St. Simons, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
St. Simons · Glynn County, Georgia
Population 16,026 (est. 2026: ~16,700)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 1.26% annual growth projection

St. Simons, Georgia

Glynn County, Georgia · Population 14,982

St. Simons Island sits at the southern end of Georgia's Golden Isles, a barrier island separated from mainland Brunswick by the Marshes of Glynn and connected by the F.J. Torras Causeway. It is unincorporated — a census-designated place, not an incorporated city — which means Glynn County governs it directly. The island draws retirees, second-home buyers, and tourists in roughly equal measure, and that mix shapes everything about it: the age profile, the housing prices, the vacancy rate, and the rhythm of daily life. The Atlantic Ocean is the eastern boundary. Fort Frederica, where British colonial Georgia was defended in 1742, sits on the north end of the island. This is not a suburb of anywhere. It is its own place, with Brunswick (about 8 miles away) serving as the practical commercial and medical hub for island residents.

People & Demographics

St. Simons has a total population of 15,983 across 7,258 households. The median age is 57.4 — significantly older than both Glynn County (population 84,499) and the Georgia median, which reflects the island's strong appeal to retirees and the relative scarcity of families with young children. Children under 18 number 2,073, while the average household size sits at 2.18 persons.

The population is 15,075 white, 250 Black, and 49 Asian, with 416 residents identifying as Hispanic or Latino. The demographic profile is notably less diverse than Brunswick, the county seat just across the marshes, and less diverse than Georgia as a whole.

Family households number 4,928 out of 7,258 total — roughly 68% — but the high median age and large share of owner-occupied units suggest many of those family households are couples without children at home rather than households with minors.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in St. Simons is $99,432, and per capita income reaches $66,552. Both figures sit well above Georgia state medians, reflecting the affluent retiree and professional population that dominates the island. Of 15,983 residents, 718 live below the poverty line.

The labor force numbers 7,291, with 195 unemployed. Tourism, hospitality, real estate, and professional services employ much of the working-age population. The College of Coastal Georgia (912-279-5700) in Brunswick provides workforce training and higher education access for the region.

Housing

St. Simons is expensive by any Georgia measure. The median home value is $445,500, and median rent runs $1,411 per month. Of 11,094 total housing units, only 7,258 are occupied — leaving 3,836 vacant, a vacancy rate of roughly 35%. That number is not distress — it reflects the substantial inventory of vacation homes and seasonal properties that define barrier island housing markets.

Owner-occupied units total 6,160; renter-occupied units number 1,098. The ownership share is high (about 85% of occupied units), consistent with a population that has largely purchased rather than rented into the market. Renters are a small minority here, and options are limited by the overall housing stock.

Schools

St. Simons students attend Glynn County Schools. The public school options serving this area include:

High Schools - Coastal Plains Charter High School: Grades 9–12, 1,942 students - Brunswick High School: Grades 9–12, 1,932 students - Glynn Academy: Grades 9–12, 1,823 students

Middle Schools - Glynn Middle: Grades 6–8, 815 students - Jane Macon Middle: Grades 6–8, 780 students - Needwood Middle: Grades 6–8, 748 students - Risley Middle: Grades 6–8, 635 students

Elementary Schools - Satilla Marsh Elementary: 758 students - Sterling Elementary: 740 students - Greer Elementary: 625 students - Glyndale Elementary: 621 students - Golden Isles Elementary: 598 students - Burroughs-Molette Elementary: 593 students - Altama Elementary: 583 students - Goodyear Elementary: 489 students

Among the adult population 25 and older (13,148 people), 4,130 hold bachelor's degrees, 1,827 hold master's degrees, and 252 hold doctorates — an unusually high concentration of advanced degrees. Only 1,817 adults have a high school diploma as their highest credential.

Getting Around

St. Simons is car-dependent. Of 6,962 workers, 5,286 drive alone. Carpooling accounts for 304. Public transit ridership is zero. Just 107 residents walk to work. Working from home has become a meaningful option — 1,052 residents do so.

Aggregate travel time across all workers totals 103,235 minutes, averaging roughly 15 minutes per commute. Brunswick is the primary destination for most workers making the trip across the causeway. Anyone relocating to St. Simons should plan around owning a vehicle.

Healthcare

Two healthcare facilities serve the island. Southeast Georgia Health System – Brunswick Campus is the primary hospital for the region, located on the mainland in Brunswick. St. Simons-by-the-Sea is a psychiatric hospital on the island itself. For the full directory of local healthcare providers, the NPI Registry can be searched directly: St. Simons providers via NPI Registry.

Library

The Brunswick-Glynn County Library serves island residents, located 6.4 miles away on the mainland. Phone: (912) 279-3740.

Parks & Recreation

Two National Park Service sites anchor outdoor recreation in the area.

Fort Frederica National Monument preserves the ruins of the British fort and town established in 1736 by James Oglethorpe. The Fort Frederica Visitor Center is 7.1 miles from the center of St. Simons Island.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, accessible by ferry from St. Marys (about 30 miles south), protects Georgia's largest barrier island — wild horses, undeveloped beaches, and maritime forest. The Sea Camp Ranger Station is 31.1 miles away; the Mainland Museum is 34 miles.

Wilderness camping is available at Brickhill Bluff (22.3 miles), Yankee Paradise (25.4 miles), and Hickory Hill (26.5 miles) — all on or near Cumberland Island.

Natural Hazards

Glynn County's FEMA disaster declaration history is extensive. Since 2004, the county has been included in 15 federal declarations — the majority hurricane-related:

Residents on a barrier island should treat hurricane preparedness as a routine annual obligation, not an occasional concern. The causeway is the only road on and off the island.

Government & Municipal Code

St. Simons is an unincorporated CDP governed by Glynn County. The municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com/ga/st-simons-cdp-georgia. No separate building code is listed for the CDP — building regulations fall under county authority.

Weather

Current forecasts and alerts for St. Simons are available through the National Weather Service:

The nearest weather observation station is Brunswick 7.9 NNW, approximately 0.9 miles from the island.

References

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