Population 2,591 (est. 2026: ~1,000)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -24.66% annual growth projection
Henderson, Georgia
Chatham County, Georgia · Population 2,178
Henderson is a Census-Designated Place tucked into the western edge of Chatham County, sitting just outside Savannah's city limits. It occupies that particular suburban-adjacent zone where Savannah's density fades into quieter residential streets — close enough to the city's jobs, hospitals, and culture to draw from them daily, distinct enough to function as its own community. With a median age of 40.3 and a household makeup that skews toward families, Henderson reads less like a transient corridor and more like a place where people have settled in.
People & Demographics
Henderson's Census-reported population stands at 3,005 by ACS 2022 figures, organized into 1,274 households. The average household size of 2.36 reflects a mix of family and non-family living arrangements — 905 of those 1,274 households are family households. Children under 18 number 655, about one in five residents.
The racial composition breaks down to 1,449 white residents, 1,090 Black residents, and 343 Asian residents. No Hispanic or Latino population was recorded in the ACS data. Chatham County as a whole holds 295,291 residents, making Henderson a small but meaningfully populated corner of a mid-sized coastal Georgia county anchored by Savannah.
Economy & Employment
The median household income in Henderson is $69,646, and per capita income sits at $39,160. Those figures place Henderson in reasonable standing within Chatham County, where Savannah's economy — tourism, logistics, military, healthcare, and manufacturing — drives most regional employment.
Of 1,802 residents in the labor force, 107 are unemployed, an unemployment rate of roughly 5.9%. The poverty count of 830 residents is notable against a total population of 3,005 — approximately 27.6% of residents fall below the poverty line, a figure that deserves attention alongside the relatively comfortable median income, suggesting meaningful income stratification within the community.
Housing
Henderson's 1,396 total housing units run at a 91.3% occupancy rate, with 122 vacant units. Of the 1,274 occupied units, 790 are owner-occupied and 484 are renter-occupied — a roughly 62/38 split that leans toward ownership, consistent with a stable suburban community.
The median home value is $292,900 and median rent is $1,331 per month. Both figures reflect Chatham County's broader coastal Georgia housing market, where proximity to Savannah and barrier island demand has steadily pushed values upward. For renters, $1,331 per month represents a significant housing cost relative to incomes at the lower end of the local spectrum.
Schools
Henderson falls within the Chatham County School District, which operates a large network of schools across the county. Schools serving or near the Henderson area include:
- New Hampstead High School — Grades 9–12, 1,436 students
- Rice Creek School — Grades PreK–8, 1,167 students
- Godley Station School — Grades PreK–8, 1,135 students
- Jenkins High School — Grades 9–12, 1,118 students
- Hesse School — Grades PreK–8, 1,022 students
- Windsor Forest High School — Grades 9–12, 1,012 students
- Groves High School — Grades 9–12, 992 students
- West Chatham Middle School — Grades 6–8, 953 students
- Beach High School — Grades 9–12, 914 students
- Savannah Arts Academy — Grades 9–12, 905 students
- Islands High School — Grades 9–12, 862 students
- West Chatham Elementary School — Grades PreK–5, 841 students
- New Hampstead K–8 School — Grades PreK–8, 827 students
- Gould Elementary School — Grades PreK–5, 818 students
- Johnson High School — Grades 9–12, 790 students
For post-secondary education, Savannah Technical College (912-443-5700) serves the region with career and technical programs.
Getting Around
Henderson is car country. Of 1,473 total workers, 1,141 drive alone and 192 carpool. No residents reported using public transit or walking to work. 140 residents work from home, a share that reflects broader post-pandemic shifts. Aggregate travel time across all workers totals 35,545 minutes, implying an average one-way commute of roughly 24 minutes — typical for Savannah-area workers commuting into or through the city.
Healthcare
Savannah's hospital infrastructure sits within reach of Henderson residents. Major facilities serving the area include:
- Candler Hospital — Savannah
- Memorial Health University Medical Center (Savannah Health Services LLC) — Savannah
- St. Joseph's Hospital – Savannah
- Coastal Harbor Treatment Center — Savannah
- Georgia Regional Hospital Savannah
For a searchable directory of individual healthcare providers registered in Henderson, the NPI Registry lists licensed professionals by city.
Library
The nearest public library is the Garden City Library, approximately 2.4 miles from Henderson. Phone: (912) 644-5932. It is part of the Live Oak Public Libraries system serving the Savannah region.
Parks & Recreation
Two National Park Service sites lie within reasonable distance of Henderson:
- Fort Pulaski National Monument — A Civil War-era coastal fortification at the mouth of the Savannah River, with a visitor center approximately 12.9 miles away.
- Reconstruction Era National Historical Park — Documenting the years following the Civil War in the South Carolina Lowcountry, with its visitor center roughly 37.9 miles away.
These sites make Henderson a reasonable base for history-minded visitors to coastal Georgia and the broader Lowcountry.
Natural Hazards
Chatham County's FEMA disaster declaration history is long and sobering. The county sits on the Georgia coast, fully within the Atlantic hurricane belt, and the record shows it:
- Hurricane Helene (2024) — Both major disaster and emergency declarations
- Tropical Storm / Hurricane Debby (2024) — Two separate declarations
- Hurricane Dorian (2019) — Emergency declaration
- Hurricane Michael (2018) — Emergency declaration
- Hurricane Irma (2017) — Major disaster and emergency declarations
- Hurricane Matthew (2016) — Major disaster and emergency declarations
- Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (2005) — Emergency declaration (Chatham sheltered evacuees)
- Hurricane Floyd (1999) — Emergency declaration
- Severe Storms and Flooding (1998) — Major disaster declaration
- COVID-19 Pandemic (2020) — Major disaster and emergency declarations
Residents should treat hurricane preparedness as a routine part of life here, not an occasional precaution. Evacuation planning and flood insurance are not optional considerations in this county.
Government & Municipal Code
Henderson's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/henderson-cdp-georgia. Note that Henderson currently has no locally adopted building code on file.
Weather
Current forecasts and alerts for Henderson are available through the National Weather Service:
The nearest weather observation station is Savannah 3.3 NNW, located approximately 0.7 miles from Henderson.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 (5-Year Estimates): Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B09001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25064, B25077, B08006, B08013
- National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Common Core of Data, 2022–23
- FEMA Disaster Declarations, Chatham County, Georgia
- CMS Hospital Compare / CMS Provider Data
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
- National Park Service (NPS)
- NPI Registry, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- NOAA / National Weather Service
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)