Chatham County, GA

This county of 312,757 residents needs 4,077 more housing units over the next five years. Chatham County is part of the Savannah Coastal Region MPO.

Housing snapshot

Population
312,757 (2026)
Households
122,402
Median household income
$79,220 (2026)
Typical home value
$315,258
Owner-occupied
50%
Five-year housing need
4,077 units

Comparison to other Georgia counties

Chatham County: $79,220 Median income (2026 estimate)
<$25K >$118K
Chatham County: 1.34 jobs to household ratio
<0.22 >1.41
Chatham County: Permits since 2021 represent 9.3% of housing
<0.1% >18.6%
On this page

How affordable is this community?

The typical home in Chatham County, GA is valued at $315,258, well above the Georgia average of $231,959. With a median household income of $79,220 in Chatham County, GA, housing costs are a modest stretch for the typical household.

This chart tracks whether housing prices are keeping pace with local incomes. The gap between what homes cost and what households can afford reveals affordability trends over time.

How is the population changing?

Chatham County, GA has a population of roughly 300,879, growing modestly at 1.0% per year.

Population growth patterns reveal how communities are evolving. This chart shows historical population changes by age group and projects future trends based on demographic patterns.

How has employment changed over time?

Jobs by industry sector since 2012. Switch between local jobs — counted where the jobs are located — and resident jobs, counted where the workers live. On the local view the most recent year is a nowcast: it grows the latest local LODES job mix forward using recent county employment growth from QCEW and the BLS local employment series, so the newest point tracks today's economy instead of data that is roughly two years old.

How are households changing by income?

With roughly 122,402 households, Chatham County, GA is growing modestly at 1.0% per year.

Understanding how households at different income levels are growing or declining helps identify which groups face the greatest housing pressure and where new housing is most needed.

Who lives here today?

In Chatham County, GA, detached single-family accounts for 62% of the housing stock. Chatham County, GA is roughly split between owners and renters, at 50% owner-occupied.

Households may have different structure type preferences depending on characteristics such as household size, income, employment, presence of children, age of individuals, and lifestyle choices. Understanding the housing stock in corresponding terms helps assess how well existing units align with existing households' ideals.

What does the housing stock look like?

The mix of housing types and ownership patterns shapes a community's character. This chart breaks down housing units by structure type and whether they're owner-occupied or rented.

How much new housing supply is needed?

To keep up with growth and fill current housing shortages, Chatham County, GA needs 4,077 new units over the next 5 years.

2,161
Units needed to keep up with expected growth
Projected total household growth from 2026 to 2031.
1.8%
Projected household growth rate
Expected increase in total households from 122,402 in 2026 to 124,563 in 2031.
1,916
Units to address shortages in existing housing stock
Production needs to address vacancy rates and other factors.
1,188
Replacement housing
Effective annual loss rate is 1.7 per 1,000 units.
728
Rental vacancy adjustment
Rental vacancy is 6.2%. This is below the minimum stable target of 7.4%.
4,077
Total 5-year housing production need (2026-2031)
815
Annual production pace
Average units needed per year to meet 5-year need
3.0%
Total housing unit growth
Percent increase in housing stock over 5 years
0.6%
Annual housing unit growth
Average percent increase in housing stock per year

How do these communities compare to each other?