What do you need to know before buying in Anthem Ranch?
According to Anthem and Baseline specialist Nick Ahrens, Anthem Ranch is Broomfield's gated 55+ active-adult community in the 80023 ZIP code, where roughly 1,300 ranch-style homes built between 2006 and 2020 now trade entirely as resales priced from the mid-$600,000s to more than $1 million. Buying here means qualifying under the community's federal HOPA age rules, budgeting for HOA dues around $300 to $350 a month plus a one-time new-member fee near 0.5% of the purchase price, and reading the association's resale documents closely before your contract deadlines. It is a lifestyle-and-numbers decision as much as a home purchase, so what is written in the governing documents matters as much as the floor plan.
By Nick Ahrens | July 9, 2026
Nick Ahrens, an Anthem and Baseline specialist with The Apollo Group at eXp Realty, tells buyers that Anthem Ranch sells a lifestyle first and a house second — and that the sharpest shoppers read the community's rulebook before they fall for a floor plan. It is one of the most-searched 55+ communities on the North Denver corridor, and the questions people ask about it are almost always the same three: who is allowed to buy here, what does it really cost to own, and what am I signing up for with the HOA?
Let me walk you through all three, plus the due diligence that protects you at the closing table.
What Anthem Ranch actually is
Anthem Ranch is the age-qualified section of the larger Anthem master-planned community, sitting in Broomfield's 80023 ZIP code between Denver and Boulder — roughly 30 minutes from each and about 35 minutes from Denver International Airport. Del Webb (Pulte) built it as an active-adult community, with Toll Brothers and David Weekley also contributing homes over the years. Construction ran from 2006 through 2020, and the final homes closed in 2020.
That build-out timeline is the single most important fact for a buyer today: Anthem Ranch is a fully built community, so every home on the market is a resale. There is no builder inventory, no new-construction incentive, and no more phases coming. When you shop here, you are shopping roughly 1,300 existing ranch-style homes against each other.
The heart of the community is the 32,000-square-foot Aspen Lodge, a private clubhouse open only to residents. Inside you will find an indoor lap pool and spa, a fitness center, an indoor walking track, an aerobics and dance studio, a ballroom, a movie theater, hobby and craft studios, card rooms, and a billiards hall. Outside there is a resort-style pool, plus pickleball, tennis, bocce, and shuffleboard courts, and the community runs a full-time activities director and dozens of resident-led clubs. Those amenities are a real part of what your HOA dues buy, which is why they belong in your cost math, not just your wish list.
If you are still deciding which corner of Anthem fits you, my side-by-side comparison of Anthem, Anthem Highlands, and Baseline breaks down how the three neighborhoods differ on price, age of homes, and rules.
Who can buy: the 55+ rules and your resale pool
Anthem Ranch is an age-restricted community governed by the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, or HOPA. In practice, that means the community is legally allowed to require that at least 80% of occupied homes have at least one resident age 55 or older. A share of the remaining homes can be occupied by younger residents under the community's rules, and there are limits on how long guests under 19 can stay. These are the community's governing rules, not my interpretation — and because associations can amend them, you should confirm the current age-qualification and occupancy language in the recorded documents before you write an offer.
Two things follow from the age rule that buyers do not always think through:
You have to qualify, and so does your buyer when you sell. The same rules that gate your purchase gate your future resale pool. That is not a negative — age-restricted communities carry a steady, devoted demand base — but it does mean your eventual buyer comes from a narrower, specific pool. Price and market accordingly.
The rules shape day-to-day living. Guest-stay limits and occupancy requirements are spelled out in the covenants. If you expect adult children or grandchildren to stay for extended stretches, read those sections closely so there are no surprises.
Keep in mind that Anthem Ranch sits right next to Anthem Highlands, which is not age-restricted and operates under a separate association. Buyers mix the two up constantly, and they are genuinely different products with different rules and dues.
The homes: all resale, ranch-style, and built to last
Every home in Anthem Ranch is a single-story ranch — that is the whole design premise, single-level living with at least a two-car garage. Floor plans start around 1,200 square feet and run up to nearly 5,700 square feet once you count finished and walk-out basements, with two to four bedrooms. Some homes sit on slabs, others over full or walk-out basements, and the basement homes are where you find the top of the price range.
On price and pace, here is where the market sits in 2026:
Prices run from the mid-$600,000s to more than $1 million, depending on size, basement, lot, and views.
Median list price is roughly $800,000, with homes typically going under contract in about 25 days and averaging around two offers — a tighter, faster market than Broomfield's attached-home segment.
Because it is all resale, inventory is limited and driven by turnover, so the right floor plan does not always sit waiting for you.
One underrated feature: most Anthem Ranch homes were built with concrete tile roofs, which generally carry a Class 4 impact rating. In Colorado's hail belt, that can qualify you for a homeowners-insurance discount — often a meaningful percentage off the dwelling portion of the premium — which matters more every year as Front Range insurance costs climb. Confirm the specific roof and the available credit with your carrier, but it is a genuine line-item advantage worth pricing in.
Before you make an offer in Anthem Ranch
A home in an age-restricted, amenity-rich community is really two purchases: the house and the association behind it. The house you can inspect. The association you have to read. When Nick Ahrens walks a buyer through an Anthem Ranch resale, the first document he asks for is not the inspection report — it is the association's budget and reserve study. Here is the checklist that protects you:
Budget the full monthly cost. HOA dues run roughly $300 to $350 a month and cover Aspen Lodge access, snow removal, lawn care, and trail maintenance. Confirm the exact current figure and whether any separate master-community assessment applies. For a sense of what association dues typically fund across these Anthem neighborhoods, see my breakdown of what Anthem Highlands HOA fees actually cover.
Plan for the new-member fee. Anthem Ranch charges a one-time fee to the association at purchase — commonly cited at about 0.5% of the purchase price. On an $800,000 home, that is roughly $4,000 due at closing, on top of your standard closing costs. Verify the current amount in the resale documents.
Read the reserve study and financials. A healthy association funds its reserves well and raises dues in modest, predictable steps. Ask for the reserve study, the current budget, recent meeting minutes, and any notice of special assessments or pending litigation. In Colorado, request the full resale document package as soon as you are under contract.
Confirm the age-qualification and occupancy rules in writing. Do not rely on a summary. Read the recorded covenants for the current 55+ and guest provisions, and confirm how the community verifies age at resale.
Tie it to your contract deadlines. Colorado's contract gives you defined windows to review the association documents and the title commitment and to object or terminate. Special districts, assessments, and covenant restrictions all surface in that paperwork, so calendar those deadlines and act inside them. Remember that the seller's property disclosure reflects only what that owner personally knows, which means the work of verifying the association's health falls to you.
For the on-the-ground part — actually walking the homes — my room-by-room home-tour checklist for Colorado buyers helps you evaluate a single-level resale that may already be 15 or more years old.
Anthem Ranch is one of the more compelling age-qualified communities on the North Denver corridor, but the right decision comes down to your numbers and your plans, not the amenity list. If you want me to pull current Anthem Ranch listings, run the true monthly cost of ownership including dues and insurance, or read a specific community's resale documents with you before your deadlines, call or text me at 949-230-3625, or email NickAhrensRealEstate@gmail.com. I will walk you through your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to be 55 to buy in Anthem Ranch?
Anthem Ranch operates under the federal Housing for Older Persons Act, which lets the community require that at least 80% of occupied homes have at least one resident who is 55 or older. At least one occupant of your home generally needs to meet the age requirement, and there are limits on younger occupants and long-term guests. Because associations can amend these rules, confirm the current age-qualification language in the recorded governing documents before you make an offer.
How much are the HOA fees in Anthem Ranch?
HOA dues in Anthem Ranch typically run about $300 to $350 a month, covering access to the Aspen Lodge clubhouse and amenities, snow removal, lawn care, and trail maintenance. There is also a one-time new-member fee at purchase, commonly cited at around 0.5% of the purchase price. Verify the exact current dues and fee, and whether any separate master-community assessment applies, in the resale documents.
Is Anthem Ranch still building new homes?
No. Del Webb built Anthem Ranch between 2006 and 2020, and the community is fully complete at roughly 1,300 homes. Every home on the market today is a resale, so there is no builder inventory or new-construction incentive, and available inventory depends entirely on existing owners deciding to sell.
What is the difference between Anthem Ranch and Anthem Highlands?
Anthem Ranch is the age-restricted 55+ section, built as single-story ranch homes and governed by HOPA age rules and its own association. Anthem Highlands, right next door, is not age-restricted and runs under a separate HOA with its own dues and home styles. They are often confused, but they are different products with different rules, so make sure you know which one a listing is in.
How much do homes in Anthem Ranch cost in 2026?
Prices generally range from the mid-$600,000s to more than $1 million, with a median list price around $800,000 in mid-2026. Homes tend to go under contract in about 25 days with roughly two offers, and the top of the range is usually larger floor plans with finished or walk-out basements. Because it is an all-resale market, pricing moves with limited inventory and steady demand.
About Nick Ahrens
Nick Ahrens is a Colorado real estate broker with The Apollo Group at eXp Realty, specializing in the Anthem and Baseline communities of Broomfield (80023). With 15+ years in the business and 350+ career closings, he helps North Denver sellers and relocating buyers navigate pricing, timing, and the path to closing. Connect with Nick at youranthemhome.com.
