Augusta, GA: Rental Property Market Guide

Updated March 2026 · Pop. 200,549

Augusta is known worldwide for one thing — the Masters golf tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, held every April. But the city's economic engine isn't golf — it's Fort Eisenhower (formerly Fort Gordon), home to the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence. The military's growing investment in cyber operations has transformed Augusta from a quiet Southern city into one of the fastest-growing defense hubs in the Southeast. The Army Cyber Command's relocation to Fort Eisenhower has brought thousands of high-clearance, high-income military and contractor personnel to the area, creating rental demand that didn't exist five years ago.

Fort Eisenhower and the Cyber Boom

Fort Eisenhower hosts the Army Cyber Center of Excellence, the Army Signal School, and NSA/CSS Georgia — together employing 28,000+ military and civilian workers. The Army's decision to consolidate cyber operations at Fort Eisenhower has been the single largest economic catalyst in Augusta's history, bringing an estimated $2.6 billion in construction and 9,000+ new positions. BAH rates for Augusta are modest compared to coastal bases — approximately $1,380 for an E-5 with dependents — but the volume of military renters creates consistent demand. The Grovetown (30813) and Martinez (30907) areas adjacent to the base have the tightest vacancy and the highest concentration of military tenants. Properties in these suburbs run $180-250K with rents of $1,100-1,400.

The Medical District

Augusta University Health (formerly Medical College of Georgia) is the state's only public academic health system and employs 8,000+ workers. The medical campus sits on the south side of downtown, and surrounding neighborhoods (Summerville 30904, Hill area 30901) provide housing for medical residents, nursing staff, and hospital administrators. These areas have older housing stock (1940s-1960s) at $100-170K, renting for $800-1,100. Medical tenants are reliable but properties in this zone require more maintenance due to age. The Veterans Affairs Medical Center (adjacent to AU Health) adds another 3,000+ employees to the healthcare tenant pool.

Masters Week: The Annual Bonus

The Masters tournament brings 200,000+ visitors to Augusta in April, and rental demand for tournament week is insane. Homeowners near Augusta National rent their houses for $5,000-25,000 for the week — even modest homes 20 minutes from the course command $3,000-5,000. If you own a rental property in Augusta's west side (30909, near the course), you can build Masters week rental income into your annual return. Even after converting back to long-term rental for the other 51 weeks, that single week of tournament income adds $3,000-5,000 to your annual return — equivalent to 2-3 months of regular rent. Some investors buy specifically for this purpose, keeping the property as a furnished STR year-round and maximizing Masters week as the anchor income event.

Columbia County: The Premium Suburb

Columbia County (Evans 30809, Martinez 30907) is Augusta's answer to Edmond (OKC) or Hoover (Birmingham) — the affluent suburb with top-rated schools and low crime. Columbia County schools are consistently ranked among Georgia's best, which makes the area a magnet for military families with school-age children. Properties run $230-320K with rents of $1,400-1,700 and vacancy near 4%. The cap rates are lower (5.5-6%) but the tenant quality is military-officer-grade and the appreciation has been strong (5-7% annually over the past 5 years, driven by cyber expansion housing demand).