| Augusta metropolitan area | |
| Official Name: | Augusta-Richmond County, GA–SC metropolitan statistical area |
| Settlement Type: | Metropolitan statistical area |
| Map Alt: | Map of Greater Augusta |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Georgia South Carolina |
| Subdivision Type2: | Largest city |
| Subdivision Name2: | Augusta |
| Subdivision Type3: | Other cities |
| Subdivision Name3: | Aiken |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 4045 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 3932 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 113 |
| Area Water Percent: | 2.8 |
| Population As Of: | 2023 |
| Population Total: | 629,429 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | auto |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Rank |
| Population Blank1: | 96th[1] |
| Timezone: | EST |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | EDT |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Area Codes: | 478, 706, 762, 803, 839, 864 |
The Augusta metropolitan area, officially the Augusta-Richmond County metropolitan statistical area according to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Census Bureau and other agencies, is a metropolitan statistical area centered on the city of Augusta, Georgia. It straddles two U.S. states, Georgia and South Carolina, and includes the Georgia counties of Richmond, Burke, Columbia, Lincoln, and McDuffie as well as the South Carolina counties of Aiken and Edgefield. The official 2023 U.S. census estimate for the area was 629,429 residents, up from 611,000 at the 2020 U.S. census.[2]
The Augusta metropolitan area consists of seven counties: five in Georgia, and two in South Carolina. Among the counties making up the metropolitan region, Richmond, Aiken, and Columbia were its most populous. Making up more than 4,045 sq mi (10,480 square kilometers) in total area, the MSA would be larger than Delaware if it were a U.S. state.
| County | Population (2020) | |
|---|---|---|
| Richmond County | 206,607 | |
| Columbia County | 156,010 | |
| Burke County | 24,596 | |
| McDuffie County | 21,632 | |
| Lincoln County | 7,690 | |
| Total: | 416,535 |
| County | Population (2020) | |
|---|---|---|
| Aiken County | 168,808 | |
| Edgefield County | 25,657 | |
| Total: | 194,465 |
According to the 2000 United States census, there were 499,684 people, 184,801 households, and 132,165 families residing within the MSA.[3] By the 2020 census, its population was 611,000, with a 2021 census-estimated metropolitan population of 624,083.
In 2000, the racial and ethnic composition of the Augusta metropolitan area was 60.81% White American, 35.09% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.42% Asian American, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.85% from other races, and 1.43% from two or more races. Hispanic and Latino Americans of any race were 2.40% of the population. According to the 2022 American Community Survey,[4] its racial and ethnic makeup was 52% White, 34% African American, 2% Asian, 1% other, 4% multiracial, and 6% Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2000, the median income for a household in the MSA was $36,933, and the median income for a family was $42,869. Males had a median income of $34,574 versus $22,791 for females. The per capita income for the MSA was $17,652. In 2022, the estimated median household income was $64,851 with a per capita income of $34,401. Of its population, 40% earned less than $50,000 annually; 29% earned from $50,000 to $100,000 annually; 23% $100,000 to $200,000; and 8% earned more than $200,000 annually. Among the metropolitan population, approximately 15% lived at or below the poverty line.
In terms of religious adherence and observance, Christianity is the MSA's largest religion. Located within the Bible Belt, Christians became the largest religious group during British colonization of the Americas and the establishment of the Province of Georgia. Before European exploration and colonization of the Americas, Native American religions were predominant in the present-day metropolitan area.
According to a 2020 study by the Association of Religion Data Archives, the largest overall Christian groups were Baptists, non-denominational Protestants, and Catholics; and the largest Christian denominations were the Southern Baptist Convention, the Catholic Church, United Methodist Church, and the National Baptist Convention, USA and National Missionary Baptist Convention.[5] Prominent non-mainstream Christian denominations were the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the Jehovah's Witnesses.
In the same 2020 Association of Religion Data Archives study, Hinduism is the Augusta metropolitan area's second-largest religion, followed by Islam, Buddhism, Judaism, the Baha'i Faith, Sikhism, and Jainism. Among its metropolitan Jewish community, the largest Jewish denominations or movements were Conservative Judaism, Reform Judaism, Orthodox Judaism, and Chabad.
The largest metropolitan industries are medicine, biotechnology, cyber security, manufacturing, and education. Prominent employers and organizations throughout the region have been Augusta University, Augusta Technical College, Paine College, East Georgia State College and Georgia Military College, the Richmond County School System, Savannah River Site,[6] Encompass Health Corporation,[7] T-Mobile, Teleperformance, and Coca-Cola.[8] Among the colleges and universities, Augusta University has made an economic impact of $2.24 billion and more than 21,000 jobs to the state's economy as of 2022.[9]