Population 8,907 (est. 2026: ~10,300)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 4.58% annual growth projection
Skidaway Island, Georgia
Chatham County, Georgia · Population 9,310
Skidaway Island sits in the salt marsh lowlands southeast of Savannah, connected to the mainland by a single causeway and separated from the broader Chatham County hustle by water on nearly every side. It is a census-designated place — no incorporated city government, no mayor — governed instead by a community association structure and Chatham County. The island is home to The Landings, one of the largest private gated communities in the Southeast, and that fact defines almost everything about life here: the demographics, the income, the housing market, the age profile, and the general quiet. The University of Georgia's Skidaway Institute of Oceanography anchors the island's eastern end, adding a research presence to what is otherwise a retirement and second-home enclave. Savannah proper is roughly 10 miles northwest, close enough for hospitals, airports, and culture, far enough that daily island life feels genuinely removed from it.
People & Demographics
The island's 9,292 residents skew dramatically older. The median age is 66.3 — not a rounding error, not a quirk of the sample. For comparison, Georgia's median age sits around 37. This is a community built around retirement, and the numbers reflect that completely. Of 4,481 households, 3,153 are family households, and average household size is just 2.07 people. Children under 18 number 1,096 — modest relative to total population.
Racially, the island is predominantly white at 8,083 residents. Black residents number 196, Asian residents 186, and Hispanic or Latino residents 168.
The poverty count stands at 202 individuals — low in absolute terms, and the income and housing data explain why. This is not a community experiencing material hardship at scale, though the gap between the island's affluence and the broader Chatham County population (295,291 people) is sharp.
Economy & Employment
The labor force is 2,944, with 203 unemployed. Given the age profile, a large share of residents are outside the labor force entirely — retired, not counted. Median household income is $119,210, and per capita income reaches $86,178. Both figures sit well above Georgia state medians. This is not a working-class island; it is an island where accumulated wealth is the norm and active employment is, for many residents, optional.
Housing
Skidaway Island's housing market reflects its exclusivity directly. Median home value is $682,900 — among the highest in Chatham County by a wide margin. Median rent for the 342 renter-occupied units is $2,235 per month.
Of 4,811 total housing units, 4,481 are occupied and 330 are vacant — a 6.9% vacancy rate that includes seasonal and second-home use common in resort-adjacent communities. Owner-occupancy dominates at 4,139 units versus 342 rentals. Renting here is the exception, not the rule.
Schools
Skidaway Island falls within the Chatham County School District. The district runs large schools serving the county broadly:
- New Hampstead High School — Grades 9–12, 1,436 students
- Rice Creek School — Grades K–8, 1,167 students
- Godley Station School — Grades K–8, 1,135 students
- Jenkins High School — Grades 9–12, 1,118 students
- Hesse School — Grades K–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 K–5, 841 students
- New Hampstead K–8 School — Grades K–8, 827 students
- Gould Elementary School — Grades K–5, 818 students
- Johnson High School — Grades 9–12, 790 students
Given the island's age profile, school-age children represent a small fraction of residents, and most families with school-age kids navigate the same Chatham County school assignment system as the rest of the county.
Getting Around
Skidaway Island is car-dependent by geography. Of 2,741 workers, 2,141 drove alone and 127 carpooled. Public transit use is zero — no bus lines serve the island. Eighty-one residents walked to work and 331 worked from home, a meaningful share given the population's mix of semi-retired professionals and remote workers. Aggregate travel time across all workers was 63,590 minutes, suggesting commutes into Savannah are workable but not short. One causeway in, one causeway out.
Healthcare
Savannah's hospital system serves the island. Multiple facilities are located in the city:
- Candler Hospital — Savannah
- Memorial Health University Medical Center (Savannah Health Services LLC) — Savannah
- St. Joseph's Hospital – Savannah — Savannah
- Coastal Harbor Treatment Center — Savannah
- Georgia Regional Hospital Savannah — Savannah
Local healthcare providers registered with CMS can be searched through the NPI Registry for Skidaway Island, GA.
Library
The nearest public library branch is the Garden City Library, approximately 2.4 miles from the island. Phone: (912) 644-5932. The branch is part of the Live Oak Public Libraries system serving Chatham, Effingham, and Liberty counties.
Parks & Recreation
Two National Park Service units are accessible from Skidaway Island:
- Fort Pulaski National Monument — A Civil War-era fortification on Cockspur Island at the mouth of the Savannah River. A Fort Pulaski Visitor Center is located approximately 12.9 miles away.
- Reconstruction Era National Historical Park — Located approximately 37.9 miles away, near Beaufort, South Carolina, this park interprets the years following the Civil War when formerly enslaved people worked to establish freedom and citizenship. A visitor contact station at Pinckney-Porter's Chapel is 35.1 miles distant, and the main visitor center is 37.9 miles away.
The island itself features Skidaway Island State Park on its southern end, with trails through maritime forest and salt marsh — one of the few public access points on an island that is otherwise largely private.
Savannah Technical College is located in the broader Savannah area. Phone: (912) 443-5700.
Natural Hazards
Chatham County's FEMA disaster declaration history is long and storm-heavy. Anyone buying property on Skidaway Island should read this list carefully:
- Hurricane Helene — DR-4830 and EM-3616 (September 2024)
- Tropical Storm / Hurricane Debby — DR-4821 and EM-3607 (August–September 2024)
- COVID-19 Pandemic — DR-4501 and EM-3464 (March 2020)
- Hurricane Dorian — EM-3422 (September 2019)
- Hurricane Michael — EM-3406 (October 2018)
- Hurricane Irma — DR-4338 and EM-3387 (September 2017)
- Hurricane Matthew — DR-4284 and EM-3379 (October 2016)
- Hurricane Katrina Evacuation — EM-3218 (September 2005)
- Hurricane Floyd — EM-3144 (September 1999)
- Severe Storms and Flooding — DR-1209 (March 1998)
Two named hurricanes hit in 2024 alone. The island sits on a barrier island geography with one road in and out. Flood insurance, evacuation planning, and storm shutters are not abstractions here.
Government & Municipal Code
Skidaway Island is a census-designated place, not an incorporated municipality. Chatham County provides governmental services. The municipal code is published through Municode and is accessible at library.municode.com/ga/skidaway-island-cdp-georgia. No building code is on file for the CDP.
Weather
Current forecasts and alerts for Skidaway Island are available through the National Weather Service:
The nearest weather observation station is Savannah 3.3 NNW, approximately 0.7 miles from the island.
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, Common Core of Data (CCD) 2022
- FEMA Disaster Declarations — Chatham County, Georgia
- CMS Hospital Compare / CMS Provider Data
- National Provider Identifier (NPI) Registry, CMS
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — Public Library Survey
- National Park Service — Fort Pulaski National Monument; Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
- National Weather Service (NWS) — forecast.weather.gov
- Municode — Skidaway Island CDP Municipal Code
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)