A from-scratch town in eastern Collier County — university, oratory, water park and one of America's top-selling master-planned communities, with new homes at prices coastal Naples can't touch.
Originally reported by Ave Maria (official) ↗
Ave Maria is the newest town in Southwest Florida in the most literal sense: it was master-planned from bare land in the 2000s around Ave Maria University and the landmark oratory at its center. Twenty years on, the experiment has clearly worked — the community ranks among the top-selling master-planned communities in the country, with 515 new homes sold in 2025 and another 265 in the first half of 2026, and it consistently ranks as Collier County's best-selling development.
The vibe and who it suits
Ave Maria feels like a college town, a retirement community and a young-family suburb sharing one main street — because that's what it is. The town center wraps around the oratory with more than 75 businesses including a Publix, restaurants and services; the university adds students, lectures and ballgames; and the neighborhoods split among family-oriented builders and the Del Webb Naples 55-plus community with its own golf course and amenity campus. It suits buyers who want brand-new construction, real community life and space — and who've made peace with being inland.
Housing landscape
This is the easiest place in Collier County to buy a new home. Builders including CC Homes, Del Webb, Lennar and Pulte are actively selling across multiple neighborhoods, from attainable townhomes and villas to estate homes on lakes, at prices dramatically below coastal Naples. HOA-and-CDD-style fees fund the town's amenities, so read the full cost stack, but the dollars-per-square-foot math is the region's friendliest for new construction.
Amenities and outdoors
The amenity list runs long for a town this young: a water park, fitness centers, an amphitheater, dog parks, ball fields, tennis and pickleball, golf at the Panther Run and Del Webb courses, and miles of walking paths. Families got a milestone in August 2026 when Ave Maria Elementary, the town's first public school, opened its doors — joining private and charter options that already spanned preschool through university. Wilderness is close, too: Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Everglades' northern edges make weekend trips easy.
“Ave Maria feels like a college town, a retirement community and a young-family suburb sharing one main street — because that's what it is.”
The trade-off: distance
Honesty matters here. Ave Maria sits about 30 to 40 minutes east of Naples and roughly 45 minutes from the beach, and RSW airport runs about 50 minutes. Commuters do it daily on Oil Well Road and Immokalee Road — both improved in recent years — but if a spontaneous sunset swim is central to your Florida dream, weigh the drive honestly. The reward for distance is space, price, newness and a town where the calendar of festivals, markets and concerts genuinely fills.
Practical notes
Being inland has an upside beyond price: distance from storm surge, with newer homes built to current codes. Summer brings heat and dramatic afternoon skies over the tomato fields. Season matters less here than on the coast — the town runs year-round on its own rhythm.
If you want a brand-new home in a real town — not just a subdivision — and you'd trade beach proximity for space and value, Ave Maria is the region's most interesting answer. Explore the communities and homes around Ave Maria right here on SWFL.info.
Where it is
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