Best Neighborhoods to Buy a Home in Wellington

Under $500,000: Wellington's entry band

• Sturbridge Village: about $336,966 (1y -4.1%)
• Wellington's Edge: about $467,169 (1y -1.6%)
• Wellington Lakes: about $484,693 (1y 0.9%)
• Tree Tops: about $486,926 (1y 4.1%)

Only four neighborhoods sit under the city's lower-third mark of about $457,010 or close to it. Sturbridge Village is far below the rest, which likely reflects smaller or attached homes, and it fell 4.1% last year in line with the city's softer condo segment, where the typical unit is about $349,913. Tree Tops gained 4.1% in the same period. For a buyer who wants a Wellington address at the lowest price, these are the places to start, but compare them with Royal Palm Beach, where the typical single-family house is about $522,843.

$540,000 to $640,000: the core family market

• Emerald Forest: about $540,135 (0.3%)
• Meadowland Cove: about $549,610 (-0.1%)
• Lakepoint: about $556,727 (1.2%)
• Buena Vida: about $569,629 (-0.2%)
• Mystic: about $577,013 (0.5%)
• Eastwood: about $586,147 (2.1%)
• Berkshire: about $590,212 (1.9%)
• Villagewalk: about $604,645 (2.5%)
• Lakefield of the Landings: about $620,332 (5.8%)
• Sugar Pond Manor: about $629,470 (2.8%)
• Lakeside Shores: about $629,979 (3.0%)
• Aster: about $634,896 (4.6%)

This is the biggest group, and it lines up with Zillow's three-bedroom figure of about $563,344 and four-bedroom figure of $743,433. Trends split: the lower half of the band was flat, with several neighborhoods slightly negative, while Lakefield of the Landings and Aster gained 5.8% and 4.6%. Within this band, the house matters more than the neighborhood. Roof age, impact windows, a pool and whether the lot backs onto a lake can move the price as much as the subdivision name does.

$650,000 to $960,000: larger houses and lake lots

• Grand Isles: about $656,383 (2.9%)
• Wiltshire Village: about $734,234 (2.5%)
• Black Diamond: about $747,797 (0.0%)
• Pinewood Grove: about $763,042 (5.5%)
• Olympia: about $790,077 (3.1%)
• The Isles at Wellington: about $951,737 (4.9%)
• Lakefield West: about $958,990 (9.1%)

These neighborhoods sit above the citywide single-family value of $680,688. Lakefield West's 9.1% gain is the strongest in Wellington outside Aero Club. Pinewood Grove and The Isles at Wellington also rose faster than the city. Many communities in this band are gated with full HOA services, so add dues and any capital contribution to the comparison.

Over $1 million: estates, equestrian areas and Aero Club

• Meadow Wood of the Landings: about $1,015,010 (7.8%)
• Versailles: about $1,075,348 (0.5%)
• Polo West: about $1,158,000 (6.2%)
• Palm Beach Little Ranches: about $1,221,219 (5.8%)
• Equestrian Club: about $1,545,299 (3.9%)
• Paddock Park: about $1,731,695 (7.3%)
• Aero Club: about $2,574,284 (22.5%)

The city's upper third starts around $1,148,068, and this band runs well past it. Several of these areas are in or near Wellington's equestrian district, where acreage, barns and riding access drive value as much as the house. Aero Club is a fly-in community with a private runway, which puts it in a category of its own; in a neighborhood that small, its 22.5% one-year gain can rest on a handful of high-value sales, so read it with care. Versailles, at about $1,075,348, barely moved.

Buying in this band often means reviewing land use and zoning, the survey, barn and stall permits, and well, septic or drainage arrangements on larger lots. The Equestrian Preserve Area has its own rules on what can be built.

Wellington's bands against Royal Palm Beach, the Gardens and Jupiter

The neighborhood bands make the comparison with nearby cities more useful than the citywide averages. Wellington's core $540,000 to $640,000 band overlaps the top of Royal Palm Beach's market, where the upper third starts near $621,723. A buyer with $600,000 can choose between an average Wellington house and one of the better Royal Palm Beach houses, and that choice is about lot, HOA and age more than price.

At the top, Wellington's estate and equestrian areas compete with the private club communities in Palm Beach Gardens, where the city's typical home is about $696,122 and the club neighborhoods run into the millions, and with Jupiter at about $704,524 overall. The question there is land and horses against golf, clubs and the coast. Lower-priced inland options, Greenacres at about $280,329 and Palm Springs at about $268,845, sit well under even Wellington's entry band.

Checks that matter in any Wellington neighborhood

• HOA documents. Most neighborhoods have one, many with a master and a sub-association. Ask for budgets, reserves, minutes and rules on boats, trucks and fences.
• Roof and openings. The city's median year built is 1995. Get the roof permit date and a wind mitigation report.
• Drainage and flood zone. Wellington is flat and relies on lakes and canals. Check the FEMA zone for the parcel and get a flood quote.
• Season. Neighborhoods near the show grounds and polo fields change in winter. Visit once in season.
• Boundaries. Zillow's neighborhood lines may not match community names on the ground, and some names here are sections of larger planned areas. Use the figures for pricing, then confirm the subdivision on the property record.

Taxes reset on purchase. A full-time resident can take the homestead exemption of up to $51,411 and the 3% or CPI cap. With a budget band picked, I can turn these 30 names into a short list of current houses that fit.