PlainCompare

Metro Life Score

Savannah, GA

48.6
Life Score / 100
B-
Grade (curved)
#215
of 387 metros
44%
of metros outranked

Data updated May 2026

Verify: BEA · BLS · HUD · FBI · NCES · EPA · Census

The verdict

Savannah ranks #215 of 387 US metros, ahead of 44% - carried by its childcare (95/100) and held back most by rent (22/100).

95
strongest: Childcare
81
then: Environment
22
weakest: Rent
7
weighted dimensions

Where Savannah sits among all US metros

Composite Life Score vs the national field

49 44th percentile higher than 44% of 387 US metros

25–30: 1 US metros (0%). Below this entry. 30–35: 16 US metros (4%). Below this entry. 35–40: 46 US metros (12%). Below this entry. 40–45: 53 US metros (14%). Below this entry. 45–50: 81 US metros (21%). This entry sits in this band. 50–55: 67 US metros (17%). Above this entry. 55–60: 68 US metros (18%). Above this entry. 60–65: 40 US metros (10%). Above this entry. 65–70: 12 US metros (3%). Above this entry. 70–75: 3 US metros (1%). Above this entry. This metro 25 75 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US metros. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source PlainCompare composite of BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, EPA data · May 2026

How the score is built

Reading the Savannah Life Score

Savannah's composite score of 48.6 out of 100, a grade of B-, places the metro at rank #215 of 387, ahead of 44% of US metros. The strongest inputs are Childcare (95/100) and Environment (81/100), which pull the composite upward, while Rent (22/100) and Schools (34/100) drag it downward. (How the weighting works.)

BEA RPP 95.2 (rent-RPP 86.0). BLS median salary $62,840, 180,810 jobs (Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Retail Salespersons, Fast Food and Counter Workers). HUD 2BR FMR $1,680/mo (studio $1,455).

FBI UCR (GA): 300 violent, 1567 property/100K. NCES: 14.4:1 ratio, 4.2% charter. DOL infant childcare $6,591/yr. EPA: 23 Superfund sites (GA). Ranks #212-#218 below.

Dimension detail

How Savannah scores, dimension by dimension

Score Breakdown

Cost of Living Wages Rent Safety Schools Childcare Environment

Dimension Scores

Cost of Living 42/100 (20%)
Wages 40/100 (20%)
Rent 22/100 (15%)
Safety 53/100 (15%)
Schools 34/100 (10%)
Childcare 95/100 (10%)
Environment 81/100 (10%)

Key Data Points

95.2
Cost Index (RPP)
$62,840
Avg Median Salary
$1,680
2BR Fair Market Rent
300
Violent Crime/100K (GA)
14.4:1
Student-Teacher Ratio
$6,591
Infant Childcare/yr (GA)
23
Superfund Sites (GA)
180,810
Total Employment

Crime, schools, childcare, and environment data shown at state level where metro-specific data is unavailable.

Compare Savannah With...

Savannah vs Valdosta Compare → Savannah vs Dalton Compare → Savannah vs Warner Robins Compare → Savannah vs Wildwood Compare → Savannah vs Waterloo Compare → Savannah vs Paducah Compare →

Ranking Context

Savannah outranks 44% of U.S. metros.

Rank Metro Score Grade
#212 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 48.7 B-
#213 Ogden, UT 48.7 B-
#214 Ocala, FL 48.7 B-
#215 Savannah, GA 48.6 B-
#216 Providence-Warwick, RI-MA 48.6 B-
#217 Kennewick-Richland, WA 48.5 B-
#218 Midland, TX 48.5 C+

GA Metro Scores

Valdosta, GA B+ 57.7 Dalton, GA B+ 56.9 Warner Robins, GA B+ 55.6 Rome, GA B+ 55.5 Columbus, GA-AL B 55.1 Albany, GA B 54.3

Using Savannah's Life Score

Savannah is a regional baseline, not a neighborhood reading, use it to shortlist, then dig into the dimensions that matter to you.

  • Its strongest dimension is childcare (95/100) and its weakest is rent (22/100) - weigh those against your own priorities. How the score is built
  • Put Savannah head-to-head against another metro before you decide, every dimension, side by side. Compare metros
  • See where Savannah lands on the national rankings for cost, safety, pay and more. Browse rankings

Scores summarize federal data at the metro level; crime, schools and cost vary widely within a single metro.

Explore more

Frequently Asked Questions

What are Savannah's biggest strengths? ▼
Savannah's strongest dimensions are Childcare (95/100), Environment (81/100), Safety (53/100). Childcare is top-tier nationally.
What are Savannah's weakest areas? ▼
Savannah's lowest-scoring dimensions are Rent (22/100), Schools (34/100), Wages (40/100). Rent weighs heavily on the composite.
How expensive is Savannah compared to the national average? ▼
Savannah's Regional Price Parity is 95.2 (4.8% less than national); rent RPP 86.0.
What is the average salary in Savannah? ▼
Savannah median salary: $62,840, 180,810 jobs. Top: Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand, Retail Salespersons, Fast Food and Counter Workers.
How is the life score calculated? ▼
Savannah's 48.6/100 blends 7 federal-data dimensions - see our methodology page for the weighting.

Research Guides

Data from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OES, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Not affiliated with the U.S. Government.

Related

Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCompare Editorial

Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from BEA, BLS, HUD, FBI, NCES, DOL, and EPA. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - multi-dimension demographic + housing + income aggregates for cross-area comparison. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BEA Regional Economic Accounts - GDP, personal income, employment by state and metro. bea.gov/data/regional
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) - wage estimates for comparable-area indexing. bls.gov/oes
  • FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) - crime statistics for safety-score component. fbi.gov/ucr
  • NCES Common Core of Data - public-school quality indicators by area. nces.ed.gov/ccd
  • EPA AirNow + Air Quality System (AQS) - air-quality measurements by area. epa.gov/outdoor-air-quality-data
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county and metro housing-cost indicators. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr

Every figure on PlainCompare is loaded directly from BEA, HUD, FBI UCR, BLS OEWS, NCES, DOL, EPA, and the Census Bureau, no number is typed in by an editor. This metro's Life Score is computed directly from the 7 federal sources cited above. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026.