Island Recognized as One of America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities

A national magazine recently recognized Daniel Island for what most residents already know - the island is a great place to work and live, no matter your age.

Where to Retire magazine recognized Daniel Island as “One of America’s 100 Best Master-Planned Communities” in the its July/August issue. The recognition came after an eight-month review process in which editors evaluated several hundred residential developments across the country seeking communities offering today’s retirees a well-rounded, active lifestyle. More than an honor roll, the 2005 selections showcase significant retirement and development trends for the next half of this decade.

Conceived over 10 years ago, Daniel Island’s master plan incorporates many of the elements that today’s best-planned communities are now offering to attract baby boomers and others seeking to improve their quality of life.

A property owner survey conducted last year shows that approximately 9 percent of island residents are retired. The survey does not reflect the number of people who move to Daniel Island with the intention of retiring, known as “pre-retirees”.  However, the survey does show that 22 percent of residents are 55-64 years old and that 9 percent of respondents said they were using their property as investment now, with plans to use it for retirement later. An additional 2 percent of residents say they are using their property as a part-time retirement home.

In addition to the integration of parks, green space and traditional neighborhoods featuring sidewalks and front porches, many of the trends highlighted by Where to Retire are embodied here on Daniel Island, including:

· A Small-Town Environment – “Retirees like small-town environments with big-city amenities nearby,” writes Mary Lu Abbott in Where to Retire. While Daniel Island offers a comfortable lifestyle with all the amenities and conveniences of a small town, the airport, area beaches and the shops, restaurants and cultural attractions of downtown Charleston are all within an easy 20-minute drive.

· Empty Nesters Making Pre-Retirement Moves – “More people are moving in their 50s,” writes Abbott. “Sometimes they stay close enough to commute to their jobs, but many times they’re working from new homes that are wired for high-tech communication.” Daniel Island Real Estate reports an increasing number of people purchasing pre-retirement homes and condominiums with the intention of eventually making the island their permanent home. Many residents take advantage of the community-wide “fiber to the subscriber” network – one of the nation’s first – and establish home offices for “telecommuting.”

· A Multigenerational Mix – Where to Retire also cites “the development of active-adult neighborhoods within larger master-planned communities with multiple generations,” as a growing trend. Daniel Island’s mix of residential and recreational offerings has always attracted residents of all ages. More than a few island residents have succeeded in convincing multiple generations within their families to make the island their home.  

Where to Retire is the authoritative source of useful information for more than 380,000 Americans who move across state lines to retire every year. Where to Retire educates readers on topics such as who’s moving where, how to buy and sell a home, and how to get involved in a new community. Established in 1992, Where to Retire is published six times a year.

The Where to Retire recognition comes shortly after the island was recognized as the nation’s premier “smart growth” community by the National Association of Home Builders and Builder Magazine. 

Both publications recognized that the island features distinctive traditional neighborhoods, a growing collection of amenities including not only the essential components of a community – schools, medical centers, boutiques, restaurants, office buildings, churches and a modern supermarket – but also world-class golf, tennis and soccer facilities, access to hundreds of acres of parks, 23 miles of rivers and creeks, docks and boat ramps, bicycle and jogging paths, and a private in-town country club provide Daniel Island residents with a myriad of recreational options.

The island’s coastal setting and inclusive community lifestyle have contributed to sales volume growth of nearly 200 percent over the past three years and a real estate appreciation rate that averaged 2 percent per month over the past twelve months.