North Augusta, South Carolina

North Augusta is a city located in Aiken County, South Carolina on the north bank of the Savannah River. North Augusta is a suburb of the city of Augusta, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 17,574.

Table of contents

1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics

History

North Augusta is established on the spot where three towns have stood in the past. The English established a trading post known as Savannah Town nearly 300 years ago. This town was abandoned when Augusta, Georgia proved to be more prosperious and attractive to traders. Campbelltown was established as a trading point for tobacco traders over 200 years ago. Again, competition, sometimes violent opposition, from the Georgia side of the Savannah River, coupled with a recession in the tobacco market spelled the end of Campbelltown 60 years later.

Nearly 150 years ago the town of Hamburg was established as a docking point for steam boats coming up the river from Charleston. Eventually, a railroad connecting Hamburg and Charleston was established, leading to a boom for the town. The construction of the Augusta Canal, allowing upriver traders to do business in Augusta, dealt a blow to the prosperity of the town. The final blow came when a rail bridge linked the railroad to the city, allowing traffic to bypass the doomed town of Hamburg.

Much of the development of the town of North Augusta can be traced back to the establishment of the Hampton Terrace Hotel, built in 1902 by James U. Jackson on a hill overlooking the city of Augusta. At the time, the hotel was one of the largest and most luxurious in the nation, and it served many of the travelers who visited Augusta in the early part of the century. By the time the hotel burned down on New Year's Eve 1916, North Augusta was a thriving suburb of the city and remains a major part of the Augusta metropolitan area today.

Geography

North Augusta is located at 33°30'47" North, 81°57'46" West (33.512935, -81.962640)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 45.5 km² (17.6 mi²). 44.5 km² (17.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.9 km² (0.4 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.05% water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 17,574 people, 7,330 households, and 4,764 families residing in the city. The population density is 394.5/km² (1,021.7/mi²). There are 7,923 housing units at an average density of 177.9/km² (460.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 77.65% White, 18.77% African American, 0.28% Native American, 1.18% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 1.01% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 2.41% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 7,330 households out of which 32.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% are married couples living together, 13.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% are non-families. 30.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.96.

In the city the population is spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 88.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 84.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $41,083, and the median income for a family is $53,172. Males have a median income of $40,565 versus $25,889 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,391. 11.0% of the population and 9.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 16.6% are under the age of 18 and 10.7% are 65 or older.