Pooler, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Pooler · Chatham County, Georgia
Population 27,235 (est. 2026: ~31,600)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 4.52% annual growth projection

Pooler, Georgia

Chatham County, Georgia · Population 25,711

Pooler sits at the western edge of the Savannah metro, about twelve miles from downtown Savannah along I-16 and I-95. What was once a quiet railroad town has become one of the fastest-growing communities in coastal Georgia, built on a grid of new subdivisions, big-box retail corridors, and easy highway access. The Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport borders the city to the east, making Pooler a logical landing spot for military families stationed at nearby Hunter Army Airfield, logistics workers tied to the Port of Savannah, and commuters who want suburban space without leaving the metro. It is a town that arrived at its current shape quickly, and the demographics, housing stock, and school enrollment all reflect that growth pressure.

People & Demographics

Pooler's census-counted population of 26,264 sits within Chatham County's total of 295,291. The median age of 39.2 reflects a community that has attracted working-age households rather than retirees. The town holds 10,752 households, with 6,657 of those classified as family households. Average household size is 2.43. Children under 18 number 5,647 — meaningful enrollment pressure on schools that are still scaling.

Racially, the city breaks down as 15,154 white residents, 7,951 Black residents, and 476 Asian residents. The Hispanic and Latino population stands at 1,506. This is a more diverse profile than many suburban Georgia communities, shaped in part by the military and logistics workforce base.

Educational attainment among residents 25 and older (18,849 people) skews well above state averages: 4,638 hold a bachelor's degree, 2,314 a master's, and 325 a doctorate. That credential concentration reflects both the professional workforce drawn to the Savannah metro and the type of households that have relocated here from larger cities.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Pooler is $89,812, a figure that comfortably exceeds Georgia's statewide median and reflects the professional and managerial workforce that has filled the city's newer subdivisions. Per capita income stands at $42,438. Of the 15,907 residents in the labor force, 815 are unemployed. The poverty count is 1,275 — low relative to population, though the Savannah metro as a whole carries much higher poverty concentrations closer to the urban core.

The Port of Savannah — the third-busiest container port in the United States — anchors a massive logistics and warehousing sector that radiates out along the I-16 and I-95 corridors directly through Pooler. Distribution centers, light manufacturing, and the services that support a growing suburban population (healthcare, retail, construction) make up much of the local employment base. The airport's commercial and cargo operations add another layer.

Housing

Pooler has 11,453 total housing units, with 10,752 occupied and 701 vacant — a vacancy rate of just over 6 percent, tight for a market growing as fast as this one. Owner-occupied units total 6,509; renter-occupied units total 4,243, putting the ownership rate at about 60.5 percent.

The median home value is $269,800. Median rent runs $1,550 per month. Both figures are elevated relative to much of inland Georgia, driven by demand from workers priced out of Savannah proper and by the volume of new construction that commands move-in pricing. The housing stock here is largely post-2000 construction — master-planned neighborhoods, townhome clusters near the retail corridors, and apartment complexes built to absorb a workforce that keeps arriving faster than inventory accumulates.

Schools

Pooler's public schools fall within the Chatham County Public Schools district. Three schools operate within or directly serve the city:

Middle school students feed into high schools elsewhere in the Chatham County system. The combined elementary enrollment across the two elementary schools exceeds 1,200 students, consistent with a population that has added thousands of family households over a compressed period. The nearest higher education options are in Savannah, roughly twelve miles east, where Georgia Southern University's Armstrong Campus, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Savannah State University all operate.

Getting Around

Pooler is a car-required community. Of 15,054 total workers, 12,326 drive alone. Another 970 carpool. Public transit accounts for zero recorded commuters. Thirty-eight people walk to work. Working from home accounts for 1,396 residents — roughly 9 percent of the workforce, a meaningful share that reflects the remote-eligible professional class that has moved here. Aggregate travel time for all workers totals 328,125 minutes, yielding an average one-way commute of roughly 22 minutes — manageable for Savannah commutes, though I-16 and I-95 interchange congestion near the airport corridor can compress that on peak hours.

Healthcare

No hospital sits within Pooler's city limits, but Savannah's hospital network is close. Serving the metro area are Candler Hospital, Memorial Health University Medical Center (a major regional trauma center), and St. Joseph's Hospital – Savannah, along with Coastal Harbor Treatment Center and Georgia Regional Hospital Savannah for behavioral and psychiatric care. All are reachable within a twenty-minute drive under normal traffic conditions.

For a full directory of individual healthcare providers registered in Pooler: NPI Registry – Pooler, GA

Library

The Pooler Library is part of the Live Oak Public Libraries system and serves the city directly. Phone: (912) 748-6979.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites are accessible from Pooler. Fort Pulaski National Monument, roughly 22 miles east, preserves a massive 19th-century masonry fort at the mouth of the Savannah River — the site where rifled artillery rendered brick fortifications obsolete during the Civil War. A visitor center is on site. Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, about 41 miles south near Beaufort, South Carolina, interprets the period after the Civil War when formerly enslaved people exercised political and civil rights across the Sea Islands region.

Natural Hazards

Chatham County sits in one of the most hurricane-exposed corridors on the East Coast. FEMA disaster and emergency declarations for the county since 1998:

Eleven separate FEMA actions in 26 years is not an anomaly — it is the operating baseline for coastal Georgia. Residents should carry flood insurance regardless of flood zone designation and should have a hurricane evacuation plan in place before each season.

Government & Municipal Code

Pooler's municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/pooler. The city does not maintain a separate local building code in this dataset; construction standards default to state and county requirements.

Weather

Current forecast for Pooler: NWS Forecast Active alerts: Weather Alerts Nearest weather station: POOLER 1.2 NNE (0.1 mi)

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)