Pick the town that fits your commute, your budget and the kind of home you want. All five are good places to live in Columbia County, so the right one is personal. In general, Evans costs more, Martinez has older homes on bigger lots, Grovetown has the most new construction and the shortest drive to Fort Gordon, and Harlem and Appling are more rural, with more land.
That’s the short answer. Here’s how to make it your answer.
You’ve narrowed it down to Columbia County. Good. Then you open a map and see five names: Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem and Appling. Every listing says “great location.” Every town sounds fine. And you’re stuck.
Here’s the problem. These five towns are close on a map but different in daily life. One is a 10-minute drive to Fort Gordon. Another is 40. One has a city tax. Another has acreage and a boat ramp. Pick by gut feeling, and you can end up with a long commute, a surprise on your tax bill, or a yard that’s too small for your dog and too big to mow.
You’re the hero of this story. You don’t need to become a local expert overnight. You need a simple way to choose. That’s where we come in. The Fairey Team helps buyers across Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem and Appling from our office in Evans. Our Team Lead, Ehrin Fairey, served on active duty in the Air Force and still serves in the Air Force Reserve, so we know what a move on orders feels like.
Watch our short FAQ answer, then keep reading for the town-by-town breakdown:
Watch on YouTube: Evans vs Martinez vs Grovetown vs Harlem vs Appling, GA · More quick answers on our FAQ page.
The Three Questions That Decide It
Forget the town names for a minute. Three questions do most of the work:
- How long can your commute be? Fort Gordon, the medical district, Evans Towne Center or a work-from-home desk each point to a different town.
- What’s your budget? Prices vary a lot between towns, and so do property taxes.
- What kind of home do you want? Newer construction, an established neighborhood, or a few acres.
Got your three answers? Now let’s meet the towns. Our broader guide to moving to Evans and Columbia County covers the whole county. This post is just about choosing between these five.
Evans: More Amenities, Higher Prices
- Best for: buyers who want shopping, dining, parks and an established family-neighborhood feel, and can stretch the budget.
- Price: Redfin shows a median sale price of about $426,000 for the three months ending September 2026. Homes there went pending in around 50 days.
- The homes: About 21% of Evans homes were built in 2010 or later, and nearly 88% are owner-occupied, per the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 estimates.
- Fort Gordon drive: Typically 20 to 40 minutes, depending on where you live. Riverwood Plantation runs 25 to 35.
- Nearby: Evans Towne Center Park hosts concerts and events, and the shopping and dining along Washington Road are close.
- Luxury: Gated golf and river communities like Champions Retreat and River Island are in Evans. River Island homes can list above $1 million. See what really sets River Island prices.
Evans is unincorporated, so you pay county, fire and school taxes but no city tax. Want the full tour? Read Living in Evans.
Martinez: Established and In the Middle
- Best for: buyers who want mature neighborhoods, bigger lots and a lower price than Evans, with an easy drive to Fort Gordon.
- Price: Redfin shows a median sale price of about $287,000 for the three months ending September 2026. Homes went pending in around 46 days.
- The homes: About two-thirds of Martinez homes were built before 1990. Only about 8% date from 2010 or later, per the Census Bureau’s 2020–2024 estimates.
- Fort Gordon drive: About 15 to 20 minutes.
- Nearby: Savannah Rapids Park, a free 33-acre Columbia County park on the Augusta Canal with trails, picnic areas and kayak and canoe access.
Martinez is also unincorporated, so there’s no city tax. Here’s the plain truth about older homes: charm comes with age. Plan for a good inspection. Read Living in Martinez for more.
Grovetown: Closest to Fort Gordon, Newest Homes
- Best for: military families, first-time buyers and anyone who wants a newer home and a short commute.
- Price: Redfin shows a median sale price of about $278,000 for the three months ending September 2026, down 4.0% from a year earlier. Homes went pending in around 62 days.
- The homes: About 43.5% of Grovetown homes were built in 2010 or later, the highest share of these three towns. About 59% are owner-occupied, so more of the town is rental housing.
- Fort Gordon drive: Grovetown is the closest. Plan on 10 to 20 minutes at rush hour.
- Growing fast: The Census Bureau estimates Grovetown had about 17,900 people in 2025, up from about 15,600 in the 2020 Census.
Grovetown is one of only two cities in Columbia County. If your home is inside city limits, you pay a city tax of 6.948 mills in 2026 on top of the county and school rates. You don’t pay the county fire tax inside the city. In our Columbia County property tax guide, a $350,000 home comes out to roughly $2,900 a year outside city limits and roughly $3,500 inside Grovetown. That’s an estimate with assumptions, so check it for your address. Read Living in Grovetown and Evans vs. Grovetown.
Harlem: Small-Town Quiet, More Room
- Best for: buyers who want a small-town feel, bigger lots and a slower pace, and don’t mind a longer drive.
- Fort Gordon drive: About 12 miles to Gate 1. Plan on 25 to 30 minutes at rush hour.
- The town: Harlem is the hometown of Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy. The free Laurel and Hardy Museum sits downtown, and the Oliver Hardy Festival fills downtown every October.
- Taxes: Harlem is the county’s other city. Its city rate was 9.35 mills in 2025. We couldn’t confirm the 2026 rate, so ask us or the city before you rely on it.
Home prices here come in small batches, so a single median can mislead. We’d rather show you what’s listed and sold this month. See Living in Harlem.
Appling: Land, Quiet and the Lake
- Best for: buyers who want acreage, privacy and Clarks Hill Lake close by.
- Fort Gordon drive: About 18 miles to Gate 1. Plan on 35 to 40 minutes at rush hour.
- The place: Appling is the county seat of Columbia County. It lost its city charter in 1993, so there’s no city tax. Mistletoe State Park and Wildwood Park are both on the lake.
- What to ask: Many rural homes use a private well and septic system. Plan on the right inspections.
Appling is the farthest drive on this list. For the right buyer, that’s the whole point. See Living in Appling and our Clarks Hill Lake guide.
What About All the New Development?
You may hear talk of data centers and big employers out toward Harlem and Appling. Here’s what we can confirm. In 2020, Georgia’s governor announced an Amazon fulfillment center planned for Appling at White Oak Business Park. In February 2026, Columbia County commissioners approved rezoning for two data center sites, Pumpkin Technology Campus in Harlem and White Oak Technology Park in Appling. Developers still have several steps to finish before construction. Our data center explainer has more.
What does that mean for you? Big projects can bring jobs and tax revenue. They also raise real questions about noise, traffic and what gets built next door. So before you buy, ask what’s planned near the address. We’ll help you look.
Schools and Taxes: Check the Address, Not the Town
All five towns are served by one public district, the Columbia County School District. But your street decides your schools, not the name on the mailing address. Before you write an offer, use the district’s Find My Bus Stop tool on ccboe.net. Our school-zone guide shows how.
For taxes, the 2026 rates are 4.491 mills for the county, 14.997 for schools and 2.788 for the fire district, which applies only in unincorporated areas. Grovetown and Harlem add a city tax. Our property tax guide walks through the math.
Moving to Fort Gordon?
Commute time may be the deciding factor. Grovetown and Martinez are the closest. Evans works well if you can handle 20 to 40 minutes, and the morning gate line is part of that. Harlem and Appling add more time. Our Fort Gordon commute guide has the gate-by-gate details. Our military relocation page covers the rest of the PCS plan. Test-drive your route at your real report time before you buy.
Your Simple 3-Step Plan
- Write down your big three. Commute, budget and home type. One line each.
- Test-drive the commute. Go on a weekday at your real report time, from the actual street, not on a Sunday.
- Tour in two towns on one afternoon. You’ll feel the difference faster than any article can show you. We set these tours up for buyers all the time.
What Success Looks Like
Picture a Saturday morning six months from now. You pull into your driveway, and nothing about the house surprises you. The drive to work is the one you tested. The tax bill matches what you planned. The kids know their school, and the neighbors wave.
You didn’t pick a town because of a listing photo. You picked it because it fit your life.
That’s what we do. The Fairey Team helps buyers across Evans, Martinez, Grovetown, Harlem, Appling and all of Columbia County. Explore our neighborhood guides. Selling a home before you move? Start with a free home valuation. Ready to talk? Call (706) 480-5203, email [email protected], or stop by 2580 Evans Trade Center, Evans, GA 30809.
Still setting your budget? Read how much house you can afford in Evans and Columbia County. Want one side-by-side? Try Evans vs. Martinez vs. Grovetown.
— Caleb Fairey, Realtor, the Fairey Team (GA license 451103)
FAQ: Where to Live in Evans and Columbia County
What is the best town to live in Columbia County, GA?
It depends on your commute, budget and the type of home you want. Evans has the most amenities and generally higher prices. Martinez has established neighborhoods and a lower median price. Grovetown has the most new construction and the shortest drive to Fort Gordon. Harlem and Appling are more rural, with more land.
Is Evans or Martinez better to live in?
Neither is better for everyone. Evans had a Redfin median sale price of about $426,000 for the three months ending September 2026, versus about $287,000 in Martinez. Evans has more newer homes and a longer drive to Fort Gordon, typically 20 to 40 minutes. Martinez has older homes, many on larger lots, and a drive of about 15 to 20 minutes.
What is the cheapest town to live in Columbia County?
Among the three towns with reliable Redfin data, Grovetown had the lowest median sale price, about $278,000, for the three months ending September 2026. Martinez was about $287,000 and Evans about $426,000. Harlem and Appling have too few sales for a reliable median, so ask us for current numbers.
Which town in Columbia County is closest to Fort Gordon?
Grovetown is the closest. Plan on about 10 to 20 minutes at rush hour. Martinez is about 15 to 20 minutes, and Evans is typically 20 to 40 minutes depending on where you live. Harlem runs about 25 to 30 minutes and Appling about 35 to 40. These are typical estimates, so test the drive yourself.
Is Grovetown, GA a good place to live?
For many buyers, yes. About 43.5% of Grovetown’s homes were built in 2010 or later, prices are lower than Evans, and it’s the closest town to Fort Gordon. The trade-offs are a city property tax of 6.948 mills in 2026 for homes inside the city limits and a smaller retail base than Evans.
Is Harlem, GA a good place to live?
Yes, if you want small-town quiet and more room. Harlem is one of Columbia County’s two cities and is about 12 miles from Fort Gordon’s Gate 1, or 25 to 30 minutes at rush hour. Homes inside the city pay a city tax, which was 9.35 mills in 2025. Many homes outside town use a private well and septic system.
Is Appling, GA a good place to live?
Yes, if you want land, quiet and Clarks Hill Lake nearby. Appling is the Columbia County seat but isn’t a city, so there is no city property tax. The drive to Fort Gordon is about 35 to 40 minutes at rush hour, and many homes use a well and septic system.
Do Evans, Martinez and Grovetown have different school districts?
No. Columbia County has one public school district, the Columbia County School District. Your address decides which schools your child is zoned for, not the town name. Check any home with the district’s Find My Bus Stop tool on ccboe.net before you make an offer.
Which Columbia County towns charge a city property tax?
Only Grovetown and Harlem. Evans, Martinez and Appling are unincorporated, so homes there pay county, school and fire-district taxes but no city tax. In 2026, Grovetown’s city rate is 6.948 mills. Harlem’s was 9.35 mills in 2025.
Where can I find luxury homes in Columbia County?
You can find luxury homes in each of the five towns. Gated communities in Evans, like Champions Retreat and River Island, are where we often see homes above $1 million, and River Island homes can list at that level. We also see luxury homes on acreage outside town. Tell us your price range and we’ll show you what’s available now.
Five good towns, one right fit. Let’s find yours.
Notes: Median sale prices and days to pending are Redfin figures for the three months ending September 2026 for Evans, Martinez and Grovetown, checked November 3, 2026. Population and owner-occupancy are from the Census Bureau, and the share of homes by year built is from the 2020–2024 American Community Survey. Columbia County’s 2026 millage rates are from county and school board adoption records and the Grovetown figure from city records and local news; Harlem’s 2025 rate is from Georgia Department of Revenue data. Fort Gordon drive times are typical estimates from our October 24, 2026 commute guide. Amazon facts are from the Georgia governor’s April 27, 2020 announcement, and rezoning facts are from WRDW. Rules and numbers can change, and school zones follow the address, so confirm details for any home you’re considering. This is general information, not tax or legal advice. Hero photo: Harry Thomas, Pexels, cropped; a generic neighborhood photo, not a Columbia County listing. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Equal Housing Opportunity.
