Upper Arlington Area · Columbus, OH · Franklin County · Gated
The Estates at Tremont Club
One of the few genuinely gated 55+ communities in the Columbus area — 100 homes behind a controlled entrance. Here is what the gate actually costs and whether it is worth it.
The community
Gated 55+ communities are rare in Central Ohio — only a small fraction of the area’s active-adult communities have controlled entry — and The Estates at Tremont Club is one of them. At roughly 100 homes behind a gate, it appeals to buyers who place a premium on security, privacy, and the quieter feel that a controlled entrance brings. It is one of just two notable gated active-adult communities in the metro, the other being The Courtyards at Hidden Ravines.
The gate is not free. A gated entrance, its maintenance, and the private roads behind it are funded by the HOA — which means a gated community typically carries higher dues than an equivalent ungated one. You are paying monthly for the gate whether you value it at $50 or $500. If security and privacy genuinely matter to you, it is money well spent; if the gate is just a nice-to-have, an ungated Courtyards community delivers similar homes for a lower monthly fee.
The real cost math
The Estates at Tremont Club is in Franklin County. Representative all-in monthly estimate for a home in the low $500ks — note the gated-community HOA premium:
| Monthly component | Estimate (~$510k home) |
|---|---|
| Property tax (≈1.69% effective) | ~$718 |
| Gated-community HOA (gate, private roads, amenities) | ~$300–$400 |
| Homeowners insurance | ~$125–$165 |
| All-in, excl. mortgage & utilities | ~$1,143–$1,283/mo |
The honest take
The Estates at Tremont Club is the right choice for the buyer who specifically wants a gated community — the security, the privacy, the controlled access — and is willing to pay the HOA premium that comes with maintaining a gate and private roads. In a market with very few gated options, scarcity itself supports demand.
The honest caution is the cost of the gate. Behind it sit single-family homes broadly comparable to what you would find in an ungated Courtyards community, but with a higher monthly fee for the controlled access. Decide honestly whether you will value the gate every month, or whether you are paying for a feeling of exclusivity you could skip. And as with any ~100-home association, request the reserve study.
Is a gated community worth the premium for you?
We will show you the HOA difference between Tremont Club and a comparable ungated community on real numbers.
Compare the options