Savannah, Georgia
Best Savannah GA Apartments for Rent
A guide to apartment neighborhoods in Savannah, covering the Abercorn southside military and Gulfstream corridor, Pooler, Richmond Hill for Fort Stewart families, Midtown, the Historic District and Victorian District for SCAD students, and the Savannah Islands, with BAH tips for Hunter Army Airfield renters.
Talk to an Apartment SEO ExpertWhy Renters Choose Savannah, GA
Savannah is one of the most diverse apartment markets in the Southeast, drawing renters from five distinct sources: Hunter Army Airfield military families, Fort Stewart families who choose the Savannah and Richmond Hill corridors, Gulfstream Aerospace employees relocating from across the country, Port of Savannah and logistics workers, and a large SCAD student and faculty population that generates consistent seasonal demand in the Historic District.
For property managers, Savannah's military, Gulfstream, and Port audiences conduct their apartment searches online before arriving, often from other states. Building organic search visibility for “apartments near Hunter Army Airfield,” “Gulfstream Aerospace employee housing,” and “Richmond Hill GA apartments for Fort Stewart” is a direct competitive advantage in reaching Savannah's highest-converting renter audiences.
Savannah, GA Apartment Neighborhoods
Each Savannah submarket serves a different renter profile. Here is what to know about the major areas before you start touring.
Southside Savannah and Abercorn Street Corridor
The Southside is Savannah's primary suburban apartment corridor, running south from the historic core along Abercorn Street, Hodgson Memorial Drive, and the White Bluff Road corridor toward Hunter Army Airfield. This submarket contains the highest concentration of purpose-built apartment communities in Chatham County, calibrated to a mix of military BAH rates, Gulfstream and corporate professional budgets, and healthcare worker incomes. Communities closest to HAAF on the south end of the corridor offer the shortest possible gate commutes for active duty soldiers and aviation crews assigned to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade. Moving north along Abercorn, inventory transitions from newer suburban developments to older garden communities with lower rents and smaller footprints. The Southside is also the primary landing zone for Gulfstream Aerospace employees who work at the Gulfstream campus near Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, since the drive between the Abercorn corridor and Gulfstream's main production facilities is direct and predictable.
Best for: Active duty Army aviation personnel at Hunter Army Airfield, Gulfstream Aerospace employees, St. Joseph's-Candler and Memorial Health workers, general Savannah professional renters seeking suburban convenience with access to the southside retail corridor
Commute: 5 to 15 minutes to Hunter Army Airfield, 10 to 20 minutes to Gulfstream Aerospace campus, 15 to 20 minutes to downtown Savannah, 10 minutes to St. Joseph's-Candler on Abercorn
Pooler and West Chatham County
Pooler is the fastest-growing city in Chatham County and Savannah's premier new-construction apartment submarket, expanding along I-16 and I-95 with retail, restaurants, and a growing employment base anchored by the Savannah Convention Center overflow corridor and logistics distribution centers along the interstate. Pooler communities command the highest rents in the Savannah market for comparable amenity levels, reflecting the demand for newer inventory, larger floor plans, and access to Pooler's growing retail corridor on Pooler Parkway. Pooler is popular with Gulfstream employees who prefer the I-95 south access toward the Gulfstream campus, and with Port of Savannah logistics workers who work at the Garden City Terminal and intermodal facilities along US-80. The Pooler/West Chatham corridor is also a strong market for families and dual-income professional households who want larger floor plans and newer finishes at rents comparable to the Southside but with a faster I-16 commute toward downtown and the Savannah Tech and Georgia Southern Armstrong campuses.
Best for: Dual-income professional households, Gulfstream employees preferring I-95 south access, Port of Savannah logistics workers, families in newer construction, renters relocating from higher-cost Southeast metros seeking new-build inventory at competitive rents
Commute: 15 to 25 minutes to downtown Savannah, 15 to 20 minutes to Gulfstream Aerospace, 10 to 15 minutes to Port of Savannah Garden City Terminal, 20 to 25 minutes to Hunter Army Airfield
Richmond Hill and Bryan County
Richmond Hill in Bryan County is the primary residential landing zone for Fort Stewart military families who prefer a location between the installation and Savannah rather than the Hinesville market adjacent to the base. The I-95 corridor between Savannah and Fort Stewart passes through Richmond Hill, placing it roughly midpoint at 20 to 25 minutes from both Fort Stewart's main gate and Savannah's southside. Richmond Hill communities attract dual-income military households where one spouse works on the installation and the other works in Savannah, making the commute math work for both directions. Bryan County Schools, consistently rated above the state average, is the primary competitive advantage of Richmond Hill over comparable Savannah southside inventory at similar rents. Richmond Hill also draws retirees and remote workers who want coastal Georgia lifestyle at Fort-Stewart-corridor prices, which run meaningfully below Savannah proper. The submarket is underserved by organic search content, making it one of the highest-opportunity keyword clusters in the Savannah metro for communities with dedicated Richmond Hill and Bryan County content.
Best for: Fort Stewart military families choosing the midpoint between the installation and Savannah, dual-income military and Savannah professional households, families prioritizing Bryan County Schools, remote workers and retirees seeking coastal Georgia lifestyle at accessible rents
Commute: 20 to 25 minutes to Fort Stewart main gate, 20 to 25 minutes to Savannah southside, 30 minutes to downtown Savannah, 15 minutes to I-95 north toward Savannah employment
Midtown Savannah and Medical District
Midtown Savannah spans the Habersham Street, Waters Avenue, and DeRenne Avenue corridors, anchored by St. Joseph's-Candler Hospital's main Candler campus on Reynolds Street and the WellStar Memorial Health University Hospital on Waters Avenue. The Midtown submarket serves a heavy mix of healthcare workers, Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus students in nursing and health sciences, and general professional renters who want proximity to the southside amenities and the historic districts without paying Historic Downtown prices. Inventory in Midtown is older on average than the Southside or Pooler, featuring a mix of garden apartments and smaller midrise buildings, but rents track below the Southside corridor, making it attractive for healthcare residents, new nursing graduates, and renters who prioritize hospital proximity over new construction. The Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University, located at Mercy Boulevard, creates a consistent enrollment-driven renter segment in the surrounding blocks.
Best for: Healthcare workers at St. Joseph's-Candler and WellStar Memorial Health, Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus nursing and health sciences students, general Savannah midrange renters seeking hospital and downtown access at below-Southside rents
Commute: 5 to 10 minutes to St. Joseph's-Candler Hospital, 10 to 15 minutes to Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus, 10 to 15 minutes to downtown Savannah, 15 to 20 minutes to Hunter Army Airfield
Historic Downtown and Victorian District
Savannah's Historic District and Victorian District are the most visually distinctive residential submarkets in Georgia, built around the city's 22 original squares and the extensive Victorian-era residential blocks south of Forsyth Park. This submarket serves SCAD students and faculty above all other audiences, as the Savannah College of Art and Design operates a distributed campus model with buildings woven throughout the Historic District, and the vast majority of its 14,000-plus students live in privately rented apartments rather than traditional on-campus dormitory facilities. Non-SCAD renters in the Historic District tend to be young professionals, hospitality industry workers serving Savannah's substantial tourism sector, and lifestyle renters who prioritize walkability to restaurants, bars, and the riverfront over commute efficiency. Rents in the Historic District vary significantly between converted historic buildings and purpose-built apartment stock, with the highest rents attached to renovated townhomes and loft-style units in the core squares area, and lower rents available in the Victorian District south of Gaston Street.
Best for: SCAD students and faculty across all programs, young professionals in hospitality and creative industries, lifestyle-oriented renters who prioritize walkability and neighborhood character, graduate students at Georgia Southern Armstrong and SCAD seeking urban living
Commute: Walking distance to SCAD main buildings and the Bull Street corridor, 10 to 15 minutes to Georgia Southern Armstrong Campus, 20 to 25 minutes to Gulfstream Aerospace, 20 minutes to Hunter Army Airfield
Savannah Islands: Wilmington, Isle of Hope, and Whitemarsh
The Savannah Islands are a collection of residential communities on barrier and tidal marsh islands east and southeast of downtown, connected to the city by bridges and causeways. Wilmington Island is the largest, with a mix of established single-family neighborhoods and a smaller inventory of apartment communities serving renters who prioritize marsh and water access over commute efficiency. Isle of Hope is one of Savannah's most historic and desirable residential enclaves, largely single-family but with a small rental inventory that commands significant premiums. Whitemarsh Island, north of Wilmington Island, offers a more affordable entry point into the island lifestyle with practical I-16 access toward both downtown Savannah and the Pooler corridor. The Islands submarket is smaller than the city's suburban corridors but serves a distinct lifestyle-oriented renter audience, particularly healthcare workers from Memorial Health's Savannah campus, who live on the islands for the coastal proximity and accept a 15 to 25 minute drive to the hospital.
Best for: Lifestyle-oriented renters prioritizing coastal Georgia access, Memorial Health and St. Joseph's-Candler healthcare workers, established Savannah professionals seeking waterfront adjacency, and remote workers drawn to Savannah's coastal lifestyle
Commute: 15 to 25 minutes to downtown Savannah, 20 to 30 minutes to Hunter Army Airfield, 20 to 30 minutes to Memorial Health University Hospital, 25 to 35 minutes to Gulfstream Aerospace
Tips for Renting in Savannah, GA
Savannah's apartment market is shaped by Hunter Army Airfield PCS cycles, Gulfstream relocation timelines, the SCAD academic calendar, and the Fort Stewart corridor. Here is what to know before you sign a lease.
Know the Difference Between Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart
Savannah is home to Hunter Army Airfield, but Fort Stewart is not in Savannah. HAAF, located on Savannah's southside near the airport, is home to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade and processes its own set of PCS orders and TDY assignments independent of Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart is approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah in Hinesville and Liberty County. Many incoming service members search for 'Fort Stewart apartments Savannah GA,' which is technically imprecise, but reflects the real preference of soldiers and families who want to live in the Savannah or Richmond Hill area rather than in Hinesville. If your orders are to Fort Stewart and you are considering the Savannah market, budget 40 to 50 minutes for the one-way commute and verify that you are within your BAH area for the Fort Stewart BAH zone, which covers Savannah and Bryan County.
Confirm Your BAH Rate for the Savannah, GA Area Before Touring
Hunter Army Airfield falls within the Savannah, GA BAH area, which uses Chatham County zip codes as the reference area. Fort Stewart soldiers are assigned to the Hinesville, GA BAH area, which has a different rate. If you are on orders to HAAF, confirm your BAH at the DTMO calculator using Savannah-area zip codes like 31406 or 31405. If you are on orders to Fort Stewart but intend to live in Savannah or Richmond Hill, note that Bryan County is also within the Fort Stewart BAH area, while Chatham County may qualify you for the Savannah BAH rate. The distinction matters because Savannah BAH rates are higher than Hinesville rates, and communities along the Abercorn southside corridor are calibrated to Savannah-area BAH levels. Confirm your specific BAH status and rate before committing to a rent level.
Apply Early for SCAD-Adjacent Apartments: The Late July Deadline
If you are a SCAD student searching for an apartment in Savannah, begin your search no later than early June for a fall start date. SCAD's enrollment of more than 14,000 students, most of whom live off-campus in the Historic District and Victorian District, creates one of the most competitive late-summer rental markets in Georgia. Communities that market specifically to SCAD students often receive applications through SCAD's off-campus housing listings before ever appearing on general platforms like Apartments.com or Zillow. By mid-July, the best inventory in the Historic District and on the streets surrounding SCAD's main facilities at Broughton, Bull, and Barnard is typically leased. Searching in June gives you the best selection. If you are arriving mid-semester or for the winter quarter, the window is less competitive but the inventory is also smaller.
Ask About SCRA Provisions Before Signing Any Lease Near HAAF or Richmond Hill
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act entitles active duty military renters to terminate a lease with 30 days written notice when they receive PCS orders, deployment orders for more than 90 days, or discharge from active duty. Before signing a lease near Hunter Army Airfield or in the Richmond Hill Fort Stewart commuter market, ask to see the SCRA provision language in the actual lease document, not just an oral assurance from the leasing staff. Communities on the Abercorn southside that primarily serve military renters from HAAF are generally experienced with SCRA processing. Richmond Hill communities may have less military-specific lease experience than HAAF-adjacent communities, making it especially important to verify the language in writing. Document the submission of your orders and the community's written acknowledgment when invoking SCRA.
Call Ahead About Breed Restrictions for Military Dogs
Military households commonly own breeds that many Savannah-area apartment communities restrict, including Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds, and Doberman Pinschers. Breed restriction policies in the Savannah market vary significantly by community and by ownership group, and listings on Apartments.com and Zillow are frequently out of date because communities update their insurance carriers and breed lists without updating their third-party profiles. Before touring any community with a pet, call directly and ask whether your specific breed is accepted under the community's current active policy and whether they require a pet DNA test or breed certification. HAAF-adjacent Southside communities that serve primarily military renters tend to have broader breed acceptance than Historic District or Midtown communities serving a more general renter population.
Also Consider Augusta, Warner Robins, and Columbus, GA
ApartSEO covers all four of Georgia's major military and employer-driven apartment markets. Augusta serves Fort Eisenhower and the Cyber Command corridor. Warner Robins serves Robins Air Force Base, Georgia's largest single employer. Columbus serves Fort Moore and the Phenix City metro.
Savannah, GA Apartments: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent for an apartment in Savannah, GA?
Savannah apartment rents vary significantly by submarket and construction vintage. Studio apartments generally start around $950 to $1,200. One-bedroom apartments average $1,100 to $1,400, with Pooler and newer Southside communities at the top of the range and Midtown and West Savannah at the lower end. Two-bedroom apartments range from $1,300 to $1,800, with the newest Pooler construction and renovated Historic District units at the upper end. Richmond Hill and Bryan County communities track broadly comparable to the Savannah southside but with a modest premium for newer construction and Bryan County Schools access. The Historic District shows the widest rent variance, from budget studios in older buildings to premium loft-style units in renovated historic buildings that command significant above-market rates.
Is Hunter Army Airfield the same as Fort Stewart?
No. Hunter Army Airfield and Fort Stewart are two separate United States Army installations. Hunter Army Airfield is located in Savannah, in Chatham County, and is home to the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade and helicopter aviation units. Fort Stewart is located approximately 40 miles southwest of Savannah, in Hinesville and Liberty County, and is home to the 3rd Infantry Division, the Army's primary mechanized infantry division on the East Coast. Both installations process independent PCS assignments. Service members assigned to HAAF generally live in the Savannah southside corridor close to the installation. Service members assigned to Fort Stewart have the option of living in the Hinesville or Fort Stewart on-post housing area, or choosing the Richmond Hill midpoint community to split the commute between the installation and Savannah's lifestyle amenities.
What are the best neighborhoods in Savannah for SCAD students?
SCAD students overwhelmingly gravitate toward the Historic Downtown and Victorian District, the neighborhoods closest to SCAD's distributed campus of renovated historic buildings throughout the city's square grid. The blocks around Broughton Street, Bull Street, Barnard Street, and the area south of Forsyth Park to Gaston Street offer the highest density of SCAD-adjacent apartment inventory. Victorian District apartments south of Gaston Street generally offer the best combination of walkability to SCAD buildings and lower rents than the premium core squares area. Students on tighter budgets sometimes choose Midtown Savannah on the Waters Avenue or DeRenne Avenue corridors, which offer a short drive or Uber to campus at rents 15 to 25 percent below Historic District prices. SCAD's off-campus housing office maintains a listing database that surfaces properties before they appear on general rental platforms.
Where do Gulfstream Aerospace employees live in Savannah?
Gulfstream Aerospace's main campus is adjacent to Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in the southwest area of Savannah, near the intersection of Gulfstream Road and US-80. Employees typically choose one of three submarkets: the Southside Abercorn corridor, which offers a direct commute south from the airport area and the highest concentration of newer purpose-built communities; Pooler on the I-95 north side of the airport, which offers the newest construction and largest floor plans with an I-95 south commute to the Gulfstream campus; or Richmond Hill, for employees who want Bryan County schools and a lower-cost market and accept a 25 to 35 minute commute. Out-of-state Gulfstream engineers and professionals arriving for the first time most commonly start their search in the Abercorn corridor and Pooler, then move to Richmond Hill after their first lease if they have school-age children or prefer a more suburban lifestyle.
When is the best time to find apartments in Savannah, GA?
The Savannah market has two distinct demand cycles layered on top of each other. The military PCS cycle creates a peak demand window from May through August, when incoming HAAF and Fort Stewart families compete for inventory in the southside, Richmond Hill, and Pooler corridors. The SCAD academic calendar creates a second peak in late July and August for Historic District and Victorian District inventory, as students arrive for fall semester. The January through March window is generally the best period for non-military, non-student renters to find the strongest concessions across all submarkets. Summer searches in any submarket involve more competition and fewer available units. If you are a Gulfstream employee starting a new role in the fall, begin your search at least six to eight weeks before your start date to avoid the late-summer military and SCAD competition window.
What is the best area in Savannah to be close to the Port of Savannah?
The Port of Savannah's primary facility is the Garden City Terminal on the west side of Savannah, accessible from I-16 and I-95. Port workers and logistics professionals seeking the shortest commute to the terminal typically choose communities in West Savannah along Augusta Road and Highway 21, or in Pooler along the Pooler Parkway corridor, which offers both the I-16 and I-95 access the Garden City Terminal requires. The Southside Abercorn corridor is less efficient for the port commute due to city traffic, but offers more apartment inventory and lifestyle amenities. Pooler is generally preferred for its I-16 direct connection to the port and newer construction at rents comparable to the Southside. Communities along the West Chatham and Garden City corridors exist but are more limited in purpose-built apartment inventory.
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