BRUNSWICK, Ga. — Finding an affordable place to live is becoming more and more of an issue across the country, but what is considered affordable all depends on how much your paycheck is. 

The most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show the average salary in Glynn county is $1,072 a week before taxes, which comes out to $55,744 annually. 

However, Glynn County local real estate broker Tom McBride says the average area home price is well above what many people can afford.

“I would love to see more affordable housing, more affordable townhomes, more perhaps condos, attached homes, whatever that can drive costs out and make the dream of a home more realistic you know,” says McBride. “I think that folks are trying to, want to buy, but it just feels a little out of reach right now.”

Tom McBride is with Avalon Properties Group in Brunswick and has been working in real estate for 22 years. He says he has seen a lot of changes in the market there.

“I think when you pair the fact that home prices went up, 50 to 100 percent depending on the house and the market, over the last 5 plus years, and the fact that interest rates have gone from 2.5% to 6-6.5%, it is a double whammy for folks,” says McBride.

The prices of homes has increased dramatically since 2020, but things are starting to even out a little bit. 

“Home prices overall are down 1% for the month,” says McBride. “Which isn’t significant, but it’s a, it’s a trend in in a direction of maybe where at least the market will flatten out and people can catch up to it and when rates come down it’ll become a lot more affordable.”

There are several new developments of single family, town homes and apartments popping up throughout Glynn County and the Golden Isles overall, but those options can be costly, especially when looking at the median home prices for the area.

“The median home price for our county, Glynn County that we’re talking about principally here is about $445,000,” says McBride. “St. Simon’s average home price, you know, can be $650,000. In Brunswick, if you break it out, would be more in the low $300,000 range. In the older part of town you can find homes, you know, pretty readily available for $150 to $250,000.”