What it's like to live in Pooler
Pooler is a small city in Georgia with unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and a highly educated workforce. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Pooler deals with rent well above the national average, air quality that falls short of national benchmarks, a rent burden that leaves many renters stretched thin, and hot summers.
The good
- Low unemployment
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Highly educated workforce
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Rent well above the national average
- Air quality concerns
- High rent burden for renters
- Hot summers
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Pooler compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Pooler
Based on Pooler's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,342
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $66,840 a year
- 53% of Pooler renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$64,480
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $32,240
- Homes cost 3.5× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▲ 18% above US
$1,671/mo median rent
Rent runs on the higher side, at $1,671 a month median. Whether that premium makes sense usually comes down to the local job market and what it pays. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $322,400. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $322,400 · 53% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 42% below US
2.5% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.5%, well below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 73% below US
89 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 1583/100k · Pooler Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
24 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 24.1 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 15% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are hot and humid, with highs regularly hitting 91°F, and winters are chilly but manageable, with lows around 42°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Education & workforce▲ 10% above US
40% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 40% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
3 public schools inside the boundary
There are 3 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Fort Pulaski National Monument (20 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Pooler's strongest points are unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are rent well above the national average and air quality that falls short of national benchmarks. A year of median rent ($1,671/mo) equals 22% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (15% of workers here already work from home).
Other places near Pooler
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