Augusta vs Athens
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $178,400 in Augusta and $299,200 in Athens.
- Augusta has the warmer winter: January highs of 60°F vs 55°F.
- Augusta has more scorching days: 86 a year at 90°F or hotter vs 62.
Side by side
| Augusta, GA | Athens, GA | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 201,999 | 128,612 |
| Growth since 2020 | +0% | +1% |
| People per square mile | 668 | 1,105 |
| Median age | 35.2 | 29.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25% | 47% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $55,485 | $52,974 |
| Median home value | $178,400 | $299,200 |
| Home value to income | 3.2× | 5.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,142 | $1,219 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.9 | 93.3 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 70.6 | 76.8 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,900 | $70,000 |
| Homeowners | 51% | 41% |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 5.19% |
| Combined sales tax | 7.56% | 7.56% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 21.1 | 20.6 |
| Work from home | 9% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 2% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 8.6% | 5.3% |
| Poverty rate | 20.1% | 26.5% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 60° / 35° | 55° / 34° |
| July high / low | 94° / 72° | 92° / 70° |
| Precipitation per year | 44 in | 49 in |
| Snowfall per year | 1 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 86 | 62 |
| Nights below freezing | 51 | 46 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Low |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 87.4 | 67.0 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 46% | 58% |
| Home prices, past year | +5% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +49.2% | +54.8% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Augusta: March to May and October to November. Athens: March to May and September to October.
Full monthly tables: Augusta weather by month and Athens weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,900 in Augusta and $70,000 in Athens. Moving from Augusta to Athens, you would need about $76,200 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Augusta and Athens
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Augusta and Athens.
Which would you pick?
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