Beech Island is a rural area close to a golf haven
Beech Island is a residential area within a short drive of several large employers and the city of Augusta, Georgia, which hosts the PGA's The Masters Tournament each year and has a bustling restaurant scene. The rural Aiken County community also tends to have much lower property taxes on its ranch-style and New Traditional homes than in Augusta, adding to its appeal. Students attend a highly rated school district, and several outdoor escapes are nearby.
What homes cost in Beech Island
The area mixes older ranch-style homes, cottages and manufactured houses with larger New Traditional properties, many of which were built after 2020. The older homes often run from the lower $100,000s to the upper $200,000s, while the New Traditional houses typically range from the mid-$200,000s to the upper $600,000s, with select properties climbing even higher. Property taxes in Aiken County tend to be much lower than in Augusta. “There’s a lot of potential for increasing values if you get the right house,” says Shawna Woodward, a Realtor with Re/Max Reinvented.
What community life is like
Though it’s close to Augusta, the residential streets of Beech Island feel like a country town. Other than major highways, roads are often narrow and surrounded by pines and other trees. Homes usually have long driveways and sit well off the street. Most residents will need a car to get around the spread-out area. “There is a lot of horse land. It’s very rural,” Woodward says. “A few subdivisions have popped up in the last three years.” There’s also an industrial bent to the town, and several manufacturers and distribution centers are just south of Jefferson Davis Highway, between Palmetto Parkway and Atomic Road. Others, like the Kimberly-Clark paper mill, are scattered throughout the area.
Getting to nearby cities and major employers is simple
U.S. Route 278 and South Carolina Highway 28 pass through Beech Island, making travel easy. Downtown Augusta is around a 10-minute drive in regular traffic. Visitors can explore the Augusta Riverwalk or visit the Morris Museum of Art. Augusta National Golf Club, which hosts The Masters Tournament each April, is about 20 minutes out. For longer trips, residents can get to Augusta Regional Airport in just over 15 minutes.
Large employers are also within driving distance. Fort Gordon, home of the National Security Agency and the Cyber Center of Excellence, is nearly a 30-minute drive. The Savannah River Site, a nuclear facility, is roughly 15 minutes away. Woodward says both facilities are a big draw for the area.
Golf courses, parks and a race track are close by
There’s plenty of outdoor fun in and around Beech Island. Lollar Park is a small, quiet space with a playground and picnic tables. On the edge of the community, Boyd Pond Park provides walking and biking trails, a disc golf course and athletic fields. Residents can head to nearby New Savannah Bluff Lock & Dam Park for fishing, kayaking and sunset watching. The dam is around 2 miles from Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, where visitors can spot herons, hawks and alligators from its walking paths. Golfers can play a round at one of Augusta's many courses, including Forest Hills Golf Club and River Golf Club. To the southeast is the Carolina Dragway, a drag-racing track that opened in 1957.
Students are zoned for Aiken County Public Schools
Students attend Aiken County Public Schools, a highly rated district. Silver Bluff High School serves a large part of the area and gets high individual marks. The nearby Midland Valley Christian Academy is a top private option. South Carolina’s Education Scholarship Trust Fund provides more than $7,500 to low- to moderate-income families, who are picked on a first-come, first-served basis.
Casual and upscale restaurants are a within a few miles
People in Beech Island don’t have to worry about going hungry. There are places to eat in town, and several more across the river in Augusta. Options include:
Sunrise Bistro at Crossroads, a Southern-style breakfast and lunch spot
- Freeman’s BBQ, which has served the area for more than 50 years
- Iron Horse Grill, which hosts live music and other events
- Frog Hollow Tavern, an upscale New American eatery
- Sole Augusta, which blends sushi and tapas with more traditional entrees
Woodward says residents will also head northeast to Aiken for its food and drinks, especially on the weekend. “It has some of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants,” Woodward says. City Billiards, which offers burgers, chili dogs and pool tables, is one such option.
