Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), Georgia
Seal of Georgia
Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance) · Richmond County, Georgia
Population 201,504 (est. 2026: ~201,600)
Source: Census ACS 2023 · ACS 2023 + 0.01% annual growth projection

Augusta-Richmond County consolidated government (balance), Georgia

Richmond County, Georgia · Population 202,081

Augusta sits on the Savannah River at Georgia's eastern edge, directly across from Aiken, South Carolina. It is the second-largest city in Georgia by population, a place shaped by the military, medicine, and a golf tournament that draws the world's attention for one week each April. The consolidated city-county government — Augusta-Richmond County — covers the balance of Richmond County outside a handful of small independent municipalities. With 202,081 residents, Augusta operates at a scale most Georgia cities don't approach, carrying the weight of a regional hub: trauma hospitals, a major research university, an active Army installation, and the economic gravity that pulls workers from across the Central Savannah River Area.

People & Demographics

The city's 201,615 counted residents have a median age of 34.6, younger than the Georgia median, which reflects the combined influence of military families at Fort Gordon (now Fort Eisenhower), students at Augusta University and other institutions, and a large working-age population. The racial composition is majority Black at 113,801 residents (roughly 56%), with 68,290 white residents and 3,654 Asian residents. The Hispanic and Latino population stands at 10,748. There are 72,510 households, of which 41,710 are family households. Average household size is 2.64. Children under 18 number 46,210 — about 23% of the population, consistent with a city that has a substantial family presence alongside its military and student cohorts.

Economy & Employment

The median household income in Augusta is $50,492, and per capita income is $28,503. Both figures run below Georgia state medians, which reflect the broader challenge: Augusta has a large low-income population. The poverty count stands at 39,519 residents — roughly 19.6% of the population, a rate significantly above the state average.

The labor force numbers 99,335, with 7,659 unemployed, an unemployment rate of approximately 7.7% within the labor force — elevated relative to state norms. The economic anchors are well established: Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon) is one of the largest Army cyber commands in the country. WellStar MCG Health — affiliated with the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University — is a major employer and a teaching hospital system. Augusta University itself drives research and academic employment. The Augusta National Golf Club, host of The Masters, supports hospitality, construction, and service-sector employment that concentrates in spring but ripples through the year.

Housing

Augusta's housing market is among the more affordable in Georgia for a city its size. Median home value is $141,900, and median rent is $1,023 per month. The city has 90,382 total housing units, of which 72,510 are occupied — leaving 17,872 vacant (roughly 19.8% vacancy, a high rate that signals both abandoned stock and transitional housing patterns). Of occupied units, 36,968 are owner-occupied and 35,542 are renter-occupied — an almost even split, with renters holding a slight edge. That near-parity distinguishes Augusta from many smaller Georgia cities where ownership rates run higher. For buyers, $141,900 as a median means entry-level homeownership remains accessible compared to Atlanta or Savannah.

Schools

The listed schools in the Augusta-Richmond County balance area are served by Richmond County School System. Named campuses and enrollment figures from NCES data:

These campuses serve the outer and southern portions of the consolidated government area, particularly the Hephzibah corridor. The urban core of Augusta proper is served by additional Richmond County schools not reflected in this balance-area data slice.

Getting Around

Of 89,298 total workers, 68,152 drove alone — about 76%. Another 7,110 carpooled. Public transit accounts for 1,749 workers, a modest share that reflects Augusta's transit system (Augusta Public Transit) serving a spread-out city. 2,042 walked to work, and 6,253 worked from home. Aggregate travel time across all commuters totals 1,758,855 minutes, yielding an average one-way commute of roughly 19.7 minutes — relatively short, consistent with a mid-size city with no severe highway congestion outside peak hours. Augusta is primarily car-dependent; transit is available but limited in frequency and coverage.

Healthcare

Augusta is a regional medical center for the Central Savannah River Area. Six hospital facilities serve the community:

The concentration of hospital infrastructure here is unusual for a city of this size and reflects Augusta's role as a healthcare hub for a multi-county region extending into South Carolina. For detailed provider lookup, the NPI Registry search for Augusta-area providers is available at NPI Registry.

Library

The nearest branch in the data is the Diamond Lakes Branch of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System, approximately 7.4 miles from the balance area's center. Phone: (706) 772-2432. The Richmond County Public Library System operates multiple branches across the consolidated city.

Natural Hazards

Richmond County has a significant FEMA disaster declaration history — 15 declarations spanning nearly five decades. The record reflects Augusta's exposure to both Atlantic hurricane tracks and severe winter weather:

Hurricane Helene in September 2024 generated both an emergency declaration and a major disaster declaration for Richmond County within the same event — an indicator of significant local impact from a storm that tracked inland from the Gulf Coast.

Government & Municipal Code

Augusta-Richmond County operates under a consolidated city-county government structure, one of a handful of such arrangements in Georgia. The full municipal code is published through Municode and accessible at library.municode.com. No separate local building code is listed in the available data; building standards default to applicable state codes.

Weather

Current forecasts and conditions for the Augusta area are available through the National Weather Service at weather.gov forecast. Active weather alerts can be monitored at weather.gov alerts. The nearest weather observation station is Hephzibah, approximately 4.8 miles from the balance area's geographic center. Augusta's climate is humid subtropical — hot, humid summers with temperatures regularly exceeding 95°F, mild winters with occasional ice events (as the FEMA record confirms), and a hurricane-season vulnerability that extends well inland along the Savannah River corridor.

References

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