Population 134 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of Sapelo Island: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in Sapelo Island
Household size in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.77 | 2.70 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 3.33 | 2.77 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.34 | 2.75 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.26 | 2.73 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.51 | +0.03 | −0.03 |
Households in Sapelo Island are small: just 2.26 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Household size has dropped from 2.77 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, much of that may be survey noise rather than real change.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.1 | 36.0 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 40.5 | 36.9 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 52.3 | 38.1 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 57.7 | 38.6 | 40.1 |
| Change | +18.6 | +2.6 | +2.3 |
Sapelo Island skews older: half of its residents are older than 57.7, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 6.9% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.0% | 13.8% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 3.2% | 13.0% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 13.4% | 11.6% |
| Change | +4.1 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in ten households in Sapelo Island (10.9%), close to the national share of 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in Georgia overall (13.4%).
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Sapelo Island
Renters in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 17.9% | 32.8% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.3% | 35.8% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 6.0% | 36.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 7.2% | 34.3% | 34.8% |
| Change | −10.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 7.2% of households in Sapelo Island rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over six in ten owners (62.1%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.3% | 13.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 58.4% | 13.2% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 41.9% | 11.6% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 25.9% | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| Change | −12.4 pts | −2.8 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Sapelo Island: 25.9% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1991 | 1985 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1987 | 1987 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1988 | 1987 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1996 | 1991 | 1980 |
| Change | +5 | +6 | +6 |
Much of the housing in Sapelo Island is relatively new: half of its homes were built after 1996, compared with 1980 for the U.S. as a whole.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $601 | $910 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $648 | $977 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,086 | $1,112 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,104 | $1,520 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$503 | +$609 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Sapelo Island costs $1,104 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 40.7% of the typical renter's income, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Sapelo Island
Bachelor's degrees in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 27.4% | 28.1% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.0% | 28.9% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.6% | 31.4% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.0% | 35.1% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.6 pts | +7.0 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are a little less common in Sapelo Island than nationally: 32.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.4% | 84.1% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 78.8% | 85.4% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 88.2% | 87.2% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.7% | 89.2% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.2 pts | +5.0 pts | +4.3 pts |
About nine in ten adults in Sapelo Island have finished high school (92.7%), above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Sapelo Island
| Period | Sapelo Island | Georgia | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 8.8% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 16.1% | 10.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 2.9% | 5.8% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 7.4% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.8 pts | −3.6 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Sapelo Island: 7.4% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Sapelo Island compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapelo Island | 2.26 | 57.7 | 10.9% | 7.2% | 25.9% | 1996 | $1,104 | 32.0% | 92.7% | 7.4% |
| Crescent | 2.81 | 44.6 | 21.9% | 7.5% | 20.9% | 2002 | $644 | 24.5% | 79.0% | 3.8% |
| Shellman Bluff | 2.03 | 64.7 | 11.5% | 4.4% | 43.9% | 1996 | $1,358 | 37.7% | 93.4% | 2.3% |
| Valona | 2.67 | 40.1 | 24.5% | 18.0% | 25.6% | 2003 | $655 | 19.5% | 80.3% | 5.3% |
| Pine Harbor | 1.98 | 58.0 | 10.7% | 7.9% | 33.0% | 1992 | $773 | 41.7% | 84.2% | 0.0% |
| Townsend | 2.45 | 51.1 | 13.1% | 12.4% | 31.1% | 1997 | $1,111 | 20.5% | 86.6% | 5.6% |
| Eulonia | 2.24 | 45.5 | 7.0% | 8.0% | 29.5% | 1996 | $898 | 16.3% | 78.2% | 7.3% |
| Meridian | 2.16 | 51.5 | 13.4% | 29.5% | 14.8% | 1998 | $769 | 15.2% | 75.5% | 4.1% |
| Darien | 2.05 | 48.8 | 16.4% | 27.2% | 15.0% | 1994 | $842 | 16.4% | 82.3% | 2.3% |
| South Newport | 2.13 | 47.5 | 7.7% | 14.6% | 24.4% | 1994 | $907 | 11.1% | 75.6% | 12.3% |
| Cox | 2.73 | 49.5 | 9.8% | 13.5% | 17.7% | 1996 | $1,088 | 17.2% | 85.3% | 1.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sinclair, IL · Harmon, TX · Hartland, CA · Harveysburg, IN · Haskingsville, KY · Hemlock, OH · Henrys Mill, PA · Henrytown, MN · Hicks, AR · Hammett, GA
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Sapelo Island. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.