What HOA Fees Are Typical in Palm Beach Gardens Communities Like Mirasol or Frenchman's Creek

HOA fees in Palm Beach Gardens run well above the statewide norm. The Florida statewide average for HOA fees sits somewhere between $300 and $500 per month across all community types, according to a 2026 comparison of average HOA fees across Florida. In Palm Beach Gardens, that baseline is largely irrelevant. The city's gated communities, golf courses, and resort-style amenities push monthly fees significantly higher, often starting at $500 and climbing past $3,000 per month in communities with the most extensive amenity packages.

Palm Beach Gardens was master-planned around the PGA of America headquarters, and that golf-centric DNA runs through nearly every major community in the city. When you buy in a gated community here, you are not paying dues to maintain a simple entrance gate and a mailbox kiosk. You are often paying for a staffed guardhouse, 24-hour roving security, miles of landscaped medians, resort pools, fitness centers, tennis and pickleball courts, and in many cases a private golf club. Those amenities cost real money to operate, and the HOA fee is how that cost is distributed across homeowners.

The Amenity Premium

The gap between a $350-per-month HOA in a standard Florida subdivision and a $2,500-per-month HOA in a Palm Beach Gardens golf community is almost entirely explained by amenities. Communities with private golf courses carry the cost of course maintenance, cart fleets, pro shops, and food and beverage operations. Even communities without golf, like some sections of Alton, charge fees that reflect resort-quality pools, parks, and fitness facilities that would cost more to access individually elsewhere in Palm Beach County.

What Florida Law Requires HOAs to Disclose

Under Florida Statute 720, every HOA must provide a buyer with a complete set of governing documents, including the declaration of covenants, bylaws, rules and regulations, and the most recent year-end financial report, within three days of a written request. You also have three business days after receiving those documents to cancel a contract and receive a full deposit refund, no questions asked. This is your window to review the budget, check reserve funding levels, and confirm exactly what your monthly fee covers before you are legally committed to the purchase.

2. HOA Fees by Community: What to Expect Across Palm Beach Gardens

HOA fees vary dramatically depending on which community you are considering. The figures below reflect the ranges buyers are encountering in September 2026. Fees change annually, so always verify current amounts directly with the HOA before making financial decisions.

Mirasol

Mirasol is one of the most prominent gated golf communities in Palm Beach Gardens, located along PGA Boulevard west of the Turnpike. The community spans roughly 2,300 acres and contains two Arthur Hills-designed championship golf courses. HOA fees in Mirasol typically run in the range of $900 to $1,400 per month, depending on the specific village within the community and the home's square footage. On top of the HOA fee, Mirasol requires a club membership. Equity membership initiation fees have historically ranged from $75,000 to over $100,000, with monthly club dues layered on top of the HOA fee. Buyers need to budget for both the HOA and the club costs separately. Homes in Mirasol are priced from roughly $1.2 million for smaller attached villas up to $5 million or more for larger estate homes on premium lots.

Frenchman's Creek

Frenchman's Creek sits along the Intracoastal Waterway in the eastern section of Palm Beach Gardens, near Donald Ross Road and the Gardens Mall corridor. It is a private, mandatory-membership country club community with 36 holes of golf, a full-service marina, beach club access, and a main clubhouse with dining and fitness facilities. HOA fees in Frenchman's Creek typically range from approximately $2,000 to $3,500 per month, with the variation driven by home size, village location within the community, and whether the home is a single-family residence or a condominium. The mandatory equity membership at Frenchman's Creek carries an initiation fee that has ranged from around $150,000 to over $200,000 in recent transactions, and monthly club dues are assessed on top of the HOA fee. Homes range from roughly $1.5 million for smaller residences to well over $8 million for waterfront estates. If you are researching luxury waterfront options in Palm Beach Gardens more broadly, the luxury waterfront properties guide covers the full picture of what buyers should know.

BallenIsles

BallenIsles is a gated country club community located off PGA Boulevard, roughly two miles west of I-95. It features three 18-hole golf courses, a 100,000-square-foot sports complex with tennis, pickleball, and resort pools, and a full-service clubhouse. HOA fees in BallenIsles typically run from approximately $700 to $1,200 per month, again depending on the village and home type. Like Mirasol and Frenchman's Creek, BallenIsles requires a mandatory club membership. Initiation fees have ranged from roughly $60,000 to $90,000 in recent years, with monthly club dues assessed separately. Home prices in BallenIsles range from around $700,000 for attached villas to over $4 million for larger single-family homes on golf or lake frontage.

PGA National

PGA National is one of the largest planned communities in Palm Beach Gardens, covering over 2,300 acres along PGA Boulevard west of Northlake Boulevard. It contains a mix of villages with varying HOA structures, which makes fee ranges wider here than in smaller communities. HOA fees in PGA National villages typically run from about $350 to $900 per month for single-family homes, with some condominium associations charging differently. Unlike Mirasol or Frenchman's Creek, golf club membership at PGA National is not universally mandatory. The PGA National Resort and its courses are separate from the residential HOA in most villages, so buyers can choose whether to join the club. This distinction matters significantly for total monthly cost. Home prices across PGA National's many villages range from roughly $400,000 for smaller attached homes to over $2 million for larger single-family residences on premium lots.

Alton and Newer Communities

Alton is a newer master-planned community located in the northern section of Palm Beach Gardens, near the intersection of PGA Boulevard and Jog Road. It was developed primarily by DiVosta and GL Homes starting in the mid-2010s and continues to see new construction phases as of 2026. HOA fees in Alton run considerably lower than the golf communities, typically from about $350 to $550 per month. Those fees cover common area landscaping, the community park and fitness facilities, and basic community maintenance. There is no mandatory golf club membership. Alton's price range spans from roughly $600,000 for townhomes and smaller single-family homes to over $1.5 million for larger estate-style homes in the community's newer sections. For a broader look at what is currently being built in the area, the new construction communities guide for Palm Beach Gardens covers active developments in detail.

3. What Do HOA Fees Actually Cover in These Communities?

The scope of what an HOA fee covers depends entirely on the specific community's governing documents and budget. Two communities charging similar monthly amounts can cover very different things. Reading the HOA budget line by line is the only way to know what you are actually getting.

Club Memberships and Golf

In communities like Mirasol, BallenIsles, and Frenchman's Creek, the HOA fee and the club membership fee are two separate line items, but both are typically mandatory. The HOA fee covers community infrastructure: gate staffing, roadway maintenance, common landscaping, and shared amenities like pools that are not part of the club. The club fee covers golf course operations, the clubhouse, dining, tennis, fitness, and any other club-specific amenity. When buyers see a quoted HOA fee for these communities, they should always ask what the total monthly obligation is, including club dues, because the club dues can equal or exceed the HOA fee itself.

Landscaping, Security, and Common Areas

Nearly every HOA in Palm Beach Gardens covers landscaping of common areas and the community's entrance features. Many also include lawn maintenance for individual home lots, which is a meaningful benefit in South Florida where irrigation and mowing costs add up quickly. Gated communities with staffed guardhouses, like Mirasol and Frenchman's Creek, include 24-hour guard service in the HOA fee. Some communities also include roving security patrols and camera monitoring. In communities where lawn care is included, buyers should subtract what they would otherwise spend on a lawn service (typically $150 to $300 per month in Palm Beach County) when evaluating whether the HOA fee represents good value.

Capital Reserves and Special Assessments

Every HOA budget should include a line for capital reserves, which is money set aside for major future repairs and replacements like roof replacements on common buildings, pool resurfacing, and road repaving. Florida law requires HOAs to conduct a reserve study, but it does not require them to fully fund reserves. When an HOA is underfunded, it can issue a special assessment, which is a one-time charge to all homeowners to cover a shortfall. Special assessments in larger communities can run from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands depending on the project. Before closing, always request the most recent reserve study and ask your agent or attorney whether the reserve fund is adequately capitalized. This is one of the most overlooked risks in HOA purchases.

4. How to Evaluate Whether an HOA Fee Is Worth It

The right way to evaluate an HOA fee is to calculate the total cost of ownership, not just the sticker price of the home. A $1.5 million home in Frenchman's Creek with $3,000 per month in combined HOA and club fees carries a very different financial profile than a $1.5 million home in a non-HOA neighborhood, even before factoring in property taxes.

Comparing Total Cost of Ownership

When comparing communities, add up every recurring monthly obligation: HOA fee, club dues, property taxes divided by 12, homeowner's insurance divided by 12, and any separately billed utilities or services. For a $2 million home in Mirasol, that calculation might look like: $1,100 HOA, $800 club dues, $3,300 monthly property tax equivalent (based on Palm Beach County millage rates on a $2 million assessed value), and $600 in insurance. That totals roughly $5,800 per month in carrying costs before mortgage principal and interest. The property tax guide for Palm Beach Gardens homes explains how Palm Beach County's millage rates work and what to budget.

Red Flags to Watch in HOA Documents

Not all HOAs are financially sound, and the documents will tell you a great deal if you know what to look for. Watch for reserves funded below 50 percent of the recommended amount, a pattern of annual fee increases above 5 percent, pending litigation involving the HOA, or deferred maintenance on major infrastructure. Also check the delinquency rate: if a significant percentage of homeowners are behind on dues, the HOA's cash flow is compromised and a special assessment becomes more likely. A detailed review of the HOA financials is something your real estate attorney should handle as part of due diligence.

For buyers who are also weighing whether a community makes sense as a rental or investment, the investment property guide for Palm Beach Gardens covers HOA rental restrictions and what to check before purchasing with that intent.

5. HOA Fees and Your Mortgage: How Lenders Factor Them In

Lenders include HOA fees in your debt-to-income ratio calculation, which directly affects how much home you can qualify for. This surprises some buyers who assume the HOA fee is a separate lifestyle cost that lenders ignore. It is not. A $1,200 per month HOA fee has the same impact on your qualifying ratio as $1,200 in additional debt service.

For conventional loans, lenders typically allow a maximum total debt-to-income ratio of 43 to 45 percent, though some loan programs allow up to 50 percent with compensating factors. If you are purchasing in a community like Frenchman's Creek where combined HOA and club fees can reach $3,000 to $3,500 per month, that amount is added to your monthly mortgage payment, property taxes, and insurance before your ratio is calculated. On a $3 million purchase with a $2.4 million mortgage at current rates, that can push the qualifying income requirement well above $400,000 annually. Work through these numbers with a lender before you fall in love with a specific community.

Club membership initiation fees are typically not financed through the mortgage. In most cases, the initiation fee is paid at closing as a separate cash obligation. Some communities allow the initiation fee to be financed through the club itself over a short term, but this is community-specific. Confirm the payment structure directly with the club before you make an offer, because a $150,000 initiation fee that must be paid in cash at closing is a significant planning consideration.

For a broader look at what the buying process costs and how timelines work in Palm Beach Gardens, the complete buyer's guide for Palm Beach Gardens walks through every cost category from offer to closing.

6. A Note on HOA Fee Trends in Palm Beach Gardens

HOA fees across Palm Beach Gardens have increased meaningfully over the past several years, driven by rising insurance costs, inflation in labor and landscaping contracts, and in some communities, deferred capital projects coming due. Florida has been identified as one of the states where HOA cost burdens are growing fastest, partly because of the concentration of amenity-rich communities and the sharp rise in property insurance premiums across South Florida. A 2026 analysis of HOA costs in Palm Beach Gardens notes that buyers should budget for continued upward pressure on fees over the next several years.

Florida Senate Bill 4-D, passed in 2022, and subsequent legislation have imposed new reserve requirements on condominium associations specifically, following the Surfside collapse. While those laws target condominiums rather than single-family HOAs, the ripple effect has been increased scrutiny of reserve funding across all community types. Some HOAs in Palm Beach Gardens have responded by increasing annual fees to build reserves more aggressively. If you are buying a condominium in a Palm Beach Gardens community, the reserve funding requirements are especially important to understand. The condo buying guide for Palm Beach Gardens covers the specific due diligence steps that apply to condo purchases.

When reviewing a community's HOA history, ask for fee schedules going back five years. A community that has raised fees by 8 to 12 percent annually over that period is likely to continue doing so. A community with stable fees and strong reserves is in a fundamentally different financial position, and that difference should factor into your offer price and long-term budget planning.