Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Savannah, GA
VS
Tallahassee, FL
🏆 Tallahassee leads 10 of 19 categories
Savannah
Georgia
9
wins
Cost of Living Index
95.6
Median Household Income
$54,748 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
5
Population
147,583
Tallahassee
Florida
10
wins
Cost of Living Index
95.3 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$52,899
Violent Crime Index
—
Population
198,259 ✓ Larger
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Savannah, GA
Pros
Homes cost $53k less ($203,300 vs $256,400)
Violent crime is well below the national average (20.3 vs 380/100k)
Smaller class sizes — 13.0:1 student-teacher ratio
Cons
Higher unemployment (7.2% vs 6.5%)
Tallahassee, FL
Pros
More college-educated — 49.9% hold a bachelor's or higher
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.7 pts lower (6.5%)
Cons
Nothing stands out — a close match here.
Key Differences at a Glance
Savannah
Median Income
$1,849
$54,748 vs $52,899/yr
Savannah
Median Home Value
$53k less
$203,300 vs $256,400
Both cities
Cost of Living
≈ Equal
Both near 95.6 on the COL index
Tallahassee
Unemployment
0.7 pp lower
6.5% vs 7.2% unemployment
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Savannah, GA | Tallahassee, FL |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 95.6 | 95.3 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $203,300 ✓ Lower | $256,400 |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,216 | $1,165 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $54,748 ✓ Higher | $52,899 |
| Unemployment Rate | 7.2%⚠ High | 6.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 20.5 min | 18.6 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 8.9% | 11.1% ✓ Higher |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | — | — |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 5 | — |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | — | — |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (106) | A- (113) ✓ Better |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.0:1 ✓ Smaller | 17.1:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 31.1% | 49.9% ✓ Higher |
| High School or Higher | 90.0% | 93.2% ✓ Higher |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Savannah-Chatham County | LEON |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 61.4°F | 63.9°F ✓ Warmer |
| Avg High — July | 92.3°F ✓ Warmer | 92.1°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 52.0" ✓ Drier | 57.3" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 147,583 | 198,259 ✓ Larger |
| Median Age | 33.5 ✓ Older | 27.6 |
| Homeownership Rate | 45.9% ✓ Higher | 39.8% |
| Under 18 | 20.1% ✓ More | 16.7% |
| Over 65 | 14.7% ✓ More | 11.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Savannah's cost of living index is 95.6 vs Tallahassee's 95.3 (US average = 100).
Tallahassee is 0% less expensive overall.
Based on the 19 decided categories above, Tallahassee leads 10 of 19 categories. Savannah wins 9 and Tallahassee wins 10. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Savannah to Tallahassee or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($203,300 vs $256,400 median home), income ($54,748 vs $52,899), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Savannah, GA and Tallahassee, FL are about 210 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.