Cities Near Savannah GA
So you like Savannah but you don’t necessarily want to live in the historic district in a 100+ year old house with a tiny yard. Or maybe you like the beach now and then, but don’t want to live on an island and need to buy flood insurance or risk having your home damage on the off chance that there’s a hurricane. What other cities near Savannah GA are good options?
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In no particular order, here are some of my favorites:
Richmond Hill
Of the cities near Savannah GA, Richmond Hill is definitely one of the most popular. Richmond Hill is on the southwest side of Savannah in Bryan County. Known for its good schools and low crime, this family friendly town is a good choice for people moving to the area who want good public schools for their children. With a population of about 10,000 it has a small town feel. Many soldiers stationed at Ft. Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield choose to live in Richmond Hill due to its easy access to both military posts.
The average house price in Richmond Hill is approximately $417,000. It’s about a 20-30 minute drive to the historic downtown area of Savannah. It’s one of the more upscale cities near Savannah GA.
Potential drawbacks: Higher house prices as compared to Effingham County. Close proximity to the Ogeechee River mean flood insurance is often required.
Click here to see Richmond Homes currently for sale
Pooler
Pooler is another of the most popular cities near Savannah GA. About 20 minutes from downtown it’s where the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport is located. Pooler is home to tons of shopping and dining. According to Eat it and Like it, Pooler is red hot when it comes to new restaurants. They have everything from the Tanger Outlets, to a couple of killer movie theaters with full-on leather recliners for seats, to more restaurants in a 1 mile stretch than I could name.
About twice the size of Richmond Hill, Pooler’s population is slightly above 21,000. There are a few very high end subdivisions in Pooler if you’re looking for luxury properties, which drives up the average house price in Pooler to be about $350,000.
However, Pooler in general is very affordable. The house in the photo above is one I recently sold to a first time homebuyer client of mine and it was only $188,000. It’s one of the cities near Savannah GA that has all different price points, from inexpensive starter homes, to giant luxury homes, and everything in between.
Potential drawbacks: With all the new construction in Pooler traffic has become a nuisance along Pooler Parkway. It’s also still in the Chatham County School District, which sadly is not one of the area’s top choices for schools.
Click here to see Pooler homes currently for sale
Guyton
Guyton (rhymes with fightin’) is in Effingham County and is also known for having great schools. When people with kids come to the area Richmond Hill, Rincon, and Guyton are the three most popular cities near Savannah GA with good public schools. Guyton is a very small town of around 2000 people but is experiencing rapid growth. Guyton makes kind of a triangle with Pooler and Rincon. It’s about a half hour drive to downtown Savannah.
The average price for a single family home in Guyton is $289,000. More than half of the homes that sold in the last 60 days in Guyton were new construction. It’s a small, country town now but it’s growing by leaps and bounds. Of all the cities near Savannah GA I think this is an up and coming area that’s one to watch.
Potential drawbacks: not a lot of shopping and amenities here yet, farther access to major freeways.
Click here to see Guyton homes currently for sale
Rincon
Another one of the fastest growing cities near Savannah GA is Rincon. Rincon (rhymes with drinkin’) was a country town back in the day and there are still plenty of farms and horses around. But it attracts families with its great schools and lovely homes. Highway 21 is the main road through town and has a Walmart Superstore and the biggest Kroger I’ve ever seen, plus lots of restaurants and smaller businesses. Though there’s not nearly as much shopping as in neighboring Pooler, I see this as a good thing. You can go over to Pooler for dinner or go to Sam’s Club on the weekend and then go back to your town where there’s no traffic. You’re a short drive from the airport if you travel a lot and it’s easy to pick up friends and family when they come to visit, but you don’t live right next to the airport.
The population in Rincon is about 10,000.
A brand new elementary school is being built and is slated to open by Fall 2018. The current Rincon Elementary School can hold about 750 students and its replacement will hold 1200 to keep up with the city’s growth. Of the cities near Savannah GA Rincon is very popular since it has great public schools, reasonable home prices, lots of brand new homes to choose from, and lots of trees and green space.
The average price for a single family home is $352,000.
Potential drawbacks: Not as much shopping as Pooler, might feel like you’re way out in the country.
Click here to see Rincon homes currently for sale
The islands (not including Tybee)
If you’re looking to live close to the beach without paying the high prices on Tybee, the other islands are a good choice. In the zip code 31410 we have Wilmington Island, Whitemarsh Island, and Talahi Island. Yes, technically these are not cities near Savannah GA since these all have Savannah mailing addresses. B the islands are kind of their own little area, so I tend to think of them as separate from Savannah.
The island schools are some of the better ones in Chatham County. Homes here are quite a bit more expensive than the other towns we’ve discussed due to being closer to the water. The average house price here is $615,000. However, the houses tend to be older and smaller for the most part. You’re paying for the close proximity to the beach, and/or having a water view. If you have a boat and want to dock it in your backyard this is the place to be. Paula Deen’s estate is on Wilmington Island and is up for sale for the bargain price of $8 million dollars!
More boutique type shopping is out this way with fewer big box stores, although there are several grocery stores and a Walmart. There are a ton of great seafood restaurants and if you drive over the bridge to Tybee Island there are even more. The beach is a short drive away.
Potential drawbacks: Higher house prices, flood insurance is often required, and these are the areas most often damaged when there’s a hurricane
Click here to see homes currently for sale in the islands
That’s our roundup of cities near Savannah GA. Did we miss any of your favorites? Are you moving to the area and still have questions? Please reach out anytime, I’m happy to help!
Karin Carr
Keller Williams
912-417-9706
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About the Author: The article above, Cities Near Savannah GA, was provided by Karin Carr, an authority on Savannah area real estate and a leader in the field of real estate blogging and vlogging. Karin has helped literally helped hundreds of families buy and sell homes since 2005. Subscribe to her on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/KarincarrRealEstate.
Looking to buy a home in the Savannah area? Check out our virtual reality home buying program. It’s free of charge and will save you a ton of time and gas money!
Looking to sell? I use the latest technology to get my clients’ homes sold quickly and for as much money as possible.
I help people buy and sell real estate in the following Savannah areas: Rincon, Guyton, Pooler, Richmond Hill, Savannah, and the islands.
