Best Areas to Live in Augusta
Augusta's established neighborhoods vary meaningfully in character and price, though the most specific price figures found this session (Forest Hills, Summerville) date to March 2022 and should be treated as dated relative to the current 2026 citywide $220,000 median -- a real, disclosed freshness gap rather than a current, precise comparison.
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Learn moreForest Hills: Established, Golf-Course-Adjacent, Low Crime
Forest Hills, in eastern Augusta near Lake Aumond, is described as having some of the lowest crime rates in the city and easy access to both I-20 and Fort Gordon -- a genuine draw for military-connected buyers commuting to the installation. It's anchored by the Forest Hills Golf Club and was cited (as of March 2022, a dated figure) as Augusta's second-most-expensive neighborhood, averaging around $346,603 at that time.
Summerville: Historic, Walkable, University-Adjacent
Summerville, just south of downtown, hosts Augusta University's original campus along with public libraries and museums, and is described as one of Augusta's most desirable historic neighborhoods -- 19th-century architecture, brick sidewalks, and mature oak-lined streets. Its March 2022 median price (dated) was cited around $452,459, about 89% above the citywide mean at that time -- Augusta's clear premium historic-district option, comparable in character (though smaller in scale) to the walkable historic-core neighborhoods highlighted in other Tier A+ metros on this site.
National Hills: Established, Older Housing Stock, Comparatively Affordable
National Hills sits near the Augusta National Golf Course (home of the Masters -- see the pros-and-cons and jobs-economy topic pages for that tournament's real economic impact) and offers access to the Augusta Canal Trail and Eisenhower Park. Its housing stock is mostly older, built between 1940 and 1969, with a median home value cited around $167,185 -- below both the Georgia and national neighborhood-value medians per that source, making it a comparatively affordable, established option relatively close to the Masters-week action without a golf-course-adjacent price premium.
Beyond Richmond County: Columbia County as a Real Nearby Alternative
Many Augusta-area movers, particularly families prioritizing school performance (see the schools topic page's disclosed Richmond County academic-performance gap), end up comparing Augusta directly against neighboring Columbia County (Martinez, Evans, Grovetown) -- a separately governed county with its own school district and its own real-estate market, not detailed in depth on this Richmond-County-focused page. This is a genuine, common part of how people research an Augusta-area move, similar to how Houston's page on this site treats its separately governed suburban ring.
Key takeaways
- Forest Hills (eastern Augusta, near Fort Gordon and I-20) is cited as low-crime with a golf-course anchor; its ~$346,603 price figure is dated to March 2022, not current.
- Summerville (near downtown, Augusta University's original campus) is Augusta's premium historic-district option -- 19th-century architecture and walkability -- with a dated (March 2022) median around $452,459, about 89% above the citywide mean at that time.
- National Hills (near Augusta National Golf Course) offers comparatively affordable, older housing stock (median value ~$167,185) close to Masters-week activity without a golf-course-adjacent premium.
- Columbia County (Martinez, Evans, Grovetown), immediately northwest, is a real, separately governed alternative many Augusta-area movers compare against directly, particularly for school performance -- not detailed in depth on this Richmond-County-focused page.
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