Tybee Island, GA short-term rental market report (2026)
Chatham County, Georgia. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesStrict (4/5)
- 4-BR typical value$412K
- FEMA riskRelatively High
- Demand drivers within 50 mi2
- People within 300 mi35.5 million
- ClimateYear-round
Everything STR HUB holds on Tybee Island, GA in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated. The Opportunity Score here is partial: it was calculated without revenue data, with the cash-flow component assumed to be below average, so it can understate the market.
Can you operate in Tybee Island?
What the rating rests on: the city stopped issuing new STR certificates in the R-1, R-1B, and R-2 residential zones that cover roughly 85% of the island.
Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
Which way the rules are moving
Tightening. The rules we hold report a recent or pending change.
In March 2026, Mayor West proposed a hard island-wide cap of 775 total STR licenses, and the council voted 4-2 to direct staff to draft an ordinance.
Classified from the regulation text we publish; a direction is only kept when the sentence it rests on appears word for word in that text.
The numbers
We have not verified revenue figures for this market yet.
Home values in Chatham County
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for Chatham County, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
2 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Tybee Island. Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Attractions
- Hilton Head Island
- When
- March to October; peaks in summer and around the RBC Heritage golf tournament in April.
- Attendance
- 2,500,000 (Wikipedia (Hilton Head Island): "a popular vacation destination for 2.5 million visitors each year" — stated without a citation or year.)
- STR angle
- A planned resort island of gated "plantation" communities, golf and wide beaches, with a long-established villa and condo rental market. The town requires an STR permit; individual communities add their own rules and fees.
Landmarks
- Savannah Historic District
- When
- Year-round; spring is the peak (St. Patrick's Day and azalea season), with a second run in fall.
- STR angle
- The squares and house museums draw couples, bachelorette groups and tour coaches for two- to three-night stays with little off-season. Savannah caps non-owner-occupied rentals by ward in the historic district, so existing certificates carry value and Tybee Island is the usual alternative.
When they come
Year-round climate: at least nine months of the year have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. 11 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. Warmest month: July (average high 87°F). Coldest: January (average low 47°F).
- Jan60°47°Cool
- Feb63°51°Comfortable
- Mar69°56°Comfortable
- Apr74°61°Comfortable
- May80°69°Comfortable
- Jun85°75°Comfortable
- Jul87°78°Comfortable
- Aug86°78°Comfortable
- Sep83°73°Comfortable
- Oct77°66°Comfortable
- Nov67°56°Comfortable
- Dec62°50°Comfortable
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 60 | 63 | 69 | 74 | 80 | 85 | 87 | 86 | 83 | 77 | 67 | 62 |
| Average low (°F) | 47 | 51 | 56 | 61 | 69 | 75 | 78 | 78 | 73 | 66 | 56 | 50 |
| Precipitation (in) | 2.6 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.1 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 4.9 | 2.8 | 3.6 | 4.3 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 7.8 | 7.7 | 9.3 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 11.1 | 11.6 | 10.9 | 10.2 | 9.5 | 8.0 | 7.5 |
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Duval County, FL | 995,708 |
| Richland County, SC | 416,161 |
| Charleston County, SC | 409,840 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Very High | 99.4 |
| Coastal flooding | Very High | 96.0 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Moderate | 94.4 |
| Wildfire | Relatively Moderate | 92.4 |
| River flooding | Relatively Moderate | 90.8 |
| Tornado | Relatively Moderate | 77.4 |
| Hail | Relatively Low | 69.1 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 67.9 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in Chatham County
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Tybee Island pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Tybee Island's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from Georgia, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Tybee Island on the map
Open Tybee Island on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Tybee Island STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Tybee Island?
STR HUB rates Tybee Island's short-term rental rules 4/5 (Strict) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). That rating was derived from the regulation text we hold and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Tybee Island?
The typical 4-bedroom home in Chatham County is valued at $412,252 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $335,273, with all-home values down 3.2% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What brings visitors to Tybee Island?
2 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Tybee Island: Hilton Head Island (2,500,000 published attendance) and Savannah Historic District. Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
What natural hazards affect Tybee Island?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Chatham County "Relatively High" overall, with a score of 97.4 out of 100 (a national percentile). The highest-scoring hazards we track there are hurricane and coastal flooding. It is a county-wide index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination.
When is the weather best in Tybee Island?
11 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F (February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November and December). Year-round climate: at least nine months of the year have an average high between 60°F and 88°F. These are 2019-2023 climate normals, not booking data.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research.
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe Chatham County as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
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