Citytistics
Shortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

31.18° N · 81.39° W · GEOID 1368040

St. Simons

Glynn County, Georgia · part of the Brunswick, GA metro

Computed by Citytistics from 13 public sources · Data bundle checked 2026-11-14 · How we calculate

GeorgiaSt. Simons, GASt. SimonsSt. Simons

The short answer

St. Simons is home to 16,228 people. Median household income is $108,771 a year and median rent is $1,799 a month, 19.8% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $555,600, about 5.1x annual median household income.

St. Simons stands out on value for money. Home values run 37% above what its fundamentals predict in Georgia. Also notable: Counting remote workers as zero, the average worker spends about 110 hours a year commuting, less than in 94% of places its size. It is the 3rd-lowest of 144 Georgia places we track.

93OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Exceptional

St. Simons scores better than 93% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 6th of 165 in Georgia.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%39
Economy 20%83
Safety 20%n/a
Amenities 15%61
Education 10%86
Commute 10%91
Growth 5%n/a

Not rated: safety, growth, for want of data (the city police department does not report a full year to the FBI). The other weights are spread over the categories rated.

Median gross rent
$1,799
32% above the median place
Median household income
$108,771
35% above the median place
Median home value
$555,600
74% above the median place
Unemployment
2.8%
43% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about St. Simons

  • Value for moneyRent is about 28% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in Georgia. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture. Experimental
  • HousingHomeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 90% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 164 Georgia places we track.
01

Moving to St. Simons

Glynn County gains about 7.5 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in4,707
Moved out4,218
Net+489

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

McIntosh County, GA187264−77
Camden County, GA140259−119
Brantley County, GA161229−68
Chatham County, GA149150−1
Wayne County, GA112140−28
Duval County, FL119125−6
Fulton County, GA12377+46
Liberty County, GA109

Within Georgia, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within GeorgiaOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$88K
Leavers$68K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of Glynn County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 3.2% from another state.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into Glynn County report $88,100 a year in income on average; those leaving, $68,400, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$72,000 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,799 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $2,303 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $555,600.
Getting to work
18 minutes each way on average; 17.1% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Tanque Verde, AZ matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
3.2%
64% above the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.2%
26% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
7.5
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureSt. SimonsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year17.2%26% above
Moved from another state13.2%64% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure7.5above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$88,05825% above
Income of households moving out7County figure$68,4473% below
02

What it costs to live here

Compared with the 20 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Fernandina Beach, FL, Pinehurst, NC and Ocean Pines, MD), money left after rent here is higher: $92,600 against a typical $70,600.

St. Simons19.8%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$71,960
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
19.8%
3% below the median place
Home price to income
5.1x
34% above the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
20%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$92,900
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in St. Simons, $1,799 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.1 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like St. Simons, but easier on the budget

Places that match St. Simons on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
Tanque Verde, AZ8513.3% vs 19.8%$15,000Compare
Margate City, NJ8113.3% vs 19.8%$14,200Compare
Catalina Foothills, AZ7814.7% vs 19.8%$7,800Compare
Lake Norman of Catawba, NC7714.0% vs 19.8%$9,900Compare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in St. Simons.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to St. Simons? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Vacant homes1
30.3%
329% above the median place
Property tax rate1
0.5%
44% below the median place
Homeownership1
85.9%
29% above the median place
All 16 cost and housing measures
MeasureSt. SimonsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,79932% above
Rent to income119.8%3% below
Property tax rate10.5%44% below
Home price to income15.1x34% above
Prices vs US average2Metro figure87.713% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,37815% below
HUD area median income4County figure$92,10014% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,82713% below
Median home value1$555,60074% above
Home prices, 1-year change5County figure4.0%24% above
Home prices, 5-year change5County figure64.8%26% above
Homeownership185.9%29% above
Renters paying 30%+148.9%3% below
Owner costs with a mortgage1$2,30323% above
Vacant homes130.3%329% above
Median year built119881% above
03

Work and pay

Income per person is $74,563, 86% above the median place.

Income per person1
$74,563
86% above the median place
Mean commute1
18 min
30% below the median place
Unemployment1
2.8%
43% below the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Poverty rate4.5% −58%
Median household income$108,771 +35%
Works from home17.1% +37%
All 9 work and pay measures
MeasureSt. SimonsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$108,77135% above
Income per person1$74,56386% above
Unemployment12.8%43% below
Average annual pay6County figure$56,48514% below
Pay growth, 1 year6County figure4.6%24% above
Jobs6County figure43,23871% below
Poverty rate14.5%58% below
Mean commute118 min30% below
Works from home117.1%37% above
04

Who lives here

Median age is 59.1, 52% above the median place.

Median age1
59.1
52% above the median place
Household size1
2.1
18% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
57.0%
78% above the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

No health insurance3.7% −42%
High school or higher96.0% +4%
Homes with broadband95.5% +3%
Born abroad4.3% −52%
All 8 people measures
MeasureSt. SimonsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population116,2282812th largest
Median age159.152% above
Bachelor's or higher157.0%78% above
High school or higher196.0%4% above
Household size12.118% below
Born abroad14.3%52% below
No health insurance13.7%42% below
Homes with broadband195.5%3% above
05

Life in St. Simons

About 24 km of named paths and bike trails are mapped in and around the city, more than in 95% of the 2,301 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

21 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places, one of them a National Historic Landmark. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents16.0 +58%
Playgrounds per 10k2.5 −74%
Grocery stores per 10k1.9 −13%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k39.4 3.5×
Libraries per 10k1.2 +41%
Named paths and bike trails24 km 11.8×
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Fort Frederica National Monument 3 miles
  • Cumberland Island National Seashore 24 miles
  • Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve 49 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars31.2 +50%
Shops53.1 +75%
Arts, recreation and fitness5.6 +37%
Doctors' offices and clinics26.9 +33%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
3.2
90% below the median place
Shops per 10k8
53.1
75% above the median place
Restaurants and bars per 10k8
31.2
50% above the median place
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureSt. SimonsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools12County figure18100% above
Public school students12County figure13,911184% above
Students per teacher12County figure13.910% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure31.250% above
Shops per 10k8County figure53.175% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure5.637% above
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure26.933% above
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k916.058% above
Playgrounds per 10k92.574% below
Grocery stores per 10k91.913% below
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k939.4254% above
Libraries per 10k91.241% above
Named paths and bike trails923.7above (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site103.290% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles104100% above
National Register listings11County figure2162% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

January average low is 41°F, 63% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached St. Simons. Larger places are fetched first.

January average low13
41°F
63% above the median place
Average temperature13
68°F
24% above the median place
July average high13
92°F
6% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureSt. SimonsAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high13County figure92°F6% above
January average low13County figure41°F63% above
Average temperature13County figure68°F24% above
Annual precipitation13County figure49.3 in13% above
Natural hazard risk14County figure83.79% below
Hurricane risk14County figure95.936% above
Tornado risk14County figure43.147% below
Wildfire risk14County figure92.150% above
Heat wave risk14County figure81.110% below
Median air quality index15County figure415% below
Good air days15County figure74.3%8% above
08

St. Simons in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 20% of the median income in 2030, about the same as 20% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, St. Simons does better than 38% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 48%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,799/mo (2024)$2,320/mo$1,900 to $2,830/mo+4.3%
Median household income$108,771 (2024)$137,500$116,500 to $163,000+4.0%
Median home value$555,600 (2024)$796,000$578,000 to $1,096,000+6.2%

The median home would be worth 5.8 years of the median income in 2030, against 5.1 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like St. Simons

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Yarmouth Port, MA$1,917$110,304Compare
Pinehurst, NC$1,664$109,802Compare
McGregor, FL$1,762$104,788Compare
Fountain Hills, AZ$1,890$112,654Compare
Fountain Hills, AZMcGregor, FLPinehurst, NCYarmouth Port, MASt. Simons, GASt. SimonsYarmouth PortPinehurstMcGregorFountain HillsSt. SimonsYarmouth PortPinehurstMcGregorFountain Hills

Places built like St. Simons

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how St. Simons performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
St. Simons, GA19.8%4.5%/yrn/a
Fernandina Beach, FL15.4%8.9%/yr6.3%Compare
Pinehurst, NC18.2%6.0%/yr6.2%Compare
Ocean Pines, MD27.0%5.0%/yrn/aCompare
Litchfield Beach, SC26.8%4.5%/yrn/aCompare
McGregor, FL20.2%10.1%/yrn/aCompare
North Myrtle Beach, SC20.8%3.6%/yr13.3%Compare

Common questions

Is St. Simons a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 93 out of 100, better than 93% of the places we rate and 6th of 165 in Georgia. Rent is about 28% higher than we would expect for a place with these incomes, education levels, housing age and household types in Georgia. The premium usually reflects location, amenities or schools that these figures do not capture. Homeowners pay a median of about 0.5% of home value a year in property tax, less than in 90% of the 2,101 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-lowest of 164 Georgia places we track. On cost, space and class size it scores 56 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is St. Simons expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 19.8% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $555,600.

What salary do you need to live in St. Simons?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $71,960 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to St. Simons?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Yarmouth Port, MA, Pinehurst, NC, McGregor, FL and Fountain Hills, AZ.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. Income Limits · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2026
  5. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  6. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  13. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  14. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  15. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares St. Simons with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for St. Simons itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/saint-simons-georgia

Citytistics. “St. Simons, Georgia.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/saint-simons-georgia/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.