Savannah, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Savannah · Chatham County, Georgia
Population 147,546 (est. 2026: ~148,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.24% annual growth projection

Savannah, Georgia

Chatham County, Georgia · Population 147,780

Savannah sits at the mouth of the Savannah River, eighteen miles inland from the Atlantic, and carries the weight of being one of the oldest planned cities in North America. The street grid — a lattice of squares, parks, and monument-anchored intersections laid out in 1733 — still defines daily life in the historic core. Tourism, the Port of Savannah, military installations at nearby Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield, and a growing arts and education sector keep the economy moving. At 147,780 residents, Savannah is the anchor of Chatham County (295,291 people total) and the fourth-largest city in Georgia. It draws transplants, college students, and artists alongside generations of families who have never lived anywhere else.

People & Demographics

Savannah's median age is 33.5 — a young city. The population breaks down to approximately 77,831 Black residents (52.7%), 56,514 white residents (38.3%), 9,514 Hispanic or Latino residents (6.4%), and 4,106 Asian residents (2.8%). Those proportions reflect a majority-Black city with a long, complicated history rooted in that demographic reality — from slavery and Reconstruction to civil rights and contemporary inequality.

Of 57,673 occupied households, 31,632 are family households. Average household size is 2.40. Children under 18 number 29,679, roughly one in five residents. The poverty count — 26,229 people — is significant. That works out to roughly 17.8% of the population living below the federal poverty line, a figure that shapes everything from school funding to healthcare demand.

Economy & Employment

The labor force stands at 77,079, with 5,441 unemployed — an unemployment rate of about 7.1% within the labor force. Median household income is $54,748. Per capita income is $30,978. Both figures trail Georgia's statewide medians, which reflects Savannah's persistent poverty concentration despite its economic diversity.

The economic base is layered. The Georgia Ports Authority's Garden City Terminal is one of the busiest container ports on the East Coast and generates tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. Tourism is a year-round industry given the historic district, St. Patrick's Day crowds, and the riverfront. Healthcare anchors the white-collar employment base. SCAD — the Savannah College of Art and Design — functions as both a major employer and an economic engine that has visibly redeveloped large portions of the historic district. The military presence through Hunter Army Airfield adds another stable employment tier.

Housing

Savannah has 67,223 total housing units, of which 57,673 are occupied and 9,550 are vacant — a vacancy rate of about 14.2%. Renters outnumber owners: 31,205 renter-occupied units versus 26,468 owner-occupied, meaning roughly 54% of occupied housing is rented. That renter majority puts downward pressure on homeownership rates and is consistent with cities that have large student populations and lower median incomes.

Median home value is $203,300. Median gross rent is $1,216 per month. Both figures have climbed sharply in recent years as Savannah's profile has risen nationally, making affordability a growing concern for long-term residents on fixed or lower incomes.

Schools

Savannah's public schools operate under the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. The fifteen largest schools reported in NCES data include:

Post-secondary options are substantial. The Savannah College of Art and Design (912-525-5000) is nationally ranked in design and fine arts. Savannah State University (912-676-6265) is a historically Black university within the University System of Georgia. Savannah Technical College (912-443-5700) serves workforce and technical training. South University–Savannah (912-201-8000) rounds out the landscape.

Getting Around

Of 69,945 workers, 49,316 drove alone — about 70.5%. Another 7,718 carpooled. Public transit accounts for 2,010 commuters (2.9%), and 2,649 walked to work (3.8%). Working from home covers 6,231 residents. Aggregate travel time across all workers totals 1,305,775 minutes, averaging roughly 18.7 minutes per commuter. Chatham Area Transit (CAT) provides bus service across the county, and the Savannah-Hilton Head International Airport handles regional air connections. For most residents, a car is effectively required outside the walkable historic core.

Healthcare

Savannah is the regional healthcare hub for coastal Georgia and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Major facilities in the city include:

For a full list of licensed providers, the NPI Registry search for Savannah, GA returns active credentialed clinicians and facilities.

Library

The Carnegie Library (912-651-1973) serves as part of the Live Oak Public Libraries system, which operates branches across Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties. The Carnegie branch in Savannah is one of the original Carnegie-funded library buildings still in active use in Georgia.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service units are within reach of Savannah:

Within Savannah itself, the historic squares — twenty-two survive of the original plan — function as de facto neighborhood parks, and Forsyth Park anchors the Victorian District.

Natural Hazards

Chatham County has accumulated fifteen federal disaster and emergency declarations since 1998, making it one of the more frequently declared counties in coastal Georgia. The record is not theoretical — named storms have hit directly and repeatedly:

Flood risk is the dominant concern. Much of the coastal zone, barrier islands, and low-lying neighborhoods are in FEMA flood zones. Hurricane evacuation planning, flood insurance, and storm shutter hardware are practical necessities here, not theoretical ones.

Government & Municipal Code

Savannah operates under a city manager–council form of government. The full municipal code is published through Municode and is publicly accessible at library.municode.com/ga/savannah-city-georgia. No separate building code is listed in the municipal code repository; building standards are administered through state and county-level codes.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions are available through the National Weather Service:

Savannah's climate is humid subtropical. Summers are long, hot, and humid with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Hurricane season (June through November) demands attention every year. Winters are mild but not frost-free.

References

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