12 Best 55+ Communities in Northern California

Northern California stretches from Oregon to San Luis Obispo County and is famous for its redwood forests and dramatic Pacific coastline. It is an excellent place to retire, home to the iconic Golden Gate Bridge and hundreds of vineyards amidst rolling hills. So, what are the 12 best 55+ communities in Northern California?

Bella Vista Park is close to the world’s finest wine counties, while Willow Springs Alzheimer’s Special Care Center values your mental health. Shasta Hills Estates is a home away from home, and Tuscany Villas is a gated community with an Italian-inspired flair.

Here are our picks for the 12 best 55+ communities in Northern California:

  1. Bella Vista Park
  2. Rossmoor
  3. Sunnyside Gardens
  4. Shasta Hills Estates
  5. Tuscany Villas
  6. Willow Springs Alzheimer’s Special Care Center
  7. Esplanade at Turkey Creek
  8. Sun City Roseville
  9. Heritage Vineyard Creek
  10. Four Seasons at Los Banos
  11. Standiford Place
  12. Woodbridge

What matters most to you is unique, so we categorized the 55+ communities in Northern California with your interests in mind. Read on to know what makes each neighborhood the better choice.

Beautiful Northern California Sunset

12 Best 55+ Communities in Northern California

Northern California has forty-eight counties, and each area has distinctive selling points that may interest you if you’re looking for 55 communities in Northern California. So, we categorized them based on what could interest you the most.

Bay Area

You’ll find the best retirement communities in Northern California in the Bay Area, with its alluring magic beyond the bay to cities with famous cuisine and nightlife. This area also has some of the world’s finest wine counties, like Napa Valley. Silicon Valley has also witnessed innovative ideas from brilliant minds at Facebook, Apple, and Google.

1. Bella Vista Park

You’ll find one of the sought-after over 55 communities in Northern California at Yountville. At the heart of the Napa Valley is Bella Vista Park, where famous wineries, vineyards, and restaurants are just around the corner.

Dining out? Choose between The French Laundry or La Calenda Mexican Restaurant. Capture moments with your Canon EOS Rebel DSLR Camera (view on Amazon) at local festivals and concerts hosted by some world-class vineyards like Pine Ridge Vineyards and Del Dotto Estate Winery & Caves.

As a resident of Bella Vista Park, you can also mingle with your neighbors at a community clubhouse that has multipurpose meeting rooms for varied events. More importantly, you’re conveniently close to basic needs from Whole Foods Market, Walgreens, and Ole Health Pharmacy.

There are only resale manufactured homes at Bella Vista Park, and the price range is high $100s to high $200s.

2. Rossmoor

This resale-homes-only neighborhood at Walnut Creek is among the 55 communities in Northern California that offer attached condominiums or single-family home types. As an active adult community in the California Bay Area, it has 27 holes of NCGA-rated golf, swimming pools, tennis courts, five spacious clubhouses, and miles of hiking trails. It also has more than 200 social clubs that cater to your varied interests.

Rossmoor’s Recreation Department ensures that you enjoy your stay by arranging social functions like parties, lunches, excursions, classes, and even holiday programs.

Expect a low-maintenance lifestyle at Rossmoor because the homeowners’ association provides landscaping, bus transportation, and cable TV services.

3. Sunnyside Gardens

Insightfully bringing together assisted living and memory care, Sunnyside Gardens is among the over 55 communities in Northern California where you get excellent care.

Choose between private and shared rooms with beautiful patios and grounds, so wear sunscreen (view on Amazon). The activity lounge is warm and sunny, plus an executive chef serves you three meals a day with snacks!

The community has dedicated staff to assist you in whatever activity excites you the most. From seated morning exercises to social events like Happy Hour and Arts, Crafts, and Baking Classes, mingle with other residents who understand the unique challenges of retirement.

Redding Area

If you wish to retire with a scenic backdrop, some of the top retirement communities in Northern California are in Redding. You’ll be around natural attractions like the Sacramento River as it runs through the middle of the city and is paralleled by the Sacramento River Trail.

At Turtle Bay Exploration Park, you also get access to twenty acres of McConnell Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, plus an interactive museum and regular animal shows.

4. Shasta Hills Estates

With a vibrant backdrop for your new life as a retiree, Shasta Estates is one of the best retirement communities in Northern California. There always are pleasant housekeepers and servers to help you when you need them.

The community offers independent living, but it goes all the way to ensure your comfort and happiness. Apart from chefs who serve three delectable meals every day in the community dining room, the services you get make you feel as if you’re with an extended family. From housekeeping to off-site excursions, Shasta Estates aims to make your life easier and fun.

Happy Retired Couple Smiling

5. Tuscany Villas

A gated community with an Italian-inspired flair, this community is for you if you enjoy a quiet neighborhood. The new and resale homes are single-family types with covered patios and side entrances.

It only has twenty-six residences, and this intimate community is within walking distance from Gold Hills and Tierra Oaks Golf Course that offers play for whatever your skill level is.

Offering a luxurious lifestyle in a safe environment, retiring at Tuscany Villas has a price range of mid $400s to below $500s.

6. Willow Springs Alzheimer’s Special Care Center

At Churn Creek Road is one of the 55+ communities in Northern California where you can enjoy an engaging lifestyle while promoting your wellness and independence. Willow Springs offers life-enriching activities like cocktail-hour gatherings and the Life-Long Learning series, topped with fitness classes.

It also takes pride in its signature lifestyle approach, the SparkTM. Overseen by an exceptional team, you’re assisted with services like medication, self-image enhancement, social activities, and other healthcare management assistance.

Sacramento Area

With a tourism slogan that says, ‘California begins here,’ choosing one of the top retirement communities in Northern California at this region means exploring historic old towns and tasting frothy brews.

7. Esplanade at Turkey Creek

There are 850 single-family home types in this gated community in Lincoln, CA. And they are all new, with prices ranging between high $500s to mid $800s.

Its resort-style amenities include a private clubhouse with outdoor recreational facilities that give you an active and social lifestyle. Other amenities include:

  • A spa
  • Pools both indoor and outdoor
  • Courts for playing tennis and pickleball
  • Trails for biking and walking

You’ll also be minutes away from a selection of local shops and restaurants. Downtown Sacramento and the famous Turkey Creek Golf Course are easily accessed.

8. Sun City Roseville

Among the best retirement communities in Northern California, this active-adult neighborhood is at the base of the Sierra Nevada Foothills. It has a recreation center that measures 50,000 square feet, giving you an abundance of space for your indoor and outdoor activities! Choose among the grand ballroom, state-of-the-art fitness center, library, or miles of biking and hiking trails.

You can enjoy dining, the theater, and the museums of Sacramento, plus it’s only a two-hour drive to visit wineries in Napa or Lake Tahoe.

There are over 3,000 single-family homes at Sun City Roseville, with floor areas ranging from 878 to about 2,700 square feet. All homes are single-story, and many of them are low maintenance.

9. Heritage Vineyard Creek

This neighborhood is a prime location if you’re looking for 55+ communities in Northern California that have easy access to the highways, daily necessities, and the airport.

You’re 15 minutes away from Route 99 and only a few from downtown Sacramento. Surrounding the area are popular attractions like the Crocker Art Museum, Crest Theater, and American River Bicycle Trail.

True to its resort-inspired theme, you experience a low-maintenance lifestyle while indulging in fun activities with your neighbors at the clubhouse. Play a round of cards or challenge your friends to a round of bocce. There also is a community garden to support your green thumb and a vineyard to have pleasurable strolls.

Stockton-Modesto Area

There are about twenty-eight miles between Stockton and Modesto, and along this stretch are some of the 55 communities in Northern California worth checking out.

10. Four Seasons at Los Banos

A gated community of 128 single-family homes, this neighborhood is near to big-city entertainment but far enough for you to enjoy quiet relaxation.

Playing tennis, participating in water aerobics, and swimming with friends are fun activities that await you at Four Seasons.

At the clubhouse, mingle with other residents in a multipurpose room or stay fit at the fitness center. The surrounding walking trails also give you a chance to breathe in the fresh Northern California breeze, or you can lounge on a patio.

Smiling Elderly Woman Playing Tennis

11. Standiford Place

Standiford Place is among the over 55 communities in Northern California that value your unique needs as an individual. You get outside-home healthcare services with a vibrant backdrop that supports your retirement years with caring staff to assist you.

There’s a full-sized kitchen, and you can have your guests join you in the community dining room. They can even stay overnight! The 2-bedroom apartments are wired with cable, plus there’s a computer area to check your emails. Services for residents include free transportation, housekeeping, linen laundry, and haircuts.

12. Woodbridge

In Manteca, CA, Woodbridge is among the top retirement communities in Northern California, built by Del Webb in 2006.

Experience a small-town setting with world-class amenities at the 28,000-square-foot Lakehouse Clubhouse and the two-acre fishing locale Lake Rockwell. Inside the well-equipped clubhouse, you can play billiards, indulge in arts and crafts, or stay fit at the state-of-the-art fitness center.

On the other hand, Lake Rockwell has a pier where you can indulge in hours of aquatic serenity as you do some catch-and-release fishing.

Conclusion: 12 Best 55+ Communities in Northern California

Once again, here are the 12 best 55+ Communities in Northern California:

  1. Bella Vista Park
  2. Rossmoor
  3. Sunnyside Gardens
  4. Shasta Hills Estates
  5. Tuscany Villas
  6. Willow Springs Alzheimer’s Special Care Center
  7. Esplanade at Turkey Creek
  8. Sun City Roseville
  9. Heritage Vineyard Creek
  10. Four Seasons at Los Banos
  11. Standiford Place
  12. Woodbridge

You’re in your golden years, and you deserve to move into a retirement community that focuses on what you hold dear. This article was curated with that goal, incorporating your distinct preferences about finding a home away from home.

Kris Peter

A positive individual enjoying the journey, and always searching for adventure. I created Sunlight Living to help my parents (and eventually myself) prepare for retirement. About Kris

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