San Jose 55+ and senior communities at a glance
Retirement housing in San Jose splits into two very different markets. One is ownership: The Villages Golf and Country Club in the Evergreen foothills, the city's one large age-restricted community of owned homes, and a group of senior mobilehome parks where you own the home and rent the space under it. The other is rental senior living, where a monthly rent covers an apartment, meals and services, and care can be added later. The table lists every community covered below. Prices come from each community's own website, checked November 1, 2026, unless the table says otherwise.
| Community | Area and ZIP | Type | Size | Published cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Villages Golf and Country Club | Evergreen, 95135 | 55+ gated community, owned condos and houses | 2,536 homes on about 1,200 acres | Club dues $557.09 a month (FY 2027) plus association dues |
| Millpond | Willow Glen, 95125 | Senior mobilehome park | Ask the park | Ask the park for space rent |
| Moss Creek | Evergreen, 95121 | Senior mobilehome park | Ask the park | Ask the park for space rent |
| Colonial Mobile Manor | Narvaez Avenue, 95136 | 55+ mobilehome park | 207 sites (MHVillage) | Lot rent listed at $1,000 (MHVillage) |
| Atria Willow Glen | 1660 Gaton Drive, 95125 | Independent living, assisted living, memory care | Studios from 400 sq ft | From $3,895 a month |
| Atria Evergreen Valley | 4463 San Felipe Road, 95135 | Independent and assisted living, memory care | Studios 220 to 425 sq ft | From $3,245 a month |
| Merrill Gardens at Willow Glen | 1420 Curci Drive, 95126 | Independent living, assisted living, memory care | Ask | From $4,500 a month |
| Carlton Senior Living San Jose | 380 Branham Lane, 95136 | Independent living, assisted living, memory care | Ask | Apartments from $5,995 |
We did not find a life plan community (a continuing care retirement community with an entrance fee) that publishes its fees inside San Jose city limits. If you want that model, compare the communities on our Palo Alto retirement communities page and ask any community near San Jose for its fee schedule.
Each San Jose 55+ and senior community
The Villages Golf and Country Club, Evergreen (95135)
The Villages, at 5000 Cribari Lane, is a private, gated 55+ community founded in 1967 on the site of a former hillside vineyard and winery in the Evergreen foothills. Its own figures are about 1,200 acres, 2,309 condominiums and 227 single-family homes, 2,536 homes in all, and more than 4,500 residents. Homes sit in 13 villages built between 1967 (Cribari, 576 condos averaging 1,233 square feet) and 1999 (Valle Vista, 72 condos averaging 2,165 square feet). The Estates village has 75 single-story detached homes, and Hermosa, Highland and Verano mix condos with houses. The community says prices currently run from around $400,000 to over $1 million.
Amenities listed by the club include an 18-hole championship course with five tee sets, a 9-hole par-3 executive course, a 12,000-square-foot putting green, six USTA tennis courts, four pickleball courts, three bocce courts, four heated pools, a fitness center, a library, four community centers and 550 acres of open space and trails. Gate access is controlled, and uniformed Public Safety officers staff the entrance around the clock. Call the business office at 408-274-4400.
The Villages: dues and the capital fund fee
Every buyer becomes a member of the club and of either The Villages Association or The Homeowners' Corporation, depending on the home. The club's FY 2027 dues total $557.09 a month and cover golf, pools, courts, private road upkeep and the 24-hour Public Safety service. Association or corporation dues come on top, vary by village, and can include fiber internet, satellite TV, water, landscaping and exterior maintenance. Dues are based partly on each home's adjusted floor area and partly on the village's roofing and painting cycle, so two similar homes can pay different amounts. A one-time capital fund fee is charged when a new owner buys. The club says the HOA demand statement in escrow is the authoritative figure, so ask for it before you remove contingencies.
Millpond, Willow Glen (95125)
Millpond, at 2320 Canoas Garden Avenue, is a senior mobilehome community in Willow Glen. A dealer that sells homes there, Alliance Manufactured Homes, describes a clubhouse, library, billiards and card room, swimming pool and spa, tennis court, crafts room and BBQ area, and many homes with fenced yards and adjacent garages. Its stated rule is that one resident must be 55 or older and any additional occupant 18 or older, with one small pet per household. Alliance does not manage the park, so confirm the rules and the current space rent with park management.
Moss Creek, Evergreen (95121)
Moss Creek, at 2929 Aborn Square, is listed by the same dealer as a senior mobilehome community in the Evergreen area with a pool, spa, meeting hall, kitchen, billiard room, laundry and a vegetable garden for residents. Many homes are set back on their lots with gated patios and site-built garages. Ask the park office for the age rule in writing, the space rent and how often it has risen.
Colonial Mobile Manor, Narvaez Avenue (95136)
Colonial Mobile Manor, at 3300 Narvaez Avenue, is listed on MHVillage as an age-restricted 55+ park built in 1967 with 207 sites, a clubhouse, an unheated pool and off-street parking for two cars. The listing gives lot rent of $1,000 a month and allows one pet of 25 pounds or less. Listing data can be out of date, so treat the rent as a starting point and get the current figure from management.
Atria Willow Glen (95125)
Atria Willow Glen, at 1660 Gaton Drive about four miles from downtown, offers independent living, assisted living and memory care on a campus with a koi pond, dog park, resident garden and heated outdoor pool. Its site lists independent living studios of 400 square feet from $3,895 a month and one-bedroom apartments of 590 square feet from $5,678. Rent includes meals, housekeeping, scheduled transport and basic utilities, but not care. Its state license number is 435200605.
Atria Evergreen Valley (95135)
Atria Evergreen Valley, at 4463 San Felipe Road, backs onto a wooded area with courtyard walking paths and runs a shuttle for appointments and errands. Its site lists studios of 220 to 425 square feet from $3,245 a month and one-bedroom apartments of 500 square feet from $4,995, with a waitlist for one-bedrooms when we checked. Care and medication management cost extra. License number 435202714.
Merrill Gardens at Willow Glen (95126)
Merrill Gardens at Willow Glen, at 1420 Curci Drive, is run by a family-owned company and offers independent living, assisted living and memory care. Its home page lists apartments starting at $4,500 a month. Small pets are allowed, and dining runs on an anytime schedule. Ask which floor plan the starting price applies to and what care levels add. Phone 408-283-0941.
Carlton Senior Living San Jose (95136)
Carlton San Jose, at 380 Branham Lane next to Martial Cottle Park, offers independent living, assisted living and memory care, with apartments from $5,995 and 24-hour staffing. It is licensed as a residential care facility for the elderly, license number 435200727. Phone 408-972-1400.
The legal rules for 55+ housing in San Jose
A community may only limit residents by age if it meets the federal and California rules for senior housing. Those rules decide who must be 55 or older, who may live with them, and whether younger buyers may own a home they cannot live in. The Villages states that it is a 55+ community, and Millpond's published rule allows a younger second occupant aged 18 or older. Do not rely on a listing: ask each community for its age policy and its most recent age verification survey. Our guide to 55+ communities in California explains the rules once for the whole state.
Rental senior living with assisted living or memory care is licensed by the California Department of Social Services as a residential care facility for the elderly, which is why Atria and Carlton print license numbers. Look a license up and read any inspection reports before you sign.
What 55+ living costs in San Jose
Buying at The Villages. With homes from around $400,000 to over $1 million on the community's own estimate, the lower end of that range sits well below Zillow's typical citywide home value of $1,353,869 (September 2026). In ZIP 95135 as a whole, Redfin's median condo sale was $637,981 over the three months to September 2026, across 39 sales with a median 45 days on market; that ZIP includes condos outside The Villages too. See our 95135 market data. Add the $557.09 club dues, your village's association dues and property tax, which starts at the 1% base levy plus local bonds; our Santa Clara County property tax guide has the rates.
Buying a mobilehome. In a mobilehome park you buy the home and rent the space. The space rent is a permanent monthly cost that can rise, so ask management for the rent history and whether the space is covered by the City of San Jose's mobilehome rent ordinance, and confirm the answer with the city's Housing Department. Loans for mobilehomes on rented land differ from ordinary mortgages, so speak with a lender early.
Renting senior living. Published starting rents run from $3,245 a month at Atria Evergreen Valley to $5,995 at Carlton, before any care fees. Starting prices usually apply to the smallest apartment; ask for the full rate sheet and the care-level price list.
Selling a San Jose house to move. Redfin's median sale price in San Jose was $1,349,357 for the three months to September 2026, with a median 22 days on market. Owners 55 and older who buy a replacement home in California may be able to carry their Prop 13 tax base with them; see our Prop 19 guide. Long-time owners should also read our capital gains guide before they list.
How to choose a 55+ or senior community in San Jose
- Decide between owning and renting. Owning at The Villages or in a mobilehome park keeps your equity but leaves care to you. Senior living rentals bundle meals and services and let you add care, at a higher monthly cost.
- Get every recurring cost in writing. At The Villages that is club dues, village dues and any special assessment in the HOA documents. In a park it is space rent and its increase history. In senior living it is rent plus each care level.
- Check the age rule. Ask who must be 55, whether a younger spouse or caregiver may live with you, and what happens to a surviving partner.
- Visit at different times. Eat a meal, walk the grounds and talk with residents.
- Compare locations. Evergreen communities (The Villages, Moss Creek, Atria Evergreen Valley) sit near the eastern foothills; Willow Glen options (Millpond, Atria Willow Glen) and Merrill Gardens are closer to downtown.
- Plan the sale of your current home. Line up the closing with your move-in date. Our featured San Jose agent can price your home, and our San Jose homes guide covers values by ZIP.
If you are open to other cities, see our statewide guide to the best places to retire in California.