Lake Nona Medical City: What's There and Living Nearby

TL;DR

• What it is: Lake Nona Medical City is a roughly 650-acre health, research, and education cluster in southeast Orlando, about six miles from Orlando International Airport.
• Who is there: the UCF College of Medicine, Nemours Children's Hospital, the Orlando VA Medical Center, HCA Florida UCF Lake Nona Hospital, the UF Research and Academic Center, and the UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center.
• What's next: AdventHealth's 10-story Lake Nona hospital is scheduled to open at the end of November 2026, and Nemours is in the middle of a $300 million expansion due by 2028.
• Why it matters to buyers: Medical City gives Lake Nona an employer base that doesn't depend on tourism, and many people who work there live within a short drive in Laureate Park and nearby villages.

When this post first ran in 2016, most of Lake Nona Medical City was still a plan. Ten years later, it's one of the largest concentrations of hospitals, medical schools, and research space in Florida, and it shapes who buys in Lake Nona and why. I'm Nicole Mickle, a Central Florida relocation and new construction specialist, and I work with a lot of physicians, nurses, researchers, and administrators who are relocating for a job in Medical City. This guide covers what's actually there today, what's under construction, and what it means if you're buying a home nearby.

What is Lake Nona Medical City?

Lake Nona Medical City is a roughly 650-acre health and life sciences campus at the center of Lake Nona, the master-planned community in southeast Orlando developed by Tavistock. It brings together medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions in one walkable district near the intersection of SR 417 and Lake Nona Boulevard.

It started with a land gift. In 2005, Tavistock donated 50 acres and $12.5 million to the University of Central Florida to help establish a medical school, and the UCF College of Medicine welcomed its first students in fall 2009. Hospitals and research centers followed over the next decade.

What's in Lake Nona Medical City today?

As of November 2026, Medical City is anchored by six major institutions, with a seventh opening this month.

Valencia College's Lake Nona Campus and a growing number of medical office buildings round out the district.

What has changed since 2016?

A lot. Some of the plans from a decade ago fell through, and others turned out bigger than expected.

• Sanford Burnham left. The research institute exited Lake Nona in 2016. UCF took over the building in 2018 and turned it into the UCF Lake Nona Cancer Center (Central Florida Public Media).
• A teaching hospital opened. HCA Florida UCF Lake Nona Hospital opened in March 2021 with 64 beds and a design that allows it to grow (Becker's Hospital Review).
• Nemours is expanding. Nemours announced a $300 million expansion in December 2024 that doubles its emergency department and adds a 75,000-square-foot outpatient and surgical building, with completion due by 2028 (News 6 WKMG).
• AdventHealth is arriving. AdventHealth broke ground on its Lake Nona hospital in May 2024 and topped out the 10-story building in September 2025 (HIT Consultant).
• Not every plan happens. Disney's proposed Lake Nona office campus was cancelled in May 2023. Corporate plans change. The hospitals have stayed.

Why does Medical City matter if you're buying a home in Lake Nona?

Lake Nona Medical City matters to homebuyers because it gives the area thousands of year-round, non-tourism jobs within a few minutes of home. That employer base supports demand from relocating healthcare professionals and researchers, and it's a big part of why Lake Nona has grown from a handful of villages into one of Orlando's most active new construction markets.

I don't promise appreciation, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What a deep employer base gives you is a resale and rental market with a wider pool of buyers. If you're relocating for a job at one of these institutions, my post on how I help healthcare professionals relocate to Orlando walks through the timeline, from offer letter to closing.

Where do people who work in Medical City live?

Many people who work in Medical City live in Lake Nona itself, and the choice usually comes down to budget, lot size, and how much they want to drive.

• Laureate Park: the closest village to Medical City, with homes and townhomes connected by trails and the free Move Nona autonomous shuttle. New construction is still selling in the current phase.
• Lake Nona Golf & Country Club: the gated golf community at Lake Nona's center, with custom and estate homes.
• Alora: Toll Brothers townhomes inside the master plan, often a fit for residents and fellows on a shorter timeline.
• Nearby communities outside the master plan: Storey Park, Nona Sound, and Eagle Creek use the Lake Nona name but have their own HOAs and fees.

My Lake Nona relocation guide compares the villages by price, and the Lake Nona new construction page tracks which builders are selling now. For a broader look at the area, start with my Lake Nona neighborhood guide.

What do relocation buyers get wrong about living near Medical City?

From my years running closings, the surprises are rarely about the house. They're about the paperwork around it.

• The address. A listing that says "Lake Nona" isn't always inside Tavistock's master plan. ZIP 32827 is the core. Ask which HOA the home belongs to before you compare prices.
• The CDD. Many Lake Nona villages carry a community development district assessment that shows up on your property tax bill, not your HOA statement. Ask for the district's assessment schedule up front.
• The year-two tax bill. Your first tax bill often reflects the seller's capped assessed value. Plan for the bill after the property resets to your purchase price. My post on property taxes on new construction explains how this works on a newly built home.

Ready to look at homes near Medical City?

If you're relocating for a job in Lake Nona Medical City, the fastest way to narrow your search is a conversation about your start date, commute, and budget. Reach out to me, and I'll put together a short list of villages and homes that fit.