Ask around town where the Hyundai plant is and most people say Savannah. It isn’t. Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America sits at 1500 Genesis Drive in Ellabell, on a 2,900-acre megasite in Bryan County, about 30 miles west of downtown Savannah (HMGMA, “Our Facility”, 2026). That distinction matters if you’re buying or selling here, because the housing pressure it created isn’t spread evenly. Some markets are absorbing it. Others are being priced by something else entirely. Here’s what the numbers show.
Key Takeaways
- The Metaplant is in Bryan County, not Chatham. At full operation it will employ more than 8,500 people on the megasite, with roughly 6,900 additional jobs at offsite suppliers across Georgia (HMGMA, 2026).
- Georgia’s economic development agency puts the project at $7.59 billion and calls it the largest economic development project in state history (Georgia Dept. of Economic Development, 2026).
- The value effect is local. As of June 2026, typical home values were up in Ellabell and Pembroke but down in Richmond Hill, Pooler, Guyton and Savannah (Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index, 2026).
- More jobs doesn’t automatically mean a hot market everywhere. Price your house to your sub-market, not the headline.
Where is the Hyundai Metaplant, and how big is it?
It’s in Bryan County, near Ellabell, on the megasite along the I-16 and US 280 corridor. Georgia’s Department of Economic Development records the project as a $7.59 billion investment and calls it the largest economic development project in the state’s history (Georgia Dept. of Economic Development, 2026).
The timeline moved fast. Hyundai announced the site in May 2022, broke ground that October, built the first IONIQ 5 in October 2024, and held the grand opening in March 2025 (Hyundai Motor Group, 2025). The IONIQ 9 followed that spring and the Kia Sportage Hybrid in June 2026 (HMGMA, 2026).
How many jobs is the Metaplant actually bringing?
At full operation, more than 8,500 on the megasite, plus roughly 6,900 more at offsite suppliers (HMGMA, 2026). Georgia’s economic development agency puts supplier investment across the state at about $2.5 billion (Georgia Dept. of Economic Development, 2026).
Then it grew again. In September 2025 Hyundai committed another $2.7 billion and about 3,000 more jobs in Georgia (WSB-TV, 2025), part of a plan to lift annual capacity to 500,000 units, up 200,000 from the original target (Hyundai Motor Group, 2025). In August 2026, CEO José Muñoz said the company is weighing a further increase to between 700,000 and 800,000 units (Carscoops, 2026). That one is under consideration, not announced.
The practical point for housing: these jobs arrive in phases over years, not in one wave. Demand here builds steadily. It doesn’t spike on an announcement.
The supplier build-out is the part buyers underestimate
Hyundai lists five key affiliates on the megasite and another 22 suppliers nearby (HMGMA, 2026). Those plants are scattered across Bryan, Chatham, Effingham and neighboring counties, which is why the housing effect reaches well past Ellabell.
The largest sits in south Bryan. In 2022 the Governor’s office announced Hyundai Mobis would invest $926 million in an EV power electric system plant at Belfast Commerce Park in Richmond Hill, eventually employing at least 1,500 people (Office of Gov. Brian P. Kemp, 2022). For a Richmond Hill seller, that plant is closer to your buyer pool than the Metaplant itself.
What has the Metaplant actually done to home values?
Less than the headlines suggest in some towns, and more than you’d guess in others. We pulled Zillow’s city-level home value index for the whole corridor. As of June 2026, typical home values were:
- Ellabell: about $318,536, up 0.5% year over year
- Pembroke: about $280,564, up 2.2%
- Richmond Hill: about $423,383, down 1.8%
- Guyton: about $358,133, down 1.6%
- Pooler: about $345,291, down 4.4%
- Savannah: about $325,937, down 2.9%
(Source: Zillow Research, Zillow Home Value Index, 2026.)
Our take: The two markets holding their value are the two closest to the plant, and they are also the two that ran hardest before it opened. From June 2021 to June 2026, typical values rose roughly 54% in Ellabell and 55% in Pembroke, against about 38% in Richmond Hill, 40% in Guyton and 37% in Savannah. The Metaplant premium is real, but it’s concentrated in north Bryan. Anyone selling in Pooler or Richmond Hill on a “Hyundai is coming” story is pricing off the wrong map.
What does the Metaplant mean if you’re buying?
Competition depends heavily on where you look. North Bryan inventory near the plant moves on a different clock than south Bryan or west Chatham, where more listings and longer market times have given buyers room to negotiate.
Two things we’d tell any buyer here. First, settle your financing before you shop, because the tightest sub-markets don’t wait (start with pre-approval). Second, don’t pay a premium for a story. A house is worth what comparable homes nearby actually sold for, not what a plant might do in 2030. Our guide to moving to Ellabell covers the market closest to the gate, and all our communities lets you compare the rest.
What does it mean if you’re selling?
Your pricing has to match your sub-market, not the region’s news cycle. A Pembroke seller and a Pooler seller are in genuinely different positions right now, and using the same “Hyundai effect” logic in both gets one of them a price cut in week three.
Our take: The most common mistake we see is a seller anchoring to what a neighbor got in 2022, then blaming the market when it doesn’t repeat. Run the current comps, look at what’s actually pending within a few miles, and set the number from that. If you want an honest read on yours, start with a home value estimate and then let us walk the property.
Roads, schools, and the strain that comes with growth
Growth this fast puts weight on infrastructure. Georgia DOT has three projects running in the corridor: an $83 million widening of US 280 with five roundabouts, a $29.7 million I-16 frontage road, and a $75 million interchange at I-16 and Old Cuyler Road (C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., 2026). Crews set beams on the interchange in May 2026, with substantial completion anticipated in 2027 (WTOC, 2026).
The schools are absorbing it too. Bryan County Schools enrollment climbed from roughly 7,700 students in 2012 to more than 10,800 by August 2026, with staffing up more than 80% (WTOC, 2026). Expect construction, rezonings, and heavier truck traffic to be part of the deal for several more years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County or Chatham County?
Bryan County. The plant’s address is 1500 Genesis Drive, Ellabell, on a megasite about 30 miles west of downtown Savannah (HMGMA, 2026). National coverage often calls it a Savannah plant because Savannah is the nearest major city, but the site itself sits in Bryan County.
Has the Metaplant driven up home prices in Bryan County?
Unevenly. As of June 2026, typical values were up 0.5% in Ellabell and 2.2% in Pembroke year over year, while Richmond Hill was down 1.8% (Zillow Research, 2026). The clearest effect shows in north Bryan, closest to the plant, rather than countywide.
How many people will work at the Metaplant?
More than 8,500 on the megasite at full operation, plus roughly 6,900 jobs at offsite suppliers across Georgia (HMGMA, 2026). Hiring is phased as production ramps, so the workforce is still building toward that number rather than sitting at it today.
Should I buy near the plant or in Richmond Hill?
Depends on what you want. North Bryan gives you more land per dollar and a short drive to the plant. Richmond Hill costs more and gives you a town, established neighborhoods, and I-95 access. Both sit in the same school district.
The bottom line
The Metaplant is the largest economic development project Georgia has ever landed, and it’s in Bryan County, minutes from Ellabell and Pembroke. That’s already showing up in the numbers, but not in the blunt way people expect. North Bryan has held and gained while much of the surrounding metro eased. Anyone applying one regional story to every town is going to misprice a house.
We live and work in this corridor and track these markets town by town. Whether you’re buying near the plant, selling in Richmond Hill, or trying to figure out which side of the county fits, get in touch and we’ll give you the read for your address. If a sale is on the table, start with our seller’s guide.
Sources
- Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, “Our Facility,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.hmgma.com/our-facility/
- Georgia Department of Economic Development, “Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://georgia.org/hyundai-motor-group-metaplant-america
- Hyundai Motor Group, “Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America Celebrates Grand Opening, Powering U.S. Economic Growth,” March 26, 2025, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com/en/news/CONT0000000000173041
- Office of Gov. Brian P. Kemp, “Second Global Automotive Supplier for Hyundai Metaplant To Create 1,500 Jobs,” November 23, 2022, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://gov.georgia.gov/press-releases/2022-11-23/gov-kemp-second-global-automotive-supplier-hyundai-metaplant-create-1500
- WSB-TV, “Hyundai announces additional $2.7 billion, 3,000 jobs investment in Georgia,” September 18, 2025, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/hyundai-announces-additional-27-billion-3000-jobs-investment-georgia/VIAH3C2FPFGHNB575GKHND2I2E/
- Carscoops, “Hyundai’s Georgia Plant Could Become America’s Largest Car Factory,” August 21, 2026, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.carscoops.com/2026/08/hyundai-georgia-plant-expansion/
- Zillow Research, “Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), All Homes, City-Level Time Series,” data through June 2026, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.zillow.com/research/data/
- C.W. Matthews Contracting Co., “Making Way for Bryan County’s Hyundai Megasite,” retrieved 2026-08-27, https://cwmatthews.com/projects/making-way-for-bryan-countys-hyundai-megasite/
- WTOC, “Major milestone met for I-16 at Old Cuyler Rd. interchange project,” May 7, 2026, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.wtoc.com/2026/05/07/major-milestone-met-i-16-old-cuyler-rd-interchange-project/
- WTOC, “Bryan County Schools back in session as district marks years of growth,” August 5, 2026, retrieved 2026-08-27, https://www.wtoc.com/2026/08/05/bryan-county-schools-back-session-district-marks-years-growth/