Wildwood

The sound of nail guns popping and hammers pounding tells the story of Oxford, where new subdivisions are filling up all undeveloped land. “It is definitely up and coming,” says Kelsie Brennan, a local Realtor with Brennan & Bell Group. “It’s growing at a rapid pace.” This area is a draw for families, Brennan says, who can find a modern house while enjoying some of the commercial and social amenities of The Villages, a sprawling community next door that’s restricted to those 55 and over. While there’s plenty of new construction to go around, prices are still relatively affordable. The Lakeshore subdivision, for example, offers recently built cottage-style homes in the 1,000-square-foot range that sell for between $200,000 and $300,000. Those looking for something bigger can pick from new developments like Lakeside Landings and Oxford Oaks, where single-family homes often sell for $300,000 to $500,000. Lakeside Landings also has some condos with prices comparable to the single-family houses in Lakeshore, as well as sections designated for those aged 55-plus. Lakeside Landings is gated as well. “It’s very private, very secure,” says Brennan, whose team specializes in the Central Florida area. Developments like Lakeside Landings and Oxford Oaks come complete with community amenities like playgrounds and pools. Oxford’s Sumter Crossing development offers more luxury listings, with modern homes pushing over 3,000 and 4,000 square feet on multi-acre lots and priced around $1 million. There’s more construction bubbling in the area, too, including a neighborhood off the thoroughfare of U.S. Route 301 dubbed Whispering Oaks that Brennan estimates will bring another couple thousand homes. The Sumter County School District serves students in Oxford, a system with an A-minus overall grade on Niche. Kids can participate in the music program at B-rated Wildwood Elementary, one that could earn them the opportunity to take part in the All-County Music Showcase. Then they can choose from a range of elective course options at Wildwood Middle High, a B-minus-rated school that teaches Grades 6 to 12. The available classes include everything from IT and Web Design to Agricultural Science. The A-rated Villages Charter School is another no-cost option for some students in the area, open to those whose parents or guardians work for a Villages-affiliated company. Villages Charter includes kindergarten through 12th grade and its high school includes the Advanced Studies Academy, which offers the chance to earn credits toward an associate degree. Interstate 75 cuts through the neighborhood, giving locals easy access to the rest of the region. Route 301 carries commuters north and south, and is dotted with a commercial amenities. Sumter County Road 466, meanwhile, takes people straight into The Villages and is thick with restaurants and more. Besides neighborhood-specific amenities like the fitness room at Lakeside Landings and the tennis and basketball courts at Oxford Oaks, people in this area can enjoy Oxford Park, which has a ball diamond, a playground and pickleball courts. Those looking to stretch their legs a bit more can venture to the Half Moon Wildlife Management Area, a 9,554-acre green space with miles of trails. The park is open to hunting (depending on the season) and fishing. But some anglers prefer Lake Miona Park, which has a pier and boat dock. Oxford is largely residential, but it is home to award-winning Whispering Oaks Winery. “It’s kind of neat on weekends,” Brennan says. “They have events and they have Steak Night.” Steak Night is a popular draw on both Friday and Saturday nights, when the kitchen here pumps out ribeyes, filet medallions and more. Events at Whispering Oaks include live music, on Thursday evenings. Many in Oxford go to The Villages for dining, though. Sumter County Road 466 in The Villages offers a wide variety of chain restaurants, from Golden Corral to Bonefish Grill. There are also multiple grocery stores along 466, including Walmart, Publix and The Fresh Market. The Villages includes multiple community squares, which are known for their nightly programming that’s open to the public. People in Oxford can scoot over to spots like Spanish Springs Town Square, Lake Sumter Landing Market Square and Brownwood Paddock Square for regular free concerts, car shows and more. People in the area also enjoy Junk in the Trunk, a series of community yard sales on the first Saturday of each month at Brown & Brown Farms, a local institution that comes complete with a country store offering all sorts of fresh foods.

In Sumterville, U.S. Route 301 tells the story of an evolving community. What used to be a lonely stretch of highway in this rural pocket of Sumter County is now so heavy with traffic that it takes five minutes just to get on it. The area, long known for its wide-open acreage, is now attracting more people and new construction, in part because of the burgeoning selection of nearby jobs. “What actually drew people years ago is not the same thing that’s drawing people now,” says Leslie Strickland, a local realtor with Florida Realty Investments who grew up in this area. “What’s drawing people now is trying to get out of the bigger urban areas." There are still quite a few established homes around the Sumterville area, some of which date back to the mid-20th century and sit on several acres. But area growth, including the establishment of the 424-acre Governor Rick Scott Industrial Park, is drawing new residents. The park, open since 2020, is already home to several companies and is a key part of a larger economic corridor in the region that is expected to add a total of 20,000 jobs. One of the catalysts of the job growth is to support The Villages, a rapidly growing 55-and-up community nearby. “I think people are going to move there who work in The Villages,” says Robyn Cavallaro, a local Realtor with Florida Realty Investments. “The largest growing population are the over-55 communities. I know they’ve got a lot of things that they’re building over there.” In turn, Sumterville is now home to a spate of new construction, welcoming the newcomers. Many of the available options here were built in the last several years and come with smaller lots, along sidewalk-lined suburban-style streets. As this community expands, listings are still available at relatively accessible prices — numbers often range between $200,000 and $500,000, though some of the bigger options with more acreage can creep up toward $800,000. Sumter District Schools serves the area and earns an A-minus on Niche. The music program at the B-plus-rated Lake Panasoffkee Elementary gives students the opportunity to participate in the area’s all-county music concert and the all-state chorus. Agriculture is big here, so it is not surprising that South Sumter Middle and South Sumter High both offer elective courses on the subject. Both schools earn a B on Niche. Sumterville also includes one of four Lake-Sumter State College locations, on a 40-acre site where students can take classes toward associate degrees in things like business administration and computer science. This community is situated right at the heart of the state and, as rural as it still is, it’s close to the amenities of surrounding areas. Strickland says people here can reach cities like Bushnell in about 10 minutes, via Route 301. Route 301 is a connection to the amenities of The Villages as well. Also, Sumter County Road 470 links people here with Interstate 75 for trips through the rest of the region. Sumterville residents can make the quick drive down to Bushnell to enjoy popular restaurants like Odd Cuples Cafe, which is a hit for breakfast. The Villages has a lot to offer in terms of restaurants as well, says Cavallaro, who lives there. That list includes the Metro Diner, beloved for its chicken and waffles. Locals can also grab groceries and other essentials close by at spots like the Publix in The Village and the Walmart in Bushnell, both only about 8 miles away. Sumterville has its own park at the center of the community, complete with a community center that features meeting rooms and a kitchen area. The park offers a playground and covered picnic area as well. Bushnell offers more outdoor fun, including the 30-acre Kenny Dixon Sports Complex, full of multipurpose fields, baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts and even a skate park. One of the stalwarts of the annual calendar in this area is the Sumter County Fair, which takes place over the course of more than a week in early March. The fair dates back to 1955. Strickland has fond memories of going to it as a kid, and it’s still a hit. The fair features everything from live music and comedy to a renowned livestock show.