Retirement Communities in Savannah, GA

Retirement communities in Savannah, GA come in three forms, and they work nothing alike. Most are monthly rentals with care included, generally $2,000 to $6,800 a month. One is a Life Plan community with a refundable entrance fee. And one, Del Webb Savannah in Richmond Hill, is a 55+ neighborhood where you buy a deeded house. Here is how each one works, who offers what level of care, and what to check before you commit.

Most Savannah retirement communities are rentals, and none of them show up in a home search

Harmony at Savannah, Thrive on Skidaway, The Social at Savannah, Sunabella and Oaks at Habersham all run on the same model: you pay monthly rent plus a care fee, there is no buy-in, and nothing about them appears in the MLS. Rates move with the level of care, so independent living sits at the low end and memory care at the high end. Roughly $2,000 to $6,800 a month is the range across these communities as of 2026, and every one of them will quote you a current number if you call.

The practical upside of renting is that the decision is reversible. If a community turns out to be the wrong fit, you give notice. The downside is that the money is gone, the way rent always is, so families who are also selling a longtime home tend to think about how the sale proceeds sit against those monthly figures.

The Marshes of Skidaway Island is a Life Plan community with an entrance fee around $250,000

The Marshes works differently from everything else on this list. There is a one-time entrance fee starting around $250,000 that is 90 percent refundable, and it buys the right to live there for life, with care levels that step up as they are needed, rather than a deed to a house. It will never appear in a home search either. It is a real financial decision and worth talking through with whoever handles your money before you sign, because the refund terms and the monthly fee on top of the entrance fee are where the details live.

Del Webb Savannah at Heartwood is the one you buy

Del Webb Savannah at Heartwood in Richmond Hill is a deeded, gated, 55+ active adult community: single-family homes from about $339,000 (Del Webb’s own pricing, September 2026) across three collections of floor plans, resort-style amenities, pickleball, and a full activities calendar. Because you own the house, it lists in the MLS, it appreciates or does not the way any house does, and you sell it the ordinary way when the time comes. It is also the only option here that puts you in Bryan County rather than Chatham, which changes your property tax picture. My property tax guide covers the senior exemptions in both counties.

Pricing on all of these moves. Treat every figure on this page as a starting point and confirm current numbers with each community.

Which Savannah communities offer independent, assisted, memory and skilled care

This is the question families ask first, because the answer decides whether a move will hold up if care needs change. A community that offers independent living only means a second move later. One that runs the full range means you can stay put.

Care levels change as communities add wings and licenses, so confirm the current offering with each one before you plan around it.

A closer look at each community

Harmony at Savannah covers all three care levels under one roof

Harmony at Savannah offers independent living, assisted living and memory care, which means a resident can move in independent and stay through a change in needs. Meals come from a chef in the on-site bistro, there is a theater and a garden, and the policies are pet friendly with 24/7 care, transportation and on-site therapy. Details at harmonyseniorservices.com.

Legacy at Savannah Quarters sits inside the golf community in Pooler

Legacy at Savannah Quarters is the more active, social option on the west side of the metro, inside the Savannah Quarters community in Pooler. It has a resort-style pool, a full fitness center and a technology center, and it offers assisted living, memory care and respite care (its site does not list independent living, so it is a care community rather than a first move). It suits people who want support available without a quiet setting. Details at atlasseniorliving.com.

The Social at Savannah is built around the events calendar

The Social at Savannah runs independent living, assisted living and memory care with a pet-friendly policy and a schedule of events and activities that is the point of the place. If a full calendar is what makes a community feel like home, this is the one to tour first. Details at thesocialsl.com.

Thrive on Skidaway puts pickleball and the waterfront on the island

Thrive on Skidaway is on Skidaway Island, with pickleball, barre, fire-pit nights and water access, and it offers independent, assisted and memory care. It is the island setting without the club membership question that comes with buying at The Landings. Details at thrivesl.com.

Sunabella has two Southside locations

Sunabella Senior Living runs two communities on Savannah’s Southside, one on Montgomery Cross Road and one on White Bluff Road, offering assisted living and memory care. Gardens, walking paths, a library, and a steady rotation of movie and game nights. Being on the Southside means the hospitals and everyday shopping are close for visiting family. Details at sunabellaseniorliving.com.

The Marshes of Skidaway is the quiet, nature-forward option

The Marshes of Skidaway Island is the Life Plan community described above: marsh views, a slower pace, and the entrance-fee model rather than rent or a deed. It is a good fit for someone who wants to settle once and let the care follow. Details at marshesofskidaway.org.

Del Webb Savannah is the 55+ neighborhood you own

Del Webb Savannah at Heartwood in Richmond Hill is a 55+ active adult community with resort-style amenities, pickleball, golf nearby, and clubs for painting, crafts and whatever else fills a week. It is the option on this page for people who want a house and a neighborhood rather than a building with services. Details at delwebb.com.

Four more worth a call

• Savannah Square: independent living, assisted living and skilled nursing, with concierge service, a gym, art classes and dine-in options. savannahsquare.seniorlivingnearme.com
• Oaks at Habersham: assisted living and memory care in an outdoor-oriented setting with a library and dining. oaksseniorliving.com
• Oaks at Savannah: assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing, with a strong social, outdoor and art program. oaksseniorliving.com
• Summer Breeze Senior Living: independent, assisted, memory and respite care, 24-hour health care, quiet outdoor areas. summerbreezeseniorliving.com

Five things to check before you choose a Savannah retirement community

1. What happens when care needs change

Use the table above. If a community stops at independent living, ask where residents go next and whether there is a priority arrangement with a sister community.

2. What the monthly figure includes

Rent, meals, housekeeping, transportation and care are sometimes bundled and sometimes billed in tiers. Ask for the full fee schedule in writing, including how much the rate has risen each of the last three years.

3. How the entrance fee refund works, if there is one

At The Marshes the 90 percent refund is the headline. The questions are when it is paid out, whether it depends on the unit being re-occupied, and what the monthly fee on top of it runs.

4. Which county the address is in

Chatham and Bryan handle senior property tax exemptions differently, and that only matters if you are buying, which on this list means Del Webb. Renting sidesteps it.

5. The drive for the people who will visit

Skidaway is about 20 minutes from downtown and further from Pooler and the airport. Richmond Hill is about 25 minutes south of downtown. The Southside communities sit closest to the hospitals. Pick the location around the family who will be coming most often.

If a regular house in a quiet neighborhood is closer to what you want

A lot of people who start by searching “retirement communities in Savannah” end up buying an ordinary one-level house in a low-maintenance neighborhood instead, and keeping their independence a while longer. If that sounds more like you, my best neighborhoods guide has a section on low-maintenance living, the downsizing page covers selling the big house first, and the retiring to Savannah guide walks through the senior tax breaks, healthcare access, walkability, the summers, and the parts the brochures leave out.

Whether it is the golf at Savannah Quarters or the marsh on Skidaway Island, there are enough options here and just outside the city to find the version of retirement that fits how you want to spend your days.

My name is Nikki Gergacs, your Savannah Realtor®. If the options feel overwhelming, and you have all the decisions that come with downsizing on top of finding the community that fits, take a deep breath and reach out. Our family has been there, trying to make those same decisions. It helps to have someone who has been where you are heading.

-Nikki

912.378.3427 Direct or email me at Nik@savannahhomesandlifestyle.com