Chatham County, Georgia: commercial real estate data.
Chatham County, Georgia had an estimated 307,336 residents on July 1, 2024, up 4.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 295,264, across 426 square miles. County output reached $28.46 bn in 2024, 9,037 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 348 7(a) approvals worth $295.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Chatham County
How many people live in Chatham County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024300,879
- Households120,383
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$71,097
- Median age37.2
- Median gross rent$1,471 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$302,700
- Home value to household income4.3 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income24.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher37.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree15.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over207,006
- Population under 1862,225
- Share under 1820.7 percent
- Population 65 and over50,376
- Share 65 and over16.7 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64188,278
- Civilian labor force153,472
- Unemployment rate5.9 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.3 percent
- Rank by population among Georgia counties5th of 159
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included241st of 3,222
Chatham County is the 5th largest of 159 Georgia counties by population. A median home costs 4.3 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 20.7 percent against 16.7 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Chatham County
Is Chatham County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 2024307,336
- Census 2020 base population295,264
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.09 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 20242,579
- Births, 20243,483
- Deaths, 20242,880
- Natural change, 2024603
- Net domestic migration, 2024-15
- Net international migration, 20242,014
- Total net migration, 20241,999
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,625
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents672nd of 3,144
The county has grown 4.09 percent since the 2020 census base. The population grew in 2024 from both sources: births exceeded deaths and more people moved in than left.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Chatham County
Where are people moving to Chatham County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving11,274
- People arriving, from those returns18,988
- Tax returns filed by households leaving9,656
- Net household movement1,618
- Adjusted gross income arriving$790.6 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$177.1 m
- Average income of an arriving household$70,122
- Average income of a leaving household$63,531
- Largest single originEffingham County (549 households)
- Largest single destinationEffingham County (1,015 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Effingham County | 549 | 1,010 | $29.7 m |
| Bryan County | 426 | 784 | $29.6 m |
| Liberty County | 321 | 636 | $13.0 m |
| Beaufort County | 279 | 479 | $21.3 m |
| Bulloch County | 250 | 401 | $10.0 m |
| Fulton County | 222 | 341 | $21.1 m |
| DeKalb County | 151 | 256 | $10.2 m |
| Cobb County | 143 | 223 | $9.9 m |
Households arriving report $6,591 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Effingham County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Chatham County
What is the Chatham County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$28.46 bn
- County GDP, 2023$27.12 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years40.4 percent
- Rank by GDP among the Georgia areas BEA publishes5th of 159
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes205th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$94,598
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 40.4 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Chatham County
Employment by industry in Chatham County
- Covered employment, annual average170,836
- Establishments reporting10,826
- Average annual pay$61,834
- Average weekly wage$1,189
- Accommodation and food services, employment21,786
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$29,135
- Health care and social assistance, employment21,145
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$64,138
- Manufacturing, employment19,982
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$98,541
- Retail trade, employment19,816
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,355
- Transportation and warehousing, employment15,588
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment13,565
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 21,786 | 1,241 | $29,135 |
| Health care and social assistance | 21,145 | 1,064 | $64,138 |
| Manufacturing | 19,982 | 296 | $98,541 |
| Retail trade | 19,816 | 1,440 | $41,355 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 15,588 | 702 | $61,331 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 13,565 | 714 | $43,196 |
| Construction | 7,786 | 764 | $73,615 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,511 | 429 | $86,345 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 21,786 jobs, 12.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Chatham County
How many businesses are in Chatham County?
- Establishments, all industries9,037
- Employment at those establishments153,824
- Annual payroll$8.37 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents30.0
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chatham County
Building permits in Chatham County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 20242,691
- Declared construction value permitted$470.2 m
- Single family units authorized1,704
- Multifamily units authorized987
- Multifamily share of units36.7 percent
- Average declared value per unit$174,733
- Units authorized per 1,000 households22.4
Single-family homes are 63.3 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Chatham County
SBA loans in Chatham County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded348
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$295.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$849,549
- Median 7(a) approval$336,250
- 10th percentile approval$44,190
- 90th percentile approval$2,661,530
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)4,201
- Jobs per approval12.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active86
- Distinct industries receiving approvals126
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer21.8 percent
- Loans on real estate terms76
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter245
- Franchise loans83
- Franchise share of approvals23.9 percent
- Leading industry by approval countFull-Service Restaurants (30)
- Most active lenderThe Huntington National Bank (39)
- 504 approvals recorded170
- 504 gross approval dollars$201.2 m
- Average 504 approval$1,183,800
- Median 504 approval$827,500
- Distinct CDCs active9
- 504 jobs per approval15.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved13.4
- Most active CDCSmall Business Assistance Corporation (97)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$496.9 m
The average approval of $849,549 sits well above the median of $336,250, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 21.8 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chatham County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Chatham County
Do SBA loans in Chatham County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded70
- Paid in full65
- Charged off5
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans7.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full65
- Status: Exempt from disclosure208
- Status: Cancelled60
- Status: Charged off5
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed10
Of the 70 loans that have reached a final outcome, 7.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chatham County
SBA lending by place in Chatham County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending9
- Savannah, approvals247
- Pooler, approvals73
- Port Wentworth, approvals16
- Garden City, approvals3
- Tybee Island, approvals3
- Thunderbolt, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Savannah | 247 | $197,607,000 |
| Pooler | 73 | $61,309,800 |
| Port Wentworth | 16 | $21,374,400 |
| Garden City | 3 | $4,160,000 |
| Tybee Island | 3 | $2,006,100 |
| Thunderbolt | 3 | $853,900 |
| Eden | 1 | $4,830,000 |
| Bloomingdale | 1 | $3,040,000 |
| 1 other borrower city | 1 | $462,000 |
Savannah accounts for 247 approvals against 73 in Pooler. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Chatham County
How large is Chatham County?
- Land area426 sq mi
- Rank by land area among Georgia counties49th of 159
- Width, east to west32.4 mi
- Height, north to south35.7 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary3
- Residents per square mile of land706
- Establishments per square mile21.21
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Chatham County
Flood risk in Chatham County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community Chatham County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 130030
- Community Rating System class of the county's own communityClass 5
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book9
- Of those, participating in the NFIP9
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 5
- Communities carrying a CRS class7
- Radon levels in Chatham County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/LZone 3
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated Chatham County (community 130030), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries Community Rating System class 5, a flood insurance premium discount for policies written there. The EPA places Chatham County in radon zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 5, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Chatham County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Chatham County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-2024300,879
- Households120,383
- Average household size2.50
- Median household income$71,097
- Median age37.2
Common questions
Chatham County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Chatham County, Georgia?
The Census Bureau estimates 307,336 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 300,879, in 120,383 households, ranking 5th of 159 Georgia counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Chatham County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.09 percent since the 2020 census base of 295,264, to 307,336 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 3,483 births against 2,880 deaths, with net migration of 1,999. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Chatham County?
$71,097. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $302,700, which is 4.3 times income, and median gross rent is $1,471 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Chatham County?
9,037 establishments, employing 153,824 people with an annual payroll of $8.37 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Chatham County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 21,786 jobs, 12.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 170,836 jobs at an average annual pay of $61,834, or $1,189 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Chatham County?
348 7(a) approvals totaling $295.6 m since FY2020, across 86 lenders, with a median approval of $336,250, plus 170 504 approvals worth $201.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Chatham County get paid back?
Of the 70 loans that have reached a final outcome, 65 were paid in full and 5 charged off, a charge-off rate of 7.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Chatham County?
2,691 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $470.2 m. Multifamily was 36.7 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Chatham County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Chatham County come from?
The largest single origin is Effingham County, with 549 households. Arriving households report an average income of $70,122 against $63,531 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Chatham County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Chatham County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Chatham County
Cities and places in Chatham.
17 Census places lie wholly or partly in Chatham County. All 17 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Savannah | city | 147,898 | 247 | Wholly in this county |
| Pooler | city | 28,466 | 73 | Wholly in this county |
| Wilmington Island | CDP | 13,905 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Port Wentworth | city | 12,892 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Georgetown | CDP | 11,158 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Garden City | city | 10,426 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Skidaway Island | CDP | 9,315 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Whitemarsh Island | CDP | 6,886 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Montgomery | CDP | 4,976 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Tybee Island | city | 3,123 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Bloomingdale | city | 3,007 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Thunderbolt | town | 2,533 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| Isle of Hope | CDP | 2,053 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Henderson | CDP | 1,952 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Dutch Island | CDP | 1,225 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Talahi Island | CDP | 961 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Vernonburg | town | 133 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
A further 2 of the county's 348 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Chatham County, the largest being Eden (1), Bluffton (1). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.
Nearby