Quality of Life
The tourism and recreation section highlighted numerous aspects of quality of life. Ongoing efforts to expand and improve open spaces in downtown continue to render the district a more livable place. Other aspects of quality of life are equally important in drawing new residents and businesses.
Cost of Living
At 17.3% below the national average, the cost of living in the Augusta metro area is among the lowest in the nation. With the exception of food costs, all indices lie below the national average. Low housing costs have been one of the biggest draws for Augusta.
Crime
Safety and security are major considerations for residents and workers. Augusta has some of the safest neighborhoods anywhere. At 434 crimes per 100,000, Augusta’s violent crime rate is lower than all Georgia’s 7 largest cities and is 7.1% below the national average. Although property crime is above the national average, it is below all but one of the state’s largest cities.
Fire Services
Fire insurance rates for residents and businesses are dependent on the Insurance Services Office Public Protection Classification system (PPC). PPC is used to rate fire districts from 1 (best) to 10 (worst) based on measures that examine elements of a fire district or city’s fire suppression system. The classification is divided into three major sections: (1) fire department organization; (2) available water supply; and (3) how fire alarms are received and handled. Augusta’s PPC rating is 2, placing downtown is an elite group of the top 10% of the nation’s fire departments. This translates into hundreds to thousands of dollars of annual savings for downtown residents and businesses.
Parks and Trails along the Riverwalk
Medical Facilities
All but one of the Augusta metropolitan area’s major hospitals are concentrated in the downtown area. The Medical College of Georgia and University Hospital alone combine to offer over 1,137 beds and a full range of medical services (in addition to nearby Saint Joseph Hospital, the Veterans Administration Medical Center and Walton Rehabilitation Center), easily making downtown Augusta, for its size, one of the largest medical facilities concentrations in the nation.
Medical Facilities Personnel and Use Rates |
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United States |
Augusta MSA |
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| Medical Utilization | Total |
Per |
Total |
Per 1,000 |
Total Population (2000) |
281,421,906 |
N/A |
477,441 |
N/A |
Hospitals |
4,949 |
N/A |
6 |
N/A |
Beds |
822,531 |
2.9 |
1,494 |
3.1 |
Physicians and Dentists |
72,967 |
26.0 |
356 |
75.0 |
Medical & Dental Residents |
78,721 |
28.0 |
421 |
88.1 |
Registered Nurses |
988,760 |
351.3 |
2,096 |
439.0 |
Surgical Operations |
27,590,329 |
98.0 |
59,003 |
123.6 |
Outpatient Visits (emergency) |
110,011,801 |
390.9 |
191,897 |
401.9 |
Outpatient Visits (total) |
557,336,352 |
1,980.4 |
1,009,175 |
2,113.7 |