 championship courses plus more than 40 executive courses, with executive golf included in the monthly amenity fee and a separate trail fee for using your own cart on them.
If golf is the reason you are moving, that gap is probably decisive. If it is not, Stone Creek's 16 pickleball courts and 5 tennis courts are a serious amenity package in their own right, and the smaller community is easier to feel at home in quickly.
Questions people ask
Does Stone Creek have a CDD bond like The Villages?
No CDD was identified for Stone Creek in public records reviewed for this page. It appears to operate on HOA dues. The Villages carries a per-parcel infrastructure bond repaid on the property tax bill. Confirm the current structure with each community before relying on this.
How many homes are in Stone Creek?
Approximately 3,800 according to two third-party real estate sources. Del Webb does not publish a total on its own community page, so this figure is not officially confirmed.
Free, no obligation
Comparing two specific homes?
Send me an address in each and I will build the real total-cost comparison: bond balance, amenity or HOA fee, assessments, and what comparable homes actually closed for this year in both.
I am a Marion County native and I work both counties. I have no reason to steer you toward one, and I have not closed in The Villages yet, so I am not defending a track record either.