Property Makler
Advanced analytics for residential real estate investing

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC housing market

Housing market indicators

Indicator	2022	2023	2024	2025*	2022	2023	2024	YTD
Median Listing Price per Square Feet	$150	$154	$157	$163	12.8%	2.7%	1.9%	3.8%
Active Listing Count	1,647	1,832	1,867	2,518	92.4%	11.2%	1.9%	34.9%
Median Days on Market	70	66	84	70	34.6%	-5.7%	27.3%	-16.7%
Share of listings with price increase	2.8%	1.3%	1.6%	1.7%
Share of listings with price decrease	8.3%	13.5%	14.4%	14.5%

* last available value

Note: 12M MA - 12 months moving average, Permits - New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits. Source: FRED

The Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) spans east central Georgia and west central South Carolina with a 2024 population of approximately 637,000.
It includes five Georgia counties (Richmond, Columbia, Burke, McDuffie, Lincoln) and three South Carolina counties (Aiken, Edgefield, McCormick).
Key geographic regions: Central urban core around Augusta-Richmond County; affluent northern suburbs in Columbia County; southern areas across the Savannah River in South Carolina; rural peripheries in Burke, McDuffie, and Lincoln Counties.
Major cities/towns: Augusta (principal city, ~202,000), Martinez (~36,000), Evans (~29,000), Grovetown (~14,000) in Georgia; Aiken (~30,000), North Augusta (~22,000) in South Carolina.

Area	City/Town	Population	Density	Income (High/Low/...)	Quality of Schools (GreatSchools Rating Range)	Crime Level	Property Tax (%)	Comments
Central Urban	Augusta-Richmond County	202,000	High (urban)	Low-Med ($45k median household)	4-7	High	1.0-1.2%	Medical hub; older housing stock; revitalization ongoing.
North Suburbs	Evans/Martinez (Columbia Co.)	65,000 combined	Med	High ($90k+ median)	8-10	Low	1.1%	Family-friendly; fastest growing; golf communities.
South Suburbs	North Augusta/Aiken (SC)	52,000 combined	Med	Med-High ($65k median)	6-9	Med-Low	0.5-0.7% (SC)	Horse country; equestrian events; lower taxes.
East Rural	Grovetown (Columbia Co.)	14,000	Low-Med	Med ($60k)	7-9	Med	1.1%	New developments; military proximity.
Rural Periphery	Burke/McDuffie/Lincoln Co.	54,000 combined	Low	Low ($40k)	3-6	Med-High	0.9-1.1%	Agriculture; limited services; affordable land.

To view all table columns, please open this table on a laptop or desktop screen.

MSA median household income: ~$55,000; varies widely by area (Columbia County $90k+, Richmond $45k).
Per capita income: ~$28,000; higher in SC suburbs due to lower taxes.
Education: 28% bachelor's degree or higher (above state avg); Columbia County 40%+ college grads; Augusta core lags at 20%.
High school graduation: 88%; workforce skilled in healthcare, military-related fields.
Poverty rate: 18% MSA-wide, concentrated in urban Richmond County.

Healthcare/Medical: Dominant employer; Augusta University Medical Center, VA hospital anchor 50,000+ jobs.
Military: Fort Gordon (Cyber Center of Excellence) drives 20,000 jobs; tech/cyber growth.
Manufacturing: Defense (Boeing), advanced materials; Plant Vogtle nuclear expansion.
Government: Federal/state jobs via military, prisons.
Education: Augusta University, Paine College; research hubs.
Retail/Tourism: Golf (Masters Tournament), riverfront development.

Zoning openness: Moderate in suburbs (Columbia County approves multifamily); restrictive in urban Augusta due to flood zones.
Regulatory strictness: GA side streamlined permitting (avg 6 months); SC faster at 4 months; impact fees low ($5k/lot).
Construction workforce cost: Low-med ($25-35/hr labor); ample local crews from military retirees.
New permits: 2,500/year MSA; single-family focus in Grovetown/Evans.
Land availability: Abundant rural land; urban infill challenged by brownfields.
Inventory: 4-5 months supply; builder incentives rising.

Net migration in: +5,000/year; military relocations to Fort Gordon; retirees to Aiken.
Growing industries: Cyber/tech (Fort Eisenhower expansion +10,000 jobs); healthcare (new hospitals); nuclear (Vogtle adds 800 perm jobs).
Declining: Traditional manufacturing stable, no major outflows.
Population growth: 1% annual; suburbs capture 80% inflows.
Affordability draws from Atlanta/Charlotte; median home $220k vs $400k metros.

Affordability gap: Urban prices lag ($180k median) but suburbs hit $350k; low-income shortage.
Inventory shortage: Seller's market in Evans/North Augusta (2 months supply).
Flood risk: Savannah River zones limit 20% developable land; insurance up 30%.
Labor shortages: Skilled trades lag cyber boom demand.
Crime blight: Central Augusta deters buyers; revitalization slow.
Infrastructure: Aging sewers in core; suburban roads strained.

Area	Appreciation Potential	Risk	Key Drivers
North Suburbs (Evans/Columbia Co.)	High	Low	Military growth; top schools; new builds; 8% annual appreciation.
South Suburbs (North Augusta/Aiken)	High	Low-Med	Low taxes; retiree influx; equestrian demand; 7% yearly gains.
East (Grovetown)	Med-High	Med	Affordable entry; spillover from Evans; infrastructure upgrades.
Central Urban (Augusta)	Med	High	Revitalization upside; crime/flood risks; rental yields strong at 8%.
Rural Periphery	Low	High	Land banking; slow growth; depopulation risk.