Tybee Island
About Tybee island
Tybee has its own time zone. Not officially, but practically. Once you cross the bridge over Lazaretto Creek and see the island's snaking marshes and swaying reeds come into view, the pace of everything shifts. This is Georgia's only beach community, and it wears that identity with a comfortable confidence.
About 4,000 people call this 2.7-square-mile barrier island home year-round, with that number swelling dramatically every summer. It sits 18 miles east of historic Savannah (about 25 minutes), and that distance is meaningful. Close enough to access everything Savannah offers, far enough to feel like you've genuinely escaped.
Tybee has been a getaway for Savannahians since General Oglethorpe recognized its strategic importance in 1733 and built the island's first lighthouse and fort. That history shows up everywhere: in the lighthouse, the old fort, and the families who've lived here for generations.
Buyers come to Tybee for different reasons. Some want a primary residence where the ocean is a daily fact of life, not an occasional treat. Others want a second home that pays for itself during the summer season. And some are drawn by the investment side of a market with tight inventory and steady appreciation over time. Whatever your reason, the conversation looks different depending on where you're starting, and I'm happy to help you think it all the way through.
Housing on Tybee runs the full range: elevated beach cottages from the early 1900s, pastel painted coastal homes, modern ranches, condominiums, and new construction. The island's limited size keeps inventory tight, which has supported steady appreciation over time. Average sale prices hover around $796,000, with oceanfront and deepwater properties going well above that.
Properties here serve multiple purposes for buyers: primary residences, second homes, and short term rental investments, each with its own considerations around insurance, flood zones, and local regulation. If you're weighing those options, that's a conversation worth having before you're under contract.
The Homes
Three miles of sandy beach is the obvious headline. The Tybee Island Light Station — the oldest lighthouse in Georgia, dating to 1736 and one of only seven surviving Colonial era lighthouses in the country — anchors the island's north end. Fort Screven, the Tybee Island Museum, live music venues, waterfront restaurants, kayak and paddleboard rentals, the Tybee Pier and Pavilion, and a genuine arts community give the island more texture than its size suggests.
The character here is hard to manufacture: easy, unpretentious, and genuinely community minded. People know their neighbors. The local coffee shop knows your order. The post office feels like a social stop.
The Amenities & Character
Tybee time is real. Front doors are often left unlocked. Kids roam freely. The community is live and let live in the best sense. Residents choose the island because they want a life that includes the ocean, not one that just includes proximity to it.
Morning surf, weekend fishing, sunset kayaking through the marshes, a quiet evening on the porch watching container ships move down the river — this is just Tuesday here. Savannah is 25 minutes. The airport is 30.
The Lifestyle
Schools
Tybee Island is served by the Savannah-Chatham County Public School System. The island's standout option is Tybee Island Maritime Academy, Georgia's only maritime focused charter school, with a curriculum built around coastal education: sailing, marine science, and environmental stewardship woven into the school day. For families with kids who love the water, it's worth knowing about.
Thinking about making tybee island home?
Tybee is a lifestyle decision as much as a real estate one. Let's make sure it's the right fit for you.
