WSVHatSkIO2007, 2007
Skidaway Island’s story
Skidaway Island in pictures
Census counts: 1,264 in 1980, 9,310 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2005 and 4 maps from 1944 on.
Explore the history →Skidaway IslandGA
9,315 people live in this town in Georgia.
Population
9,315
Census survey, 2020–24
Typical home
$890K
−0% in a year
Household income
$136K
median
Median age
66.4
years
Jobs based here
1,830
A commuter town
TownGrade
C−
#145 of 258 in GA
Is Skidaway Island a good place to live?
With a C− overall, Skidaway Island is better than nearly a quarter of U.S. towns. In the ranking it comes 145th of 258 in Georgia. Its lowest grade is for cost of living — the typical home is worth about $890K, 11.5 years of the Savannah metro’s $77K median household income. Health is its strong suit: residents are healthier than 93% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. Add incomes to its strengths: the median household earns $136K. It also trails on hazard risk — FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 93% of U.S. communities, with hurricanes at the top. The town has 1 place on the National Register. On the outdoors, just 15 of Georgia’s 374 towns do better.
Figures: health, CDC PLACES · incomes, Census ACS, 2020–24 · home values, Zillow · FEMA National Risk Index · National Register of Historic Places · USGS PAD-US.
What makes Skidaway Island stand out
Where Skidaway Island beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A growing town
Skidaway Island has grown 12% from 2010 to 2020
8,341 counted in 2010 and 9,310 in 2020.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts
How Skidaway Island grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Georgia), ordered by how far Skidaway Island is from typical.
Cost of livingBased on what homes cost against what households earnD−Open →Hazard riskHurricanes top the listD−Open →HealthMemorial Health University Medical Center 7 miles awayAOpen →Jobs & incomeIncomes and work beat most townsA−Open →SchoolsBehind 73% of Georgia districts on tests and graduationCOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.8 of 20; 0.9% of households have no car; 2.2% of workers walk, bike or ride transitCOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsNear the top of the towns comparedA−Open →HistoryGraded on historic places and the town’s ageD−Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Housing market$890K typical home, down 0% in a year; 66 days on market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 66.4; 74% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Nearby attractions
All 30 attractions →Wormsloe Historic Site and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Skidaway Island. Close and well known come first.
3 mi State parkWormsloe Historic Site
10 mi MuseumMercer House
8 mi National MonumentFort Pulaski National Monument321K visitors a year
10 mi MuseumSorrel–Weed House
10 mi MuseumCongregation Mickve Israel
9 mi Park & preserveForsyth ParkSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Wormsloe Historic Site: Bubba73, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mercer House: Kyle Kesselring from Canal Winchester, OH, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Pulaski National Monument: Edibobb, CC BY 3.0 · Sorrel–Weed House: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Congregation Mickve Israel: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Forsyth Park: Unknown, CC BY-SA 2.5
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Getting set up
Moving to Skidaway Island: who provides what
Skidaway Island is unincorporated, so Chatham County and regional agencies provide most services.
PowerGeorgia Power16.3¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterThe Landings Subdivision water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet4 providers100% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & county servicesChatham CountyChatham County provides services here
Register to voteOnlineIn Georgia you can register online until 29 days before Election Day, in person until 29 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 29 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereChatham County Voter RegistrationChatham County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Nov 2025
ZIP code3141131411 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Skidaway Island.
Skidaway Island has more trail for its size than nearly any town in Georgia and has milder winter nights than nearly all U.S. towns, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Georgia (mostly hurricanes).
HousingCost of living grade D−
The median rent in Skidaway Island is higher than in the typical Georgia or U.S. town
At 11.5 years of the Savannah metro’s $77K median household income, the typical home (about $890K) costs more against local pay than in any other Georgia town; that ratio is one input to its D− for cost of living. Home values rose 47% in five years, to about $890K, against 21% across Georgia.
Homes sold in Skidaway Island spent a median 66 days on the market. Only 4 of the 263 Georgia towns we compare have a higher home-ownership rate than Skidaway Island. Sellers in Skidaway Island got 95.6% of the asking price, typically.
$890KZillow home value
| Skidaway Island | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $3,501 a month | $1,152 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 92% | 58% | 73% |
Typical home value
Skidaway Island$890K
Georgia$329K
Market temperature
66
days on market
95.6%
sale-to-list price
−0%
value change, 1 year
23
homes sold in September
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
OutdoorsA−
Skidaway Island stands out in Georgia and nationally, with trail density higher than most
At 2.6 miles of trail per square mile, it ranks #3 of 158 Georgia towns.
Skidaway Island’s conserved land covers 18% of the town. 46 miles of trail wind through 1 park or preserve. It has one park or preserve, 502 acres in all.
#3for trails in GA
| Skidaway Island | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miles of trail per square mile | 2.6 miles per square mile | 0.3 | 0.4 |
| Conserved land | 18% | 2.2% | 4.3% |
18%
conserved · 2,046 of 11,388 acres
46 mi
of trails · 2.6 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Skidaway Island State Park | 3.7 mi | 502 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
HealthA
Skidaway Island earns an A for health
Against the 3,925 U.S. towns with household incomes like Skidaway Island’s, it is healthier than 78%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
Skidaway Island: 12% of adults say their health is fair or poor. Of the 261 Georgia towns we compare, none has a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than Skidaway Island. On the CDC’s 32 measures, Skidaway Island is ahead of Georgia on 23 and behind on 5.
93%healthier than U.S. townsAHealth Grade
| Skidaway Island | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 6.1% | 15% | 14% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 38% | 35% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.2% | 19% | 17% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 40% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Georgia
23 better4 too close to call5 worse
| What stands out | Skidaway Island | GA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 4.1% | 17.7% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 3.5% | 15% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 16.9% | 7% |
Memorial Health University Medical Center
7 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
94th
percentile among GA towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade D−
Very high risk in Skidaway Island, with hurricanes at the top
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 94% of Georgia towns, with expected losses of about $520 per resident a year; that rating is what its D− for hazard risk is built on.
Skidaway Island has had 44 paid flood insurance claims since 1994. Of the losses FEMA expects locally, 73% come from hurricanes and 11% from inland flooding.
93risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
HurricanesInland floodingCoastal flooding
44
paid flood claims since 1994
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade A−
About two in five of Skidaway Island’s working residents commute to Savannah
Jobs based here grew from 1,183 in 2013 to 1,830. 26.5% of workers work from home, against 15.9% across Georgia.
2.5% of residents live below the poverty line in Skidaway Island. Commuting out is the norm here: a tenth of working residents work locally. Jobs based in Skidaway Island grew to 1,830 in 2023, 647 more than in 2013. Only 5 of the 263 Georgia towns we compare have a higher typical household income than Skidaway Island.
10%work in town
| Skidaway Island | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $136,000 | $63,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.5% | 15% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 27 minutes | 26 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Skidaway Island10%
Savannah43%
Pooler2%
Garden City2%
Atlanta2%
10 mi
median commute distance
1,830
jobs based in Skidaway Island
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C
Walkability grade: more walkable than 35% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Climate
Mild winters and hot summers: that is Skidaway Island’s year
January nights average 40.9°, milder than in 95% of U.S. towns; July afternoons average 91.4°.
Only 6 of the 264 Georgia towns we compare have a higher January low than Skidaway Island. The midsummer high in the town is 91°F. It almost never snows.
91°summer high
| Skidaway Island | Georgia towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 41°F | 33°F | 22°F |
| July high | 91°F | 90°F | 85°F |
Typical low → high °F
Winter43–63°
Spring57–77°
Summer73–90°
Fall60–78°
Nov 30
typical first frost
Mar 2
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
91°
typical summer high
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Skidaway Island
17pages on Skidaway Island
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
4 within 15 miles of the center of Skidaway Island
South University-SavannahUniversity or college · Private for-profit · Savannah5.5 mi$18,145 tuitionSavannah State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Savannah6.1 mi$5,750 in-state tuitionSavannah Technical CollegeCommunity college · Public · Savannah7.1 mi$3,330 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Skidaway Island residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Georgia.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Skidaway Island for work
Where Skidaway Island’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
1,830jobs based in Skidaway Island
10%of working residents work in town
10 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Skidaway Island
Place in Georgia, United States
Skidaway Island is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Chatham County, Georgia, and lies on a barrier island of the same name. Located south of Savannah, Skidaway Island is known for its waterfront properties and golf courses within The Landings, one of the largest gated communities in the country. The population was 9,310 at the 2020 census. A separate area of the island hosts the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, a research institution operated by the University of Georgia. It receives scholars and researchers from several other Georgia universities as well, including Georgia Tech, Savannah State University, and the College of Coastal Georgia. Skidaway Islan…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 10 ft
- Area code
- 912
Skidaway Island’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Skidaway Island.
MontgomeryIsle of HopeDutch IslandSkidaway Island
How the neighbors grade
| Town | GA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skidaway Island | #145 | C− | D− | — | C | A |
| Montgomery | #170 | C− | D | — | C | A− |
| Isle of Hope | — | — | C− | — | C | A+ |
| Dutch Island | — | — | D− | — | C | A |
Isle of Hope and Dutch Island have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Skidaway Island, Montgomery, Isle of Hope and Dutch Island report no FBI crime data of their own. Compare Skidaway Island with a neighbor →
Questions about Skidaway Island
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Skidaway Island, GA a good place to live?
Skidaway Island grades C− overall, better than 23% of U.S. towns and #145 of 258 in Georgia. It grades A for health and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D−.
Is Skidaway Island, GA expensive?
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D−.