What it's like to live in St. Marys
St. Marys is a small city in Georgia with rent below the national average, county unemployment below the national average, a population that has grown fast since 2020, and schools with smaller class sizes than the national average.
Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next. The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly.
The good
- Rent below the national average
- Low unemployment in the county
- Fast-growing population
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How St. Marys compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to St. Marys
Based on St. Marys's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,366
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $47,320 a year
- 47% of St. Marys renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$62,460
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $31,230
- Homes cost 4.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of living▼ 16% below US
$1,183/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,183 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $312,300. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $312,300 · 47% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.1% county unemployment
Unemployment in Camden County is 3.1%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Camden County (county-wide)
SafetyNear US average
351 violent crimes per 100k
Crime runs about typical for a city this size. Some neighborhoods are safer than others, and one overall rate doesn't tell the whole story, so a neighborhood-level look matters more than the headline stat.
Property crime 1174/100k · St. Marys Police Department · 2025 data
Getting aroundNear US average
26 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 26.2 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 9 in 10 workers drive to work; 11% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 88°F, and winters are mild, with lows rarely dropping below 45°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforce▼ 19% below US
29% bachelor's degree or higher
College degree attainment runs below average at 29%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.
Schools
5 public schools inside the boundary
There are 5 public schools inside the boundary and 2 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 15:1, 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 Cumberland Island National Seashore (10 miles away). There are 6 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
St. Marys's strongest points are rent below the national average and county unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoff is a car-dependent commute, with few people using transit. A year of median rent ($1,183/mo) equals 19% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low). It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
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