Pre-plotted with paved streets, street signs, storm drains and land for support facilities such as fire stations, churches, and medical offices, Deltona was marketed worldwide as the ultimate planned community. The precursor to many Florida retirement communities to follow and promoted by the canny Mackle brothers, it almost seemed it was manufactured elsewhere and carefully placed on the rolling ground north of Lake Monroe. Development Major commercial development and pockets of up-scale housing balance Deltona's mid-range housing market. A new medical center, shopping, modern schools and convenient access to highways delight retiree and commuter alike. Now the second most populous community in the county, Deltona still retains its quiet neighborhood reputation.