Population 1,028 (est. 2026: ~800)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + -6.52% annual growth projection
Talahi Island, Georgia
Chatham County, Georgia · Population 1,247
Talahi Island sits in the tidal marshlands east of Savannah, a small barrier island community tucked along the Wilmington River where salt marsh and live oak define the landscape as much as any street grid. With fewer than 1,300 residents, it functions less like a town and more like a stable, close-knit enclave — one of several island communities in Chatham County that exist in geographic proximity to Savannah while maintaining a character entirely their own. The island is not a tourist destination. It is a place where people have chosen to stay.
People & Demographics
The 2022 ACS puts the population at 1,185, with a median age of 51.6 — well above Georgia's statewide median, which sits closer to 37. This is an older, established community. Of 507 households, 434 are family households, and the average household size is 2.34. Children under 18 number 182.
The population is 1,133 white, 13 Asian, and 27 Hispanic or Latino. The census recorded zero Black residents in this survey period — a sharp demographic contrast to Chatham County overall, where Black residents make up roughly 40% of the 295,291-person county population. That gap reflects the historical and economic sorting that has shaped barrier island communities across the Georgia coast for generations.
Economy & Employment
Median household income on Talahi Island is $104,625 — nearly double Georgia's statewide median household income and significantly above Chatham County's figure. Per capita income comes in at $53,410. Only 29 residents fall below the poverty line.
Of the 704 people in the labor force, the 2022 ACS recorded zero unemployed — a figure that likely reflects both the island's affluence and the small sample size of a CDP. The workforce skews professional; the income levels point toward management, finance, law, and medicine rather than service or trades.
Housing
Every one of the 507 housing units is occupied — zero vacancy. That alone says something about how desirable and constrained this housing market is. Of those, 492 are owner-occupied and just 15 are renter-occupied. Talahi Island is, in practical terms, an ownership community.
The median home value is $420,600. That's well above Chatham County's median and reflects both the waterfront setting and the near-total absence of entry-level rentals. There is no usable median rent figure in the data. Anyone considering moving here should understand that the path in is almost exclusively through purchase, and prices reflect the island premium that coastal Georgia commands.
Schools
Talahi Island falls within Chatham County Schools. Several large countywide schools serve residents depending on grade and zone:
- Islands High School — Grades 9–12, 862 students
- Hesse School — Grades K–8, 1,022 students
- 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
- 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
- West Chatham Elementary — Grades K–5, 841 students
- New Hampstead K–8 School — Grades K–8, 827 students
- Gould Elementary — Grades K–5, 818 students
- Johnson High School — Grades 9–12, 790 students
For higher education, Savannah Technical College (912-443-5700) is the nearest two-year institution, with programs in trades, healthcare, and professional certifications.
Getting Around
Talahi Island is car-dependent. Of 686 workers, 557 drive alone. Eight use public transit, 31 carpool, and 77 work from home. Nobody in the surveyed period walked to work — a function of island geography and the distances involved reaching Savannah's employment centers.
Average aggregate commute time for all workers is 13,820 minutes, which works out to roughly 20 minutes per worker per trip. That's a reasonable haul for the access to marsh-front living, but it means planning life around a car.
Healthcare
Savannah's hospital network is the relevant medical infrastructure for Talahi Island residents. Several facilities operate in the metro area:
- Memorial Health University Medical Center (Savannah) — major academic medical center and regional trauma hub
- St. Joseph's Hospital – Savannah — full-service community hospital
- Candler Hospital — Savannah's other major acute-care facility
- Coastal Harbor Treatment Center — behavioral health
- Georgia Regional Hospital Savannah — state psychiatric facility
No CMS ratings data was available for these facilities. For licensed individual providers in Talahi Island, the NPI Registry search covers local clinicians: npiregistry.cms.hhs.gov
Library
The nearest public library branch is the Garden City Library, approximately 2.4 miles away. Phone: (912) 644-5932. It 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 Talahi Island:
Fort Pulaski National Monument sits roughly 13 miles away and preserves the Civil War-era masonry fort on Cockspur Island where Union artillery famously breached the walls in 1862, effectively rendering brick fortifications obsolete. The visitor center is 12.9 miles from the island.
Reconstruction Era National Historical Park, about 38 miles distant in Beaufort County, South Carolina, is the only national park dedicated specifically to the Reconstruction period following the Civil War.
The marsh and river setting of Talahi Island itself provides informal access to paddling, fishing, and wildlife watching that draws many residents to the island in the first place.
Natural Hazards
Chatham County's FEMA disaster declaration history is extensive and should be read seriously by anyone considering island property here. Since 1998, the county has received federal disaster or emergency declarations for:
- Hurricane Helene (2024) — both emergency and major disaster declarations
- Tropical Storm / Hurricane Debby (2024) — two separate declarations
- COVID-19 (2020)
- Hurricane Dorian (2019)
- Hurricane Michael (2018)
- Hurricane Irma (2017) — two declarations
- Hurricane Matthew (2016) — two declarations
- Hurricane Katrina evacuation (2005)
- Hurricane Floyd (1999)
- Severe storms and flooding (1998)
That is fifteen federal declarations in roughly 26 years — an average of more than one every two years. Coastal Georgia sits in one of the most active hurricane corridors on the East Coast. Flood insurance, storm shutters, and evacuation planning are not optional considerations on Talahi Island. They are baseline facts of life.
Government & Municipal Code
Talahi Island is a Census Designated Place (CDP) in Chatham County. Its municipal code is published through Municode: library.municode.com/ga/talahi-island-cdp-georgia
No local building code is on file. Building and development matters fall under Chatham County jurisdiction.
Weather
Current forecasts use the NWS grid point for the island's coordinates: forecast.weather.gov
Active weather alerts: alerts.weather.gov
The nearest observation station is Savannah 3.3 NNW, approximately 0.7 miles away — providing highly local temperature, wind, and precipitation readings relevant to the island's coastal microclimate.
References
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2022 (Tables B01001, B01002, B02001, B03001, B09001, B11001, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25001–B25003, B25010, B25064, B25077, B08006, B08013)
- NCES Common Core of Data, 2022
- FEMA Disaster Declarations, Chatham County (DR/EM series, 1998–2024)
- CMS Hospital Compare (ratings not available for listed facilities)
- Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — Garden City Library
- National Park Service — Fort Pulaski National Monument; Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
- NPI Registry, CMS (Talahi Island, GA providers)
- NOAA / National Weather Service — Savannah forecast grid
The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)