While Augusta has certainly felt the ripples of our country’s struggle to tread turbulent economic waters, Georgia’s second largest city has held up quite well compared to others across the nation. National rankings that give our city top honors in housing markets, workforce and business environments are a testament to Augusta’s perseverance, growth and attractive lifestyle.

Augusta’s housing is showing no effects of the nationwide downturn in house prices, according to an article by Marilyn Lewis of MSN Money. In a nationwide article released in December of 2008 by MSN, Augusta ranks #2 out of 292 metropolitan areas in the United States with the best housing appreciation over the past year. Housing values in the Augusta metro area have increased by 5.5% since 2007.

CNN/Money Magazine has ranked Columbia County the 32nd best place to live in the United States and second best place to call home in the southeast. And as recently as March 2007, BizJournal.com rated Augusta number one in their listing of the 10 most affordable markets to own a home. Contributing to the city’s steady growth, stable economy and desirable quality of life are Augusta’s strong base of manufacturers, large employers, world-class medical community and strategic military base.

At the core of technology-based employers in the CSRA is the Savannah River Site (SRS). This U.S. Department of Energy facility develops and uses technologies to improve the environment and treat nuclear and hazardous waste left over from the Cold War. With a workforce of nearly 11,000 people and an annual budget of $2 billion, SRS is adjacent to the Center for Hydrogen Research, the only facility of its kind in the world.

We also mentioned our healthcare community as playing a key part in Augusta’s flourishing economic core. With several hospitals and the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta not only offers an abundance of quality healthcare options for its residents, but it also encourages the development of emerging research and health-related sciences. In particular, MCG’s Interdisciplinary Research Building is opening the door to Augusta’s future as a biotechnology corridor. Here laboratories and offices are breeding grounds for life sciences entrepreneurs and research. The Georgia Medical Center Authority is also dedicated to making Augusta a hub for research and development. The group is brainstorming the Augusta BioBusiness Corridor, an incubator for new biotechnologies with a focus on medical devices and software. To read more about Augusta's healthcare facilities, click here.

Since 1941, our local airport has played a significant role in the economic development of this community. Two major airlines (U.S. Airways Express and Delta Connection) provide nonstop service to two hub cities, Atlanta and Charlotte, and waiting areas have free Internet connections and gourmet coffee and food bars. Augusta Regional Airport tenants and visitors contribute approximately $300 million in economic activity to the area each year. With the construction of a new airline terminal, the airport, conveniently located seven miles from downtown, continues to propel the community forward, embracing the vision of Augusta and the CSRA.

Augusta-Richmond County also boasts an impressive list of world-renowned, advanced manufacturing companies including Proctor and Gamble, Nutra-Sweet, John Deere, E-Z-Go Textron, Club Car and Kellogg. We are also the new home to companies such as T-Mobile and Automatic Data Processing, which are currently making investments of nearly $100 million in new facility operations and bringing 1,000 new jobs to the area. And just across the river in Graniteville, S.C., Bridgestone/Firestone has the world’s most technologically-advanced tire factory. Only nine miles from Augusta, the facility has won numerous awards since its opening.