Sunset Beach, NC 55+ Retirement Communities and Homes

55+ communities, or active adult communities, are residential areas designed for individuals aged 55 and older. These communities offer a lifestyle tailored to older adults, featuring low-maintenance housing and various amenities such as fitness centers, swimming pools, and walking trails. Social interaction is encouraged through organized events, hobby groups, and recreational activities. Many communities provide additional services like healthcare facilities, transportation, and dining options. Located in desirable climates and scenic areas, they offer a serene and enjoyable living environment. The primary goal is to foster a vibrant, supportive atmosphere where residents can enjoy their retirement years with a focus on health, wellness, and social connections.

North Carolina's coast remains largely undeveloped in comparison with the rest of the Atlantic coastline. The 300 miles of barrier islands and broad sounds are home to only one city of considerable size (Wilmington). Most of the coast is overseen by the state's Division of Parks and Recreation, which has prevented commercial and residential overdevelopment, and kept the beaches accessible to the public. Still, the area is extremely popular, and teems with tourists during much of the year. It is also beginning to fill up, as more and more affluent home buyers push up housing prices.

The area has a long chapter in the history of America. This is the part of the United States that saw the earliest European settlement, and it is here that the "Lost Colony of Roanoke" was founded in 1585. The coastline was of immense economic and strategic importance throughout the Colonial era, and was fought over in the Revolution and the Civil War. Later, it became the site of the world's first powered airplane flight, at Kill Devil Hill near Kitty Hawk.

Wilmington is the urban heart of the area; but even here the pace is noticeably more laid-back than other coastal cities. Other towns of note include Elizabeth City, New Bern, and Jacksonville, home of the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Lejeune.