Augusta, GA

Most of the world knows Augusta, Georgia, for one week each April. When the Masters Tournament comes to Augusta National Golf Club, the city becomes the center of the golf world. The people who live here know a much bigger city. Founded in 1736, Augusta is Georgia's second-oldest city and the hub of a metro area of more than 600,000 people. It has a growing healthcare and cybersecurity economy, historic neighborhoods, and a long stretch of riverfront.

Augusta sits on the Georgia–South Carolina line, about two and a half hours east of Atlanta. Interstate 20 crosses the city, and Interstate 520 (the Bobby Jones Expressway and Palmetto Parkway) loops around it. Together they connect the region's neighborhoods, military installation, and employment centers. Augusta Regional Airport offers commercial flights, and Atlanta, Columbia, and the Carolina coast are all within an easy drive.

Education and medicine are tied closely together here. Augusta University includes the Medical College of Georgia, the state's only public medical school, and anchors a major academic health system. Paine College, a historically Black college founded in 1882, and Augusta Technical College add to the city's higher education options. The Richmond County School System serves the city, and its magnet schools include the nationally recognized Davidson Fine Arts School and the Academy of Richmond County, one of the oldest high schools in the country.

Augusta's history is visible across the city. James Oglethorpe established the town as a trading post on the Savannah River, and it later served briefly as Georgia's state capital. In the 1840s, the Augusta Canal made the city an industrial center. Today the canal is a National Heritage Area, and visitors can tour it by boat or follow its towpath trail. The Summerville neighborhood, known locally as "The Hill," has grand historic homes, and downtown's Broad Street keeps its 19th-century storefronts. Augusta is also proud of being the hometown of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, whose statue stands on Broad Street.

There is plenty to do outdoors. The Augusta Riverwalk runs along the Savannah River with parks, an amphitheater, and riverside views. Phinizy Swamp Nature Park protects more than 1,100 acres of wetlands with boardwalks and trails. The canal is popular for kayaking and biking, and nearby Lake Thurmond (Clarks Hill Lake) is one of the largest lakes in the Southeast, offering boating, fishing, and camping. Golf, unsurprisingly, is everywhere.

Augusta also has a strong arts scene. Arts in the Heart of Augusta is one of the Southeast's largest arts festivals. The restored Imperial Theatre and Miller Theater host concerts, ballet, and touring shows, and the Morris Museum of Art tells the story of art in the American South. Masters Week brings parties, visitors, and energy to the whole metro.

The city's economy has changed significantly in recent years. Fort Eisenhower, formerly Fort Gordon, is home to U.S. Army Cyber Command, which has turned Augusta into a national cybersecurity center. The Georgia Cyber Innovation and Training Center reinforces that role. Healthcare is the other major pillar, with large hospitals and medical research employing tens of thousands. Manufacturing, logistics, and the nearby Savannah River Site also provide significant employment.

Augusta offers some of the most affordable housing of any metro its size. Options include historic homes in Summerville and Olde Town, mid-century neighborhoods in West Augusta, downtown lofts near Broad Street, and newer subdivisions in South Augusta and the suburbs beyond. Physicians, military families, and young professionals all find homes here at prices well below most Southern metros.

Public services are provided through the consolidated Augusta-Richmond County government, including the Richmond County Sheriff's Office and Augusta Fire Department. Investments in downtown revitalization, riverfront development, and infrastructure continue to build on the city's momentum.

Residents of Augusta enjoy a mix of things few cities this size offer together: world-famous golf, a major medical center, a growing tech economy, deep Southern history, and an affordable cost of living along a beautiful river.

Augusta, Georgia, is far more than a one-week destination. With its historic neighborhoods, expanding cyber and healthcare economy, riverfront recreation, and Southern hospitality, the Garden City remains one of Georgia's most rewarding places to live, work, and build a future.

Contact us today at:
Riverside Heating and Air Conditioning
3822 Commercial Court, Martinez, GA 30907
(706) 945-5227