City Profile

Savannah, Georgia

USA · Comprehensive city data and intelligence

Overall Score

Founded in 1733 by James Oglethorpe, Savannah is America’s first planned city, renowned for its magnificent historic district, cobblestone streets, and a network of 22 verdant, moss-draped public squares. As the seat of Chatham County, it serves as the cultural and economic anchor of coastal Georgia, blending deep southern heritage with a thriving arts scene anchored by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). People are drawn to the city for its picturesque coastal beauty, mild year-round climate, relaxed pace of life, and vibrant culinary and architectural preservation movements.

About Georgia

Georgia, a southeastern U.S. state, is characterized by its Southern charm, diverse landscapes ranging from mountains to coastline, and a rich cultural blend of Native American, African American, and European influences. The state boasts a thriving and diverse economy with major industries including technology, manufacturing, logistics, agriculture (leading in pecans and blueberries, significant in peanuts and peaches), and a growing film and television production sector. Living in Georgia generally offers a lower cost of living compared to the national average, with mild winters and long, hot, humid summers, supporting a lifestyle that often includes abundant outdoor activities and a strong sense of community.

147,088

Population

$61K

Avg Salary

Cost Index

61.0

Quality Score

How this 61/100 was calculated five components, with every reading behind them

Component	Readings used	Points	Weight	Contributes
Safety	Safety score: 65 / 100	65.0	30%	19.5
Affordability	Cost of living index (100 = national baseline): 96.0	48.8	25%	12.2
Economy & jobs	Median household income: $62,450 Income needed to live here: $52,000 Unemployment rate: 3.4%	66.3	20%	13.3
Growth	Population growth rate: 1.1% Job growth rate: 2.4%	60.3	15%	9.0
Business climate assessment	Business climate assessment: 70 / 100	70.0	10%	7.0
Overall score				61.0

Provenance. These figures were produced by the research pass recorded as Tier 1 (fast) (q=54, partial — below threshold), last refreshed 15 October 2026. They are researched estimates drawn from public sources, not a licensed data feed.

Each component is scored against fixed published endpoints, so this number is comparable with any other city and does not move as the dataset grows. Scoring framework 2026.10 — full methodology, weights and accepted ranges.

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Performance

Quality Scores

Business

Livability

Affordability

Growth

Expenses

Cost of Living

The cost of living in Savannah hovers slightly below the national average, making it an attractive destination for retirees, remote workers, and families seeking Southern charm without major metropolitan price tags. While housing costs in the historic downtown core have risen sharply due to tourism and demand, peripheral neighborhoods and surrounding Chatham County offer much more attainable pricing for both buyers and renters.

Average Rent

$1,650/mo

Groceries

$420/mo

Transport

$115/mo

Utilities

$175/mo

Healthcare

$240/mo

Gym membership (monthly)

$45.00

Cinema ticket

$13.00

Restaurant meal (mid-range)

$20.00

Monthly groceries

$380.00

Doctor visit (without insurance)

$140.00

Income

Salary Insights

Savannah's economy is anchored by the Port of Savannah—one of the largest and fastest-growing container terminals in North America—alongside a booming tourism industry, manufacturing, aerospace, and higher education. Major employers include the Georgia Ports Authority, Gulfstream Aerospace, Memorial Health, and SCAD, which collectively provide a diversified employment base. The city also fosters a growing entrepreneurial and remote work ecosystem, benefiting from lower overhead costs and strong regional connectivity.

The average salary in Savannah is $61,000 per year. You would need approximately $52,000 to live comfortably.

Employment

Top Industries

Healthcare and Social Assistance +2.40% Tourism and Hospitality +2.10% Logistics and Port Operations +3.50% Aerospace and Advanced Manufacturing +2.80% Higher Education and Arts +1.90%

Weather

Climate

🌡️

68°F

Avg Temp

☀️

89°F

Summer High

❄️

43°F

Winter Low

🌧️

48.70"

Annual Rain

💧

74.00%

Humidity

🌤️

241

Sunny Days

Mobility

Transport

Savannah is a highly walkable and bikeable city within its grid-like historic core, though outlying suburbs require vehicular transport. The Chatham Area Transit (CAT) system provides bus services throughout the city and county, while the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport connects the region globally. Traffic is generally manageable compared to major metros, though tourist-heavy weekends bring notable congestion downtown.

22 min

Avg Commute

42.00/10

Transit Score

68.00/10

Walkability

Medium

Car Dependency

At a Glance

Pros & Cons

Advantages

Home to one of the largest and fastest-growing container port complexes in the United States, driving robust regional logistics employment.

Stunning, preserved historic architecture and 22 iconic public squares providing unmatched aesthetic charm.

Proximity to coastal beaches like Tybee Island, just a 20-minute drive from the city center.

A thriving arts and design ecosystem anchored by the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD).

Cost of living that remains slightly below the U.S. national average, particularly outside the immediate historic core.

Drawbacks

Summer temperatures and high humidity levels can be intense and oppressive for several months.

Vulnerability to Atlantic tropical storms and hurricane season weather events.

Rising housing costs and short-term vacation rental conversions putting pressure on long-term local renters.

Pocketed property and violent crime rates in certain inner-city neighborhoods above national norms.

Limited heavy rail commuter transit options, making personal vehicle ownership virtually essential for suburban commutes.

Head to Head

Compare Savannah

Savannah VS Grants Pass Savannah VS Syracuse Savannah VS Cincinnati Savannah VS Binghamton

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Community Q&A

Questions about Savannah

What people ask about living in and moving to Savannah, Georgia.

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Gathering the most common questions about Savannah…

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Urblytica benchmarks its Cost of Living Index against a United States national average baseline of 100. A score of 115 means a city is approximately 15% more expensive than the national average, while a score of 85 indicates it is 15% more affordable. This composite calculation is weighted across six primary expenditure categories: housing, utilities, grocery items, transportation, healthcare, and miscellaneous goods.

Urblytica aggregates housing data from multiple authoritative sources, including Multiple Listing Service (MLS) feeds, municipal property tax registries, the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS), and verified historical deed transactions. This multi-tier aggregation ensures precision in tracking median home values and rental rates.

A municipality must meet minimum data-density thresholds—including consistent reporting population samples from the U.S. Census and active residential or commercial real estate transaction feeds—to ensure statistical significance before a complete scoring profile is published.

When primary agencies (such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics or U.S. Census Bureau) issue historical data revisions or benchmark corrections, Urblytica's data pipeline automatically re-indexes affected historical archives to maintain longitudinal trend accuracy.

U.S. affordability calculations incorporate federal income tax brackets, state-specific income tax rates, and local municipal tax variations to evaluate the true net tax drag on median household earnings across different states and cities.

Local county and municipal property tax millage rates are factored directly into the housing component of the cost-of-living index to reflect recurring annual tax burdens for homeowners.

The platform aggregates state sales taxes alongside county and city surtaxes to measure consumer basket purchasing power parity accurately across different retail jurisdictions.

Utility calculations apply regional seasonal consumption weightings, incorporating high summer air conditioning loads in southern states and heavy winter heating demands in northern states.

The index tracks average out-of-pocket healthcare expenses, routine outpatient visit costs, and regional health insurance premium benchmarks published by federal health agencies.

Educational metrics aggregate state standardized testing benchmarks, student-to-teacher ratios, high school graduation rates, and per-pupil expenditure data published by state departments of education.