Celebration is a master-planned town in Osceola County, next to Walt Disney World and about 10 minutes from it by car. The Walt Disney Company developed it in the 1990s, and it was planned all at once, by well-known architects, around a walkable downtown on a lake. The result is a place that looks and works very differently from the rest of Central Florida.
People move here for the walkability, the trail network, the schools and the design. They’re usually surprised by two things: how many layers of community fees there are, and how strictly the architectural standards that create the look are actually enforced. This guide covers the numbers, the villages and what daily life is really like in a town of about 11,000 people.
What It Costs to Live in Celebration
Housing. The median sale price was about $557,000 in August 2026, according to Redfin’s Celebration housing market data, down roughly 4% from a year earlier. That figure varies a lot by property type and village. Condos and townhomes are the entry point, while the larger estate homes in the older villages run well above the median.
Cost of living overall runs above the national average, with housing doing most of the work.
The community fees are the line item that surprises people. Celebration’s master association, known as CROA, charges a monthly fee, but it isn’t the only layer. The town also sits in the Celebration Community Development District, a public body that looks after public common areas and one of the community development districts Osceola County lists. Depending on the parcel there can be service-area charges and a condo association on top. The mix varies by property, so ask for every layer on a specific address. When you’re comparing Celebration to a nearby community, compare the total rather than one component.
Insurance is the other variable. Florida home insurance is a major cost and varies considerably by property and exposure. In practice it can swing the real cost of living here more than groceries or utilities do, so get a quote on a specific property rather than working from an average.
The offset is that Florida has no state personal income tax, which is a meaningful part of why people relocate here from higher-tax states.
The Villages
Celebration is organized into villages, and they differ enough that choosing the right one matters.
Celebration Village is the original village, wrapped around downtown. It puts you within walking distance of Market Street, Front Street and the lake. This is the most expensive proposition per square foot and the one that delivers on the town’s central promise, which is being able to walk to dinner.
West Village and Lake Evalyn were among the first areas built and hold much of the original architecture, with the front porches and traditional detailing the town is known for. West Village borders the golf course and sits close to downtown and the K-8 school. Lake Evalyn, just past downtown, is mostly smaller garden homes, many with lake views.
North Village sits nearest the U.S. 192 entrance and mixes houses with townhomes and condos.
Artisan Park, at the end of Celebration Avenue, has condos, townhomes and single-family homes with its own clubhouse and pool, with the trade-off of a longer walk or a short drive to the town center.
The condo and townhouse stock is spread through the town and is the way most people get a foothold here.
The single most useful question when choosing is how much you value walking downtown, because that’s what the price premium closest to the center buys.
The Architectural Standards
This deserves its own section because it’s the most common source of friction for new residents.
Celebration’s appearance is maintained through a detailed set of architectural and community standards covering exterior paint colors, landscaping, fencing, what may be parked where and what can be stored in view. They’re the reason the town looks the way it does, and they’re enforced.
For most residents this is precisely the point. For anyone used to doing what they like with their own property, it’s an adjustment. Read the governing documents before buying rather than after.
The practical consequence, covered further below, is that a lot of what a household would ordinarily keep in a garage, a side yard or a driveway needs to go somewhere else.
Schools
Celebration is served by the School District of Osceola County, and the school situation is one of the strongest reasons families choose the town.
Celebration School is a public kindergarten through eighth grade school inside the town itself, which is unusual and is often what families cite when explaining why they moved here. Celebration High School serves grades 9 through 12 and is an International Baccalaureate World School offering the IB Diploma and Career-related Programmes, according to Osceola School Choice.
Having a K-8 school inside a walkable town is a real daily quality-of-life difference, and it’s worth weighting heavily if you have children of that age.
Jobs and Commuting
Celebration’s position near I-4 shapes the commute picture.
Walt Disney World is about 10 minutes away by car, which makes Celebration a natural choice for Disney employees, and Universal Orlando is farther north but still reachable. The hospitality and theme park economy dominates regional employment.
Downtown Orlando is roughly 20 miles north, around half an hour outside peak traffic and considerably more during it. I-4 is the main artery and it’s congested, so anyone commuting daily should test the drive at the actual hour before committing.
Kissimmee, right next door, covers a lot of everyday employment. AdventHealth Celebration, a full hospital, is in town, and the Lake Nona medical and research hub to the northeast is a realistic commute.
Remote work has changed the calculation for many residents here, and the town’s walkability and small-town character are a large part of why.
Daily Life
The town center handles a real share of daily life: restaurants, boutiques, a year-round farmers market every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Town Center along the lakefront, and the lakeside as a gathering place. Our things to do in Celebration guide covers it, and the restaurant guide covers where to eat.
The trail network is the underrated part of living here. Woodland trails and boardwalks connect the villages to downtown and the lakes, and it’s possible to walk or bike for daily errands, which few places in Central Florida allow.
Celebration Golf Club is a public course that opened in 1996 and was the final collaboration between Robert Trent Jones Sr. and Jr., covered in our Celebration golf guide.
For groceries and everything the town center doesn’t carry, Kissimmee is minutes away. For serious shopping and the region’s larger amenities, Orlando is about half an hour.
Weather and Hurricane Season
Central Florida is hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms, roughly May through October. Weather is drier and milder roughly November through April, which is when the town’s outdoor spaces are at their best.
Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30, and NOAA’s National Hurricane Center puts most activity between mid-August and mid-October. Celebration is inland, which removes storm surge from the picture, but wind, power outages and flooding remain real considerations. Practically, it means having a plan and somewhere to put outdoor furniture and equipment on short notice.
Our guide to the best time to visit Celebration covers the seasonal calendar.
Storage After a Move to Celebration
Celebration creates more demand for off-site storage than a comparable town elsewhere, and there are three reasons for it.
The first is the architectural standards. What can be stored in a driveway, a side yard or in view of the street is restricted.
The second is the housing mix. A large share of the town is townhouses, condos and apartments, which come with limited storage by design.
The third is the pattern of who moves here: households downsizing from larger homes elsewhere, seasonal residents and people relocating to Central Florida who arrive before a purchase closes.
Value Store It operates two sites serving the town, at Celebration and Celebration II, both renting month-to-month with no long-term contract, which is what a move actually needs.
Sizing follows the household. A 5×5 unit, about the size of a small closet, holds boxes and seasonal gear. A 5×10 takes the contents of one room, such as a furnished bedroom. A 5×15 holds a studio apartment. A 10×5 offers the same 50 square feet as a 5×10 in a different shape. A 10×10 covers a one-bedroom apartment. A 10×15 holds a two-bedroom apartment. A 10×20 takes a three-bedroom home. A 10×30 holds a four-bedroom home arriving ahead of a downsize.
The second site covers the same ground. Its small end runs from a 5×5 unit at Celebration II through a 5×10 or the same 50 square feet in a 10×5, which is enough for one room’s furniture. From there a 10×10 unit takes a one-bedroom apartment, a 10×15 a two-bedroom, a 10×20 a three-bedroom home and a 10×30 a four-bedroom one.
The decision that matters most in this climate is climate control, and both sites have it: climate-controlled storage in Celebration and climate-controlled units at the Celebration II site. People arriving from drier states routinely underestimate what a Central Florida summer does to wooden furniture, upholstery, photographs, documents and electronics left in an uncontrolled space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Celebration, FL a good place to live?
Celebration suits people who want walkability, strong schools and a designed, well-maintained small town within reach of Orlando’s employment. The K-8 school inside the town, the trail network and the lakeside downtown are the main draws. The trade-offs are layered community fees, strictly enforced architectural standards and a cost of living above the national average.
How much does it cost to live in Celebration, Florida?
The median sale price was about $557,000 in August 2026, according to Redfin, with condos and townhomes as the lower-priced entry point. On top of the mortgage, owners pay a monthly CROA fee and are part of the Celebration Community Development District, with service-area or condo association charges on some parcels. Home insurance is the largest swing factor.
Does Celebration have high HOA fees?
Celebration’s fees come in layers: the CROA master association, the Community Development District and, depending on the property, service-area and condo association charges. Because the mix varies by parcel, ask for every layer on the specific address you’re considering and compare totals rather than a headline fee.
What schools serve Celebration, FL?
Celebration is part of the School District of Osceola County. Celebration School is a public kindergarten through eighth grade school inside the town, which families consistently cite as a major reason for moving here. Celebration High School serves grades 9 through 12 and is an International Baccalaureate World School.
How far is Celebration from Orlando and Disney?
Walt Disney World is about 10 minutes by car, which makes Celebration popular with theme park employees. Downtown Orlando is roughly 20 miles north, typically half an hour outside peak traffic and considerably longer during it, via I-4. Kissimmee is right next door for everyday shopping and services.
Making the Move
Two things decide whether Celebration works for you. The first is whether you want to walk to the town center enough to pay the premium for being close to it, because that’s the town’s central offering. The second is whether the fees and architectural standards read as worth it or as an imposition, because they aren’t optional and they’re enforced.
If both answers are yes, Celebration delivers something little else in Central Florida does: a walkable town with real schools, a lake and the parks about 10 minutes down the road.
