How Augusta fits into Richmond County and Georgia: the city, the county, Richmond County School District, the neighboring towns within 15 miles, and which one to call for what.

Augusta sits in Richmond County, Georgia. Three layers of local government share the work here, and knowing which does what saves time: the city, the county and the school district are separate bodies with separate budgets, separate boards and separate elections.

The city

The city of Augusta runs the police department, most local streets, parks, water and sewer where it operates them, zoning and building permits, code enforcement and trash and recycling contracts. The city council sets the property tax rate for the city’s share and adopts the budget each year. Council agendas are published before every meeting; we report from them on the news pages.

The county

Richmond County runs the courts, the jail, the sheriff’s office (which polices the unincorporated areas and serves warrants countywide), property records and the recorder or clerk’s office, elections, public health, and the county roads outside city limits. The county appraiser or assessor values property for tax; the county treasurer or tax collector collects it for every taxing body. Real estate transfers in our weekly column come from the county record.

The school district

Public schools in Augusta are run by Richmond County School District, an independent body with its own elected board, its own budget and, in most states, its own line on your property tax bill. District boundaries do not follow city limits: some Augusta addresses are zoned to neighboring districts, and the district may include parts of other towns. School board agendas and state report cards are the primary sources for our education coverage.

The neighbors

These are the places over 5,000 people within about 15 miles of Augusta, nearest first. We name them when a story touches them, with the distance:

  • Grovetown (about 10 miles)
  • Martinez (about 11 miles)
  • North Augusta, SC (about 13 miles)
  • Evans (about 14 miles)

Augusta by the numbers

From the 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates (U.S. Census Bureau):

Measure Augusta
Population 201,504
Median household income $53,134
Median home value (owner-occupied) $162,900
Median age 34.9
Adults 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher 24.2%

Estimates carry margins of error; treat them as a picture, not a count.

Who to call

  • Police non-emergency: the Augusta Police Department (emergencies: 911).
  • Outside city limits: the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office.
  • Property records and deeds: the Richmond County recorder / clerk.
  • Weather warnings: the National Weather Service office for this area is CAE; we publish its alerts for Augusta as they are issued.