Martinez, Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Martinez · Columbia County, Georgia
Population 33,019 (est. 2026: ~35,500)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 2.21% annual growth projection

Martinez, Georgia

Columbia County, Georgia · Population 34,535

Martinez sits on the western edge of Augusta, separated from the city proper by the Savannah River's old flood plain and a tangle of suburban arterials. It is an unincorporated census-designated place, not an incorporated city — meaning Columbia County government runs things here, there is no mayor's office in Martinez, and the municipal code that exists is thin by design. What Martinez actually is, in practice, is the residential spine of Augusta's prosperous western suburbs: well-maintained subdivisions, a median household income roughly $20,000 above Georgia's statewide figure, a labor force that largely drives east into Augusta or up Interstate 20 toward Columbia, South Carolina, and a community that skews educated, stable, and family-oriented.

People & Demographics

The 2022 ACS counted 33,773 residents in Martinez. The median age is 39.1 — slightly older than Georgia's overall median, consistent with an established suburb rather than a college town or fast-growing exurb. Columbia County as a whole holds 156,010 people, making Martinez home to roughly one in five county residents.

Racially, the community is predominantly white (24,976), with Black residents numbering 3,961, Asian residents 2,251, and a Hispanic/Latino population of 2,028. Average household size is 2.82 people across 11,968 occupied households, and 8,242 of those are family households. Children under 18 number 7,885 — a meaningful share of the population that shapes both school demand and park use.

Poverty touches 3,163 residents, a rate that is notably low by both Georgia and national standards.

Economy & Employment

Median household income in Martinez is $80,130. Per capita income reaches $42,399. Both figures sit well above Georgia's statewide medians, reflecting the concentration of military families (Fort Eisenhower, formerly Fort Gordon, anchors Columbia County's economy), healthcare workers serving the Augusta University Medical Center system, and government and professional services employees.

Of 17,023 people counted in the labor force, 652 are unemployed — an unemployment rate under 4%. The economy here is not driven by a single employer in Martinez itself; the community functions as a bedroom for the Augusta metro's institutional employers.

Housing

Total housing units stand at 14,214, of which 11,968 are occupied and 2,246 are vacant — a vacancy rate around 15.8%, which is elevated and likely includes units in transition between owners and renters rather than structural abandonment.

Owner-occupied units: 8,690. Renter-occupied: 3,278. That 73/27 owner-renter split reflects the neighborhood character — this is a place people buy into, often with long-term roots through military assignments or Augusta's healthcare sector.

Median home value is $211,200. Median gross rent is $1,157 per month. Both figures are moderate by metro standards, though Columbia County has seen consistent appreciation pressure from buyers priced out of Augusta proper and from in-migration tied to Fort Eisenhower's ongoing relevance.

Schools

Martinez is served by Columbia County School District. The following schools operate in or near the community:

Westmont Elementary is listed in district records but showed no enrollment in the 2022 NCES data. High school students feed into the Columbia County district's secondary campuses outside the CDP boundary.

For higher education nearby, the Augusta School of Massage operates locally (706-863-4799), and Augusta University — a major research institution — sits a short drive east.

Getting Around

Martinez is a car-required community by any reasonable measure. Of 16,254 workers, 13,722 drove alone to work. Another 1,323 carpooled. Public transit carried just 15 workers. Walking accounted for zero commuters in the dataset.

Work-from-home is a growing segment at 1,064 workers — about 6.5% of the workforce — consistent with post-pandemic patterns in professional and government-adjacent occupations.

The aggregate commute time across all workers is 329,350 minutes, yielding an average one-way commute of roughly 20 minutes. For a community this close to downtown Augusta, that tracks: most destinations are reachable in under half an hour barring Gordon Highway congestion.

Healthcare

Martinez does not host a major hospital within its CDP boundaries, but Augusta University Medical Center and Doctors Hospital of Augusta are both within a 15–20 minute drive east. For a searchable index of individual licensed providers — physicians, therapists, specialists — with NPI numbers practicing in Martinez, the CMS NPI Registry returns current results at:

NPI Registry – Martinez, GA providers

Library

The Columbia County Library serves Martinez residents and is located approximately 3.6 miles from the community center. Contact: 706-863-1946. The library operates as part of the Columbia County Public Library system.

Parks & Recreation

Ninety Six National Historic Site, administered by the National Park Service, lies approximately 43 miles from Martinez in South Carolina. It preserves a Revolutionary War-era backcountry village and siege site — one of the few places where earthworks from that period survive largely intact. It functions as a day-trip destination for history-minded Columbia County residents. A visitor center is on site.

Closer in, Clarks Hill Lake (Thurmond Lake) on the Georgia-South Carolina border offers boating, fishing, camping, and Corps of Engineers recreation areas within a short drive north of Martinez.

Natural Hazards

Columbia County has a documented FEMA disaster history spanning nearly five decades:

The pattern is consistent with Georgia's broader exposure: tropical systems tracking inland from the Gulf and Atlantic, ice storms in winter, and episodic flooding. Hurricane Helene's 2024 declarations are recent enough to have affected current residents directly.

Government & Municipal Code

Martinez is a census-designated place, not an incorporated municipality. Columbia County handles zoning, permitting, and public services. A municipal code is published through Municode:

Martinez CDP Municipal Code – Municode

No local building code is in effect for Martinez as a CDP. Building and construction standards default to Columbia County and Georgia state requirements.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for Martinez are available through the National Weather Service:

The nearest official weather observation station is Martinez 2.9 WSW, approximately 1.2 miles from the community center.

References

The law belongs to the people. Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, 590 U.S. (2020)