Today’s buyers are still entering the market, but they’re taking a more deliberate approach. Decisions take longer, and consumers are placing greater emphasis on long-term value, location, lifestyle, and the overall community experience. That shift has reinforced the competitive edge of master-planned communities (MPCs), which Zonda defines as highly amenitized communities with at least 1,000 planned homes.
To start off 2026, average monthly sales in both MPCs and individual communities have softened compared with previous first quarters, as affordability challenges and elevated mortgage rates have tempered demand. Even so, MPCs have maintained a consistent edge over standalone projects. Across both market rate and active adult projects, MPCs averaged 2.3 net monthly sales per project compared with 2.1 for individual communities.
What stands out more than the current spread is the consistency over time. MPCs have persistently outperformed standalone projects in average monthly absorptions, a pattern that has held through shifting market conditions, the pandemic housing boom, and today’s affordability challenged environment.
MPCs Continue to Outperform
That performance advantage isn’t accidental; it’s built into how these communities are positioned and delivered. One reason is flexibility. Unlike a standalone subdivision that may target a narrow buyer profile, MPCs typically offer a broader mix of products, builders, and price points. That diversity allows developers and builders to respond as demand shifts between entry-level, move-up, luxury, and active adult buyers.
“When demand shifts, MPCs have more levers to pull,” says Sean Fergus, vice president of economic research at Zonda. “The scale of a MPC allows developers to serve multiple buyer segments at the same time, which can help maintain sales momentum even when conditions become more challenging.”
Today’s buyers are increasingly evaluating the community experience alongside the home itself. Parks, trails, clubhouses, community events, pools, schools, fitness facilities, and retail destinations help create a lifestyle proposition that many standalone communities cannot replicate.
In many ways, buyers are purchasing a vision of how they want to live, not simply selecting a floor plan.
The Regional Story Is Very Different
While MPCs continue to outperform nationally, the path to that performance looks very different market to market. The top-selling communities in early 2026 highlights how regional growth dynamics, buyer profiles, and development strategies are shaping results on the ground.
A closer look at the best-selling MPCs in the first half of 2026 across Zonda’s eight key regions tells the story:
California
Riverstone by Riverstone Development
Location: Madera, California, in the Fresno metro
Total Units Planned: 6,617
Total Units Sold: 3,267
Total Units Remaining: 50.6%
Open Date: November 2016
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 3.1
Active Projects: 14
List Price Range: $300,000 to $877,750
Unit Size Range: 1,163 to 4,379 square feet
Lot Width Range: 36-foot to 110-foot
Key Amenities: The Lodge community hub, Central Bark dog park, The Gear Barn for outdoor rental equipment
Northwest
Tehaleh by Brookfield Residential
Location: Bonney Lake, Washington, in the Seattle metro
Total Units Planned: 11,486
Total Units Sold: 4,516
Total Units Remaining: 60.7%
Open Date: September 2012
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 2.0
Active Projects: 12
List Price Range: $259,900 to $1,499,950
Unit Size Range: 1,342 to 5,000 square feet
Lot Width Range: 40-foot to 75-foot
Key Amenities: 40-plus miles of trails, The Trek Mountain
bike park, Discovery Park community center
Southwest
Cadence by The LandWell Co.
Location: Henderson, Nevada, in the
Las Vegas metro
Total Units Planned: 15,355
Total Units Sold: 8,080
Total Units Remaining: 47.4%
Open Date: December 2014
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 3.5
Active Projects: 24
List Price Range: $254,950 to $802,990
Unit Size Range: 1,095 to 4,425 square feet
Lot Width Range: 20-foot to 95-foot
Key Amenities: 50-acre central
park, amphitheater, 2,000 square feet of splash pads
Texas
Bridgeland by Howard Hughes Holdings
Location: Cyprus, Texas, in the
Houston metro
Total Units Planned: 23,981
Total Units Sold: 9,820
Total Units Remaining: 59.5%
Open Date: October 2006
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 2.0
Active Projects: 39
List Price Range: $170,000 to $1,500,000
Unit Size Range: 1,468 to 5,597 square feet
Lot Width Range: 25-foot to 100-foot
Key Amenities: Josey Lake Park, Treehouse Park,
kayak/paddleboat waterways
Midwest
Jerome Village by Nationwide Realty Investors
Location: Plain City, Ohio, in the Columbus metro
Total Units Planned: 2,888
Total Units Sold: 2,505
Total Units Remaining: 13.3%
Open Date: August 2010
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 1.1
Active Projects: 11
List Price Range: $304,000 to $1,550,000
Unit Size Range: 1,418 to 5,131 square feet
Lot Width Range: 52-foot to 85-foot
Key Amenities: The Jerome Village Market (Kroger-anchored, mixed-use center), direct access to Glacier Ridge Metro Park, healthcare services
Northeast
Brambleton by The Brambleton Group
Location: Ashburn, Virginia, in the Washington D.C. metro
Total Units Planned: 9,812
Total Units Sold: 8,648
Total Units Remaining: 9.8%
Open Date: December 2009
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 2.9
Active Projects: 4
List Price Range: $349,990 to $1,339,900
Unit Size Range: 424 to 5,609 square feet
Lot Width Range: 20-foot to 90-foot
Key Amenities: Town Center (retail, dining, entertainment), library, HOA-included fiber-optic internet
Southeast
Cane Bay Plantation by Gramling Brothers
Real Estate & Development
Location: Summerville, South Carolina, in the
Charleston metro
Total Units Planned: 13,278
Total Units Sold: 10,426
Total Units Remaining: 19.2%
Open Date: June 2006
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 5.9
Active Projects: 11
List Price Range: $170,000 to $659,000
Unit Size Range: 1,105 to 4,300 square feet
Lot Width Range: 18-foot to 70-foot
Key Amenities: YMCA, Berkeley County Library,
healthcare services, 25-plus miles of trails
Florida
The Villages by Holding Company of The Villages
Location: Lady Lake, Florida, in the Orlando metro
Total Units Planned: 180,235
Total Units Sold: 77,455
Total Units Remaining: 57%
Open Date: January 1984
2026 Sales Pace per Project: 28
Active Projects: 9
List Price Range: $195,000 to $1,750,000
Unit Size Range: 849 to 5,754
square feet
Lot Width Range: 40-foot to 100-foot
Key Amenities: 50-plus golf courses,
3 town squares (shopping, dining, entertainment), 3,000-plus clubs, activities, and social groups
Looking Ahead
The post-pandemic reset has created a more deliberate housing market, but normalization shouldn’t be mistaken for weakness.
MPCs have seen absorption moderate alongside the broader market, yet they continue to outperform on a per-project basis, a pattern that has persisted for years. Their advantage isn’t rooted in any single amenity or builder, but in a development model designed to adapt as buyer preferences and economic conditions evolve.
“MPCs are built to compete across cycles,” Fergus adds. “When the market gets more selective, the communities that offer choice, flexibility, and a clear value proposition are the ones that continue to win.”
The lesson extends beyond MPCs themselves. As buyers become more selective, the characteristics that have long defined successful MPCs, flexibility, product diversity, and a strong sense of place, are becoming increasingly important across residential development. The next competitive advantage won’t come from building faster. It will come from building communities that deliver value regardless of where the housing cycle goes next.
