Why We #ChooseSavannah”: Opportunities Live in Savannah
Most recognize Savannah for its quaint downtown area and deep historical roots. Few may realize that Savannah is home to booming industries that attract new companies and investment to the area regularly. Thriving business in combination with a lower cost of living, make Savannah a dream location for those seeking an opportunity and a better quality of life. In fact, Payscale.com cites Savannah’s housing expenses as 28% lower than the national average.
And when it comes to career opportunities, there is certainly no shortage here.
The Port of Savannah is home to the largest single-terminal container facility of its kind in North America and is the fourth busiest port in the nation. Advanced manufacturing, electrical vehicle manufacturing, logistics distribution, and specialty food and beverage manufacturing are some of the major industries in the area due to the ports. And the port only continues to grow.
The entertainment and production industry has also exploded in Savannah within the last few years. In 2022, MovieMaker Magazine named Savannah as number two on its list of “Best Small Cities and Towns to Live and Work as a Moviemaker.” The industry brought in $207 million to the area in 2022 as well according to the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
Here are a few testimonials from relocatees who fell in love with the high quality of life and opportunity our beautiful, coastal haven has to offer.
Tony B. came to Savannah to give his family a better life. “Quality of life. I promised my wife if she beat cancer we would move someplace warmer and be close to the ocean. We weren’t sure where exactly that would put us…but we visited and fell in love with this city. Things are much more affordable here then back in New Hampshire and there are more job opportunities.” He recalls, “I literally got the offer from the first company I interviewed with. And after one year, I’m making more than I did 12 years ago at my old job. Toss in the beautiful weather, close access to the ocean… no snow… it was an easy decision.”
Fort Stewart is located in Hinesville, Georgia and its subordinate, Hunter Army Airfield, is in Savannah. According to the U.S. Army’s website, the two employ more than 25,000 people between full-time soldiers, civilian workers, and contract workers. This makes the army one of the largest employers on the Coast of Georgia.
Jennifer Rae humorously confesses that the army called her to Savannah: “I didn’t decide. The army did that for me. Now we wouldn’t live anywhere else.”
Amanda T. shared a similar journey, telling us that the Army brought them here in 2009. “We fell in love with the area and bought a house. Because of the Army, we only stayed two years but once my husband retired we came right back in 2019. We’ve been here since,” she said.
In the same vein, Kathryn E. found her place in Savannah through her husband’s job at Gulfstream Aerospace. Gulfstream is headquartered in Savannah with a robust industry built around it. The corporation employs over 10,000 people in Savannah. Supporting businesses are also in the area. These include corporations like Howmet Aerospace, Envision Aviation, and LMI Aerospace to name a few.
Other industries include health tech with two major hospitals in the area: St. Joseph’s/Candler Hospital and Memorial Health Hospital. And finally, tech and innovation is growing in Savannah. The area welcomes startups and scaling companies. In fact, Savannah has been announced the number one city for creative professionals according to SmartAsset.
Erica T. shared her own road to home store that sprouted because of her job as a nurse, “I came here in 2021 as a travel nurse. I came to work a 13 week assignment and extended it four times. My wife and I loved it and decided to stay.”
The area is also home to major universities and educational institutions like Georgia Southern, the Savannah College of Art and Design, South University, Savannah Technical College, and Ogeechee Technical College. Many students come for school and never leave.
“My dad’s job brought us here right before I went to college. I spent one year going to the school I had originally planned on going to but within six months of visiting my family in Rincon from school, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. I made plans to transfer to Georgia Southern to make the Savannah area my long term home and within a year I was here. I’ve been here for five years now and can’t imagine having not moved back down here,” says Abbegayle S.
Lizzie B.’s story speaks to that sentiment as she shares, “I had visited here since 2020 and fell in love with Savannah. I got accepted to SCAD, wanted change, and that’s what made me move to Savannah.” KG M. also shared that he too came for SCAD and stayed for Savannah. The pursuit of education, personal growth, and the thrill of uncharted territory has drawn countless bright minds to Savannah’s academic institutions and vibrant community.To learn more about job opportunities in Savannah, visit The Creative Coast’s job board. Check out school opportunities by reading about local universities and colleges: https://choosesav.com/so-youre-going-to-georgia-southern-university-armstrong-campus-heres-what-you-need-to-know/