The population of this area was 404,798 at the 2020 U.S. census,[2] an increase of more than 57,000 residents from the 2010 census figure of 347,611. This was an increase of 16.45% over the same decade.[3] Savannah is the third most populous of Georgia's fourteen metropolitan areas (after Atlanta and Augusta). It was the fastest-growing metro area in the state for the period 2010–2020, followed by Atlanta, Gainesville, and Warner Robins.
Savannah and its metropolitan area form the largest economic sector of Coastal Georgia, followed by the Brunswick and Hinesville metropolitan areas. Two of these areas, Savannah and Hinesville, form the core of the Savannah–Hinesville–Statesboro combined statistical area. The combined statistical area had a 2020 population of 608,239.[4]
Geography
The Savannah metropolitan area is located in the Coastal Georgia region, and is its most populous urban area. The three counties comprising the metropolitan area make up a total area of 1,569 square miles (4,060 km2), roughly the size of the U.S. state of Rhode Island at 1,545 square miles (4,000 km2).
At the 2000 United States census, the Savannah metropolitan area grew to 293,000 people, 111,105 households, and 76,405 families.[7] In 2010, its metropolitan population was 347,611; and by the 2020 U.S. census, its population grew to a total of 404,798 residents. According to 2022 census estimates, the MSA's population grew to 418,373.[8]
According to the 2000 census, the racial and ethnic makeup of the MSA was 61.24% White, 34.87% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.82% from other races, and 1.26% from two or more races; Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 2.18% of the population. According to the 2022 American Community Survey, its racial and ethnic makeup was 53% White, 32% African American, 2% Asian, 1% some other race, 5% two or more races, and 7% Hispanic or Latino of any race.[9]
In 2000, the median income for a household in the MSA was $44,201, and the median income for a family was $50,052. Males had a median income of $37,992 versus $24,777 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $19,940. In 2022, the median household income within the MSA was $72,098 with a per capita income of $37,044. An estimated 37% of the population made less than $50,000 and 30% made from $50,000-$100,000 annually. Approximately 14% of the Savannah metropolitan area lived at or below the poverty line.[9]
Among its non-Christian population, which forms a minority in the metropolitan area and Coastal Georgia overall, Hinduism was the area's second-largest religion. Judaism was Savannah's third-largest religion, being present since the 1700s.[12]Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism, and Conservative Judaism were the predominant Jewish traditions adhered to; and Islam was the area's fourth-largest religion, followed by the Baha'i Faith.[11] Within the area, the oldest continually-functioning Jewish synagogue is Congregation Mickve Israel. Congregation Mickve Israel is the third-oldest synagogue within the United States.[13]
Combined statistical area
The Savannah–Hinesville–Statesboro combined statistical area is made up of eight counties in Georgia. The official 2020 U.S. census population for this area was 608,239.[4]
Metro- and micropolitan divisions
Two metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) and two micropolitan statistical areas (μSAs) form this CSA.
Much of coastal Georgia's economy is centered in the Savannah metropolitan area and in the wider Savannah-Hinesville-Statesboro-Jesup combined statistical area. The economy has been primarily stimulated by the Port of Savannah and by military facilities, medical centers, and colleges and universities.[14] In the nineteenth century, Savannah became one of the most active ports in the United States, as goods produced in the New World had to pass through Atlantic ports such as Savannah before they could be shipped to England.[15] In 2022, the Port of Savannah handled some 5.7 million 20-foot-equivalent container units (TEU).[16]
Interstate 95 — Runs north–south just west of the city; provides access to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport and intersects with Interstate 16, which leads into the city's center.
Interstate 16 — Terminates in downtown Savannah at Liberty and Montgomery streets, and intersects with Interstate 95 and Interstate 516.
Interstate 516 — An urban perimeter highway connecting southside Savannah, at DeRenne Avenue, with the industrialized port area of the city to the north; intersects with the Veterans Parkway and Interstate 16 as well. Also known as Lynes Parkway.
U.S. Route 80 (Victory Drive) — Runs east–west through midtown Savannah and connects the city with the town of Thunderbolt and the islands of Whitemarsh, Talahi, Wilmington and Tybee. Merges with the Islands Expressway and serves as the only means of reaching the Atlantic Ocean by automobile.
Harry S. Truman Parkway — Runs through eastside Savannah, connecting the east end of downtown with southside neighborhoods. Construction began in 1990 and opened in phases (the last phase, connecting with Abercorn Street, was completed in 2014).
Veterans Parkway — Links Interstate 516 and southside/midtown Savannah with southside Savannah, and is intended to move traffic quicker from north–south by avoiding high-volume Abercorn Street. Also known as the Southwest Bypass.
Islands Expressway — An extension of President Street to facilitate traffic moving between downtown Savannah, the barrier islands and the beaches of Tybee Island.
^Data Access and Dissemination Systems (DADS). "U.S. Census website". census.gov. Retrieved 2015-03-28.
^"Georgia", Encyclopedia Americana (Scholastic Libr., 2004), vol. 12, 519. The U.S. Census Bureau did not recognize any Savannah metropolitan area before 1960, and until 1980 the metro area included one county, Chatham. For statistical comparison, 1960 and 1970 figures are based on the Census Bureau's current three-county metro definition.
^"Savannah State University". University System of Georgia. Retrieved 2024-01-03. Savannah State had a regional economic impact of $184 million in FY 2018.
United States
Georgia
