Local lore beyond the guidebooks: Fun Facts About Savannah
Think you really know Savannah? It's a city with Spanish moss that could strangle your Instagram feed, squares galore that you'll have to stroll to believe, and ghost tours that are more crowded than a bachelorette party. Let's run through the facts, stats, and midnight voodoo that showcase what makes Savannah's Southern charm delightfully unhinged.
Sabrina, Our Local Expert Guiding Your Move
Sabrina lives in Georgia and has spent the last five years putting down real roots after growing up across the Southeast and moving more times than she can quickly explain. After living abroad, she learned that home is less about the address and more about how a place feeds you, challenges you, and keeps surprising you. Georgia stuck because it delivers on all three. She is obsessed with the state's food diversity, with Buford Highway Korean pho firmly in her regular rotation. A former Airbnb Superhost, she still mentally audits kitchens, layouts, and what actually makes a space livable. At Snappy Scout, Sabrina brings statewide perspective, sharp local instincts, and a deep appreciation for the small Georgia details that make moving here actually work.
Read moreWritten with local insight from Snappy Scout relocation experts
What Makes Savannah Savannah?
The weird, useful, and surprisingly relevant facts that shape everyday life here.
Common nicknames for Savannah
The Hostess City of the South, First City of Georgia, Forest City
Local Reality Check
People imagine eerie mansions and quiet squares. Locals know it’s also pedicabs, ghost tours, and bridal parties yelling “Woo!” on River Street
You're most likely moving from
Somewhere in the Northeast or Atlanta (escaping both)
Strangely large concentration of
SCAD students wearing all black in 95-degree heat
Music scene
Rooftop DJ's at Electric Moon, and the occasional jam band drifting out of Victory North
You'll have to see it to believe it
Yes, you can legally walk around downtown with a drink (but don't forget your plastic cup)
Unique Geography
Built on a bluff, surrounded by marshes, 18 miles from Tybee Island beach
Savannah is home to
SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) and 22 historic squares
Known for
Moss-draped squares, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and ghost tours
Fun history fact
General Sherman spared Savannah in 1864, offering it to Lincoln as a Christmas gift
Celebrity sightings
Sandra Bullock, Ben Affleck, Miley Cyrus (all own property or filmed here frequently)
Noteworthy Census stat
Median age is 33, way younger than most Southern historic cities
Most interesting sub-culture within Savannah
The art school kids who've gentrified half of Starland and Victorian districts
Population
5th largest city in GA, top 200 nationwide
Savannah is roughly the same geographic size as
Spokane, Washington (both around 108 square miles)
A Local Event Worth Experiencing Once
Even if you’re not Irish, everyone embraces the green of Savannah’s St. Patrick’s Day parade. The whole city basically shuts down and turns into one giant street party. Locals claim their parade spots early, people are wearing green before breakfast…it’s loud, messy, and weirdly charming.
— Sabrina Wells
Georgia Local Expert
Ready to See If Savannah Fits You?
Compare cities, check the routes, or head back to the full Savannah guide for the bigger picture.