Below is a list of the best intentional community directories and research tools to expand your community search.
The list focuses on residential or place-based communities. It includes many regions of the world and a variety of community types, including cohousing, ecovillages, housing coops, and more. It doesn’t include many or any spiritual or religious intentional community directories, but you can find many of those too, such as Hakhel for jewish intentional communities or Catholic Worker for Christian service communities.
Searching for the right community can be challenging. If you want help finding communities that are a specific fit for you, sign-up for a community matchmaking session.
Enjoy exploring the wide world of intentional communities. Happy research!
20 Community Directories
1. ic.org
The communities directory, managed by the Foundation for Intentional Community (FIC), is the most comprehensive and regularly updated directories for a variety of intentional communities, especially those located in the United States. You can search the directory online and/or get printed directory book. 1000+ communities listed.
Below is a video tutorial of how to best use the research tools on ic.org:
2. ecovillage.org
The Global Ecovillage Network (GEN) manages a worldwide map of ecovillage projects. As you can see from the image below, they have many European communities but also good coverage in other regions of the world. These communities all have a focus on sustainability. 900+ communities listed.
3. searchtinyhousevillages.com
Those looking for tiny house living within a community will love this directory of tiny house villages. Park your home on wheels in one of these 300+ communities listed.
4. cohousing.org
For cohousing communities in the United States, look no further than the Cohousing Association of the United States (CohoUS). Cohousing is a development model where residents each have private homes while sharing common spaces and facilities. The website also includes a directory of cohousing professionals and seekers. 300+ communities listed.
5. cohousing.ca
The Canadian Cohousing Network maintains its directory of communities all located in Canada.
6. cohousing.org.uk
Those looking for cohousing in the UK will appreciate the UK Cohousing Network’s directory of 40+ communities.
7. sagecohoadvocates.org
SAGE (Senior Cohousing Advocates) provides a list of communities that are specifically for those 55 years or older located in both the US and Canada.
8. seniorcoops.org
Seniors looking for more cooperative housing as they age will appreciate the Senior Cooperative Foundation (SCF) with a list of 100+ senior coops in the United States.
9. ecobasa.org
Ecobasa is a directory of sustainable communities, eco-villages and individuals looking for alternative ways of living. The directory has a special focus on work-trade opportunities, mostly in Europe.
10. centersnetwork.org
WEBSITE NO LONGER ACTIVE – Unfortunately, The Holistic Centers Network has ended its great organization that supported holistic education and retreat centers around the
world. We at CommunityFinders will soon be publishing a list of retreat center communities. Stay tuned for a future blog article with this list.
11. numundo.org
NuMundo is a network of impact centers that offer transformational experiences. This is a great directory to plan your next ecovillage vacation or conscious travel trip. Focus on Central America.
12. thefec.org
Not to be confused with the FIC, the FEC is the Federation for Egalitarian Communities. It’s a support network and directory of income-sharing communities or communes. Mostly in the United States.
13. rocusa.org
ROC is a US network of over 300 resident owned communities. These are primarily mobile home parks that have made the transition from landlord to community ownership. They offer a plan for low-income individuals to become part of community.
14. nasco.coop
North American Students of Cooperation (NASCO) is an alliance of group-equity housing cooperatives, with a focus on youth and student communities. Over 50 communities in their US and Canada directory.
15. coliving.com
One of many “coliving” networks that offer affordable rental opportunities in community spaces, managed by non-resident owners. Good for getting your feet wet with a light version of community, especially in urban areas.
16. agrihoodliving.com
Agri-hood is a term to describe “farm-to-table neighborhoods” that feature community living as well as an adjacent farm for local produce. 20+ communities featured.
17. transitionnetwork.org
The Transition Town Network is a global movement to transition existing towns and cities towards community-based sustainability. You can find a transition group, hub, or trainer near where you live.
18. diggersanddreamers.org.uk
Diggers and Dreamers is a network of intentional communities located in the UK. The directory includes a wide variety of community types, from urban to spiritual and ecovillage to cohousing.
19. embassynetwork.com
The Embassy Network is a small but growing network of place-based communities around the world that are experimenting with new forms of governance and solidarity.
20. wwoofusa.org
WWOOF stands for worldwide workers on organic farms. While this is a directory for farming work-exchange opportunities, you can find many communities by searching for relevant terms in the directory. A great way to experience land-based communities while traveling affordably.
21. nationalsharedhousing.org
This is a support network and directory of homesharing programs in the United States. While not full intentional communities, these are opportunities for two or more unrelated people to share a home for their mutual benefit. A great way to help overcome loneliness and share resources — find your roommate!
Know of even more intentional community directories?
Drop a comment if you think there is a community resource missing from the list. I’m looking forward to growing our collective knowledge of the movement with you!
I’ve been looking for a list of places that would have been similar to #10 – The Holistic Centers Network, but that network has ended. My desire is to to find a list that would include retreat centers that are also intentional communities… or intentional communities that are also retreat centers…
Hi Tom, thank you for letting us know about The Holistic Centers Network ending. That’s truly sad, as they were a great resource. Unfortunately, I do not know of a similar list, but perhaps we at CommunityFinders can create a list and publish as future blog article.
Here’s another communities directory that has a variety of communities not listed in the directories above. Enjoy your browsing! https://tribes.regentribe.org/neighborhoods/
https://numundo.org/ Has some good places. Not all intentional communities, but there is a good range
https://www.camphill.org/
Theres also a telegram group where people who organize informal education/trainings or youth exchanges and volunteer spots in ecovillages and people interested in hopping on those opportunities join, in collaboration with Nextgen
https://t.me/nextgennlpermaculture
For Catholic women, a list of over 40 “Green Sisters” centers for ecological farming and education. Many of the links shown are not working or seem irrelevant.
http://www.sisterfarm.org
138 Catholic Worker communities in USA. Many of these are “class-harmony” communities, not nonprofit, as they have an owner class, either an individual or couple sharing their property, and a non-owner class as renters or residents.
https://catholicworker.org/community-search/
Excellent! Thanks Allen.
Many CW’s, do function along the lines stated, but not intentionally. The origins and preference is both worker-ownership of the commune capital and resident-ownership of the commune real-estate (sometimes facilitated through a trust). Working class solidarity is central to the movement as is a decentralized structure, hence the local autonomy providing a diversity of each Catholic Worker House’s collective relation to the land and means of production. Thanks for sharing about it here. Another house is getting started in Uganda and I’m part of Snake Village ~ Forge of Brigit in the Ouachita Mts. which is affiliated formally with the Catholic Worker Movement.
The Northwest Intentional Communities Association [NICA] has a web page with community listings: https://nwcommunities.org/intentional-community-directory/
Thank you Jonathan! Great resource.
A community based around the importance of animals & the roles they play in our lives…. Even when raised “for consumption” they get to live peacefully without fear, pain & sorrow