Richmond County is located in thestate ofGeorgia in the U.S. As of the2020 census, the population was 206,607.[2] It is one of the original counties of Georgia, created on February 5, 1777. Following an election in 1995,Augusta (thecounty seat) consolidated governments with Richmond County. The consolidated entity is known as Augusta-Richmond County, or simply Augusta. Exempt are the cities ofHephzibah andBlythe, in southern Richmond County, which voted to remain separate. Richmond County is included in the Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SCmetropolitan statistical area.
Richmond County was established in 1777 by the first Constitution of the (newly independent) State of Georgia. As such, it is one of the original counties of the state. It was formed from a portion of the colonial Parish of St. Paul after the Revolution disestablished the Church of England in the (former) Royal Province of Georgia.
According to theU.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 329 square miles (850 km2), of which 324 square miles (840 km2) is land and 4.3 square miles (11 km2) (1.3%) is water.[4]
The vast majority of Richmond County is located in the MiddleSavannah River sub-basin of theSavannah River basin, with just the southwestern corner of the county, from a line running north fromBlythe through the middle ofFort Gordon, located in theBrier Creek sub-basin of the Savannah River basin.[5]
Richmond County, Georgia – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census, there were 206,607 people and 42,363 families residing in the county. The median age was 35.5 years, 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 15.2% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over. 91.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 8.3% lived in rural areas.[18][19][20]
There were 82,363 households in the county, of which 28.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 39.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]
There were 92,057 housing units, of which 10.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 49.5% were owner-occupied and 50.5% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 9.2%.[19]
As of the 2020s, Richmond County is a strongly Democratic Party voting county, voting 67.79% forKamala Harris in2024. Similar to most urban counties in the state with majority African American populations, Richmond County has backed theDemocratic Party candidate by increasing margins since1992. However, in every presidential election from 1952 to 1988 which did not have Georgian Jimmy Carter on the ballot, the county backed theRepublican candidate for president. In1968 it was one of only eight counties in Georgia whereGeorge Wallace came in third. Prior to 1952, the county voted like a typicalSolid South county, voting for Democratic presidential candidates by landslide margins until backingDixiecratStrom Thurmond in 1948. 1928 was an exception to this rule withHerbert Hoover beatingAl Smith handily due to anti-Catholic sentiment.