Augusta In Most Affordable Cities for Home Improvement

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We can't be the only ones who daydream about all the great home improvement projects we'd love to do. From changing paint colors, light fixtures, or doing a full remodel, the possibilities are endless. Until you start thinking about the price tag to do all of these projects! But thankfully, Augusta did rank in the most affordable cities for home improvement!

There's no denying that the price of home improvement has gone WAY up. Especially in the last couple of years. Between inflation, supply chain issues, labor shortages and more, those projects may just have to wait.

Our friends at Lawn Love decided to do a little research on places where it's most expensive for home improvement. And of course, they also highlight the cities where it's more affordable.

And when it comes to affordability, Augusta actually ranked pretty well in the most affordable cities for home improvement, coming in at number 16.

Lawn Love ranked 200 cities. They based the results on 16 key indicators, like hourly rates for professionals, average age of homes in the area, labor and supply access, and average spending per household on home improvement.

Experts are predicting spending on remodels will continue increasing throughout this year. Median home improvement spending increased by 50% over the past three years. And more than 55% of homeowners are considering home renovations this year.

Much of the reasoning behind home improvement spending is due to the competitive housing marking right now. Sellers have a big advantage, and with some investment on repairs and renovations can make a big different. Of course, not everyone is looking to sell. But home improvements can make a huge difference for you and your family. Whether it's upgrading your kitchen or bath, or adding a home office or gym, these things could boost your overall happiness, and even your health.

When taking a look at the most affordable cities, you will notice a lot of them are in southern states, with quite a few in the state of Florida! The study highlights affordable builder rates in the South. In Florida, they seem to have low costs overall and access to many contractors and building suppliers.

And on the opposite end of the spectrum? Any guesses which state has the most cities on the most expensive list? If you guessed California, you're right! California has eight cities out of the top 10!

If you're considering doing some upgrades yourself, be sure to take a look at these tips for DIY!

But let's take a quick look at the most affordable cities first!

Top 20 Most Affordable Cities for Home Improvement

Note: Lawn Love considered a lower Average Annual Household Income as “worse,” as it translates to lower spending ability. In most affordable table for Income, a lower ranking number (e.g., 1) corresponds with a higher income.

20. McAllen, Texas

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
61.92	2	35	199	157

19. Hollywood, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.06	32	52	43	111

18. El Paso, Texas

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.19	3	62	167	167

17. Clarksville, Tennessee

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.24	10	1	198	162

16. Augusta, Georgia

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.25	21	14	114	180

15. Tampa, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.3	92	3	25	66

14. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.33	71	68	12	42

13. Little Rock, Arkansas

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.45	17	56	130	92

12. St. Petersburg, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.56	41	8	118	85

11. Hialeah, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.58	11	31	59	195

10. Brownsville, Texas

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
62.95	1	15	200	193

9. Sioux Falls, South Dakota

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
63.08	57	9	28	109

8. Jacksonville, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
63.14	36	11	50	126

7. Knoxville, Tennessee

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
63.64	19	2	105	181

Tied for 5. Port St. Lucie, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
63.88	28	6	74	119

Tied for 5. Tallahassee, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
63.88	12	23	86	161

4. Grand Rapids, Michigan

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
64.71	42	36	5	166

3. Cape Coral, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
65.82	37	24	9	118

2. Miami, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
66.02	45	55	2	133

1. Orlando, Florida

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
67.13	31	5	10	108

Top 10 Most Expensive Cities for Home Improvement

Note: Lawn Love considered a lower Average Household Income as "worse," as it translates to lower spending ability. In most expensive table for the Income category, a higher ranking number (e.g., 200) corresponds with a higher income.

10. Honolulu, Hawaii

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
60.11	24	3	180	150

9. Torrance, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
60.48	22	4	123	181

8. New York, New York

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
61	8	34	35	163

7. Oakland, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
61.2	11	15	128	176

6. Glendale, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
61.22	36	6	67	151

5. Pasadena, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
63.47	12	5	93	183

4. Fremont, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
66.51	2	7	99	198

3. San Francisco, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
66.81	4	2	167	197

2. San Jose, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
66.93	3	8	126	193

1. Sunnyvale, California

Overall Score	Costs Rank	Cost Inflators Rank	Builder and Supply Access Rank	Income Rank
70.02	1	1	97	200

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CodyEditor

“Cody” Blaine Jackson is one half of the Kicks Wake Up Krew on Kicks 99, and also serves as the Digital Program Director for Beasley Media Group in Augusta. She’s a Georgia native but currently resides just across the river in South Carolina. She started in the radio industry as a part-time board operator, and moved up through various roles, including on-air positions and program director for multiple stations. Her passions include fitness and anything to do with animals, as she has two fur babies, her dogs Harley and Waylon. Cody likes to write about pets, fitness and Augusta local events.