Isle of Hope is the closest of Chatham County’s islands to Savannah and the oldest in the way that matters to a buyer: its housing stock. It is also the smallest, at 1.961 square miles of land and 0.321 of water, with a population of 2,053 (U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer and American Community Survey 2020-2024). Under a thousand homes, almost all of them owned rather than rented.
Key Takeaways
– The typical home dates from 1965, older than any other Chatham island community.
– The average commute is 17.5 minutes, the shortest of the islands.
– Of 973 housing units, 907 are owner-occupied and just 50 are rented.
– The median owner-occupied value is $453,900.
How old is the housing, and why does it matter?
The median year built is 1965 (American Community Survey). For context within the same county, Wilmington Island’s median is 1984 and Skidaway Island’s is 1990 (American Community Survey).
Roughly twenty years of difference in typical construction age is not a small thing on the coast. It shows up in roof age, in wiring and plumbing that has usually been replaced at least once, in window and door specifications relative to current wind standards, and in whether a house sits at an elevation that current construction would choose. None of that makes an older house a worse buy. It makes the inspection and the insurance quote more consequential than they are on newer stock.
What is the housing market like?
Very tightly held. There are 973 housing units, of which 907 are owner-occupied and 50 renter-occupied, with a median owner-occupied value of $453,900 (American Community Survey).
That is 957 occupied units, and about 95 percent of them owned. Practically, two things follow. Rental stock is close to nonexistent, so renting here first is not usually an option. And with under a thousand homes total, the number that come to market in a given year is small, which means waiting for the right one is a realistic strategy rather than a failure of effort.
The median value is lower than Skidaway Island’s $803,700 and well below Tybee Island’s $611,200 (American Community Survey), which surprises people given the location. Treat it as orientation only: a five-year survey estimate across a community with this much variation in lot and frontage tells you very little about any particular house.
How long is the commute?
Shorter than anywhere else on the islands. Mean travel time to work is 17.5 minutes (American Community Survey), against 28.3 on Wilmington Island and 27.3 on Skidaway.
That gap is the strongest practical argument for the place. You are getting a waterfront community with a commute shorter than most mainland suburbs, because Isle of Hope sits closer to the city than the islands further east. If your work is in Savannah and water access matters to you, this is the combination that is hard to find elsewhere in the county.
What is Wormsloe?
The historic site that anchors the island, and it is a state property rather than a private one. Wormsloe State Historic Site is at “7601 Skidaway Road, Savannah, GA 31406,” with adult admission for ages 18 to 61 at “$12.00” (Georgia State Parks).
Its National Register nomination describes what is there: “the tabby remains of a ‘fortified house’ built by its original owner, Noble Jones; a later house with extensive gardens; and a Confederate earthwork. There is a mile long drive bordered by enormous oaks” (National Park Service, National Register nomination).
The dates are early even by Savannah standards. The same nomination records that “Noble Jones leased 500 acres from James Oglethorpe in 1736, then developed this land into a country estate, 10 miles from his house in Savannah town,” and that Jones built his tabby fortified house “about 1739.” The nomination, entered in 1973, puts the site at 750 acres on the Isle of Hope.
The oak avenue is the image most people know, and it is on the island you would be buying on.
Who provides local services?
Chatham County. Isle of Hope is a census-designated place, the Census Bureau’s unit for a community that is not incorporated, so there is no city hall of its own. The county’s land-use ordinances are written to “apply to all lands within the unincorporated area of Chatham County” (Chatham County Code, Chapter 3).
That has one concrete benefit on the insurance side. “Unincorporated Chatham County participates in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS),” and the county reports that it “saved 12,136 flood insurance policy holders in the SFHA a total of $2,455,756 on premiums last year, or an average of $202 per policy” (Chatham County Department of Engineering).
One caution on that programme. The county’s page states the discount as 20 percent in one paragraph and 25 percent in another, so do not rely on either figure. Ask your insurance agent for the county’s current class and what it means for the specific address.
What should you check here specifically?
Three things, all sharpened by the 1965 median build year.
The elevation certificate. The county calls it “an important administrative tool used by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to properly rate homes for flood insurance policies.” On housing stock this age, some addresses have one and some do not. Ask early.
The systems. A house from the mid-1960s has usually had its roof, HVAC, wiring and plumbing touched at least once. What matters is when, by whom, and with what permits.
The water frontage, if any. Marsh frontage, a dock and a deep-water berth are three different things with three different sets of rules. Our guide to waterfront and deep-water homes in coastal Georgia covers what separates them.
For the wider area, the Savannah and Hunter Army Airfield community page gathers the mainland links, and our community pages cover the rest of the county.
Frequently asked questions
Is Isle of Hope part of Savannah?
No. It is a census-designated place, the Census Bureau’s unit for an unincorporated community, so it has no city government of its own and Chatham County provides local services. The county’s land-use ordinances are written to apply to the unincorporated area, which includes the island.
How old are the homes on Isle of Hope?
The median year built is 1965 in the Census Bureau’s 2020-2024 estimates, which is older than Wilmington Island at 1984 or Skidaway Island at 1990 (American Community Survey). That makes the inspection and the insurance quote more consequential here, particularly roof age, systems and whether an elevation certificate exists.
How long is the drive into Savannah?
Mean travel time to work is 17.5 minutes, the shortest of the Chatham County island communities and shorter than many mainland suburbs. Wilmington Island averages 28.3 minutes and Skidaway Island 27.3. Your own time depends on your destination and hour, so drive it before deciding.
Can you rent on Isle of Hope before buying?
Rarely. Of 973 housing units, 907 are owner-occupied and only 50 are renter-occupied, so there is almost no rental stock. With under a thousand homes in total, few come to market in any given year, which makes patience a practical strategy rather than a sign of a stalled search.
Before you start looking here
The combination Isle of Hope offers, water and a 17.5 minute commute, does not exist in many places in this county, and the small number of homes means opportunities are occasional rather than constant. Get your financing and your inspector lined up before the right one appears rather than after.
To be told when something comes available here, or to look at a specific address and its flood and elevation position, get in touch.