Aiken, SC

City in Aiken County, SC, US

By Neilsberg Research

Last updated May 1, 2026

Key Indicators

A quick look at key numbers

Population

32,521

Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates

Median Age

46.6

years ∙ half population younger than 46.6, half older

Diversity Index

55.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Nativity

3.3%

foreign-born population

96.7%Native

3.3% Foreign-born

Geographic Context

Location, size, and surroundings

About

Aiken is a city within Aiken County, South Carolina, United States.

Location

City in Aiken County, SC, US

Co-ordinates

DEC33.531594° N, 81.725073° W

DMS33° 31′ 53.74″ N, 81° 43′ 30.26″ W

Population Density & area

1,492/sq mi (577.6/km²)

Total Area

21.9 sq mi (56.6 km²)

Land Area

21.8 sq mi (56.3 km²) · 99.39%

Water Area

0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²) · 0.61%

Demographics & Living

Who lives here, how households are formed, and community composition

Population Composition

Key characteristics of the population

Sex Distribution

44.9% male

Male 44.9%

Female 55.1%

males per 100 females

Aiken 81.6

Aiken County 94

South Carolina 94.8

Nativity

3.3%

foreign-born population

96.7%Native

3.3% Foreign-born

% Foreign-born

Aiken 3.3%

Aiken County 3.3%

South Carolina 5.8%

Age Distribution

How the population is spread across age groups

Median Age

46.6

years ∙ half population younger than 46.6, half older

Aiken

46.6

Aiken County

South Carolina

40.2

Dependency ratio

86.6

dependents per 100 working-age adults

Aiken 86.6

Aiken County 73.1

South Carolina 67.5

AGE DISTRIBUTION

Distribution of age group

Median age

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Age Group
Children (Under 18)	17.3%	21.5%	21.4%
Working age (18-64)	53.6%	57.7%	59.7%
Senior (65+)	29.1%	20.8%	18.9%
Dependency ratio
Total dependency ratio	86.6	73.1	67.5
Child dependency ratio	32.2	37.1	35.9
Old-age dependency ratio	54.4	35.9	31.6

Racial & Ethnic Composition

Racial and ethnic makeup and how it compares

Race & Ethnicity

White

59.2%

Black

30.1%

Asian

1.7%

Hispanic

4.7%

Other

4.3%

Note: White, Black, and Asian refer to individuals belonging to a single race and not of Hispanic origin. Hispanics may be of any race.

Diversity Index

55.5%

chance two random people differ in race and ethnicity

Aiken 55.5%

Aiken County 53.4%

South Carolina 54.9%

Note: The Diversity Index (DI), based on the Blau Index, measures the probability that two randomly selected individuals differ in race and ethnicity. Values range from 0 (no diversity) to 1 (high diversity) and are shown as percentages.

RACIAL & ETHNIC COMPOSITION

Race & Ethnicity

Percentage of Aiken population

Racial and ethnic composition — Aiken vs Aiken County vs South Carolina. Source: ACS 2020-2024 5-Year Estimates.
	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Hispanic or Latino	4.7%	7.2%	7.4%
Mexican	0.8%	2.8%	3.4%
Puerto Rican	1.9%	1.2%	1%
Cuban	1.2%	0.4%	0.3%
Other Hispanic / Latino	0.8%	2.8%	2.7%
Not Hispanic or Latino	95.3%	92.8%	92.6%
One race	91.9%	88.8%	88.9%
White	59.2%	63.5%	61.9%
Black or African American	30.1%	23.7%	24.6%
American Indian and Alaska Native	0.2%	0.1%	0.2%
Asian	1.7%	0.9%	1.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander	0%	0%	0%
Some Other Race	0.6%	0.5%	0.5%
Two or more races (Multiracial)	3.4%	4%	3.7%

Household & Families Composition

Household size, type, and family structure

Household structure

57.8% family

Family 57.8%

Non family 42.2%

% family households

Aiken 57.8%

Aiken County 67.2%

South Carolina 65%

Average household size

2.34

persons per household

Aiken

2.34

Aiken County

2.45

South Carolina

2.44

Household & Family COMPOSITION

Households

Percentage of Aiken population

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Total households	13,275	69,916	2,117,989
Average houshold size	2.34	2.45	2.44
Family households	7,669	47,011	1,377,369
Average family size	3.05	2.97	3.01
Married couple family	5,765	34,457	998,170
Other families	1,904	12,554	379,199
Male householder	365	3,252	95,077
Female householder	1,539	9,302	284,122
Non-family households	5,606	22,905	740,620
One-person households	4,442	18,977	618,603
Male householder	1,863	8,796	273,409
Senior (65+) living alone	526	2,920	86,486
Female householder	2,579	10,181	345,194
Senior (65+) living alone	1,559	5,589	172,484
Other living arrangements	1,164	3,928	122,017

Housing Profile

Housing stock, ownership, rentals, and cost burdens

Total housing units

15,345

housing units

Aiken 15,345

Aiken County 80,008

South Carolina 2,443,039

Occupancy status

86.5% occupied

Occupied 86.5%

Vacant 13.5%

vacancy rate

Aiken 13.5%

Aiken County 12.6%

South Carolina 13.3%

Housing Characteristics

How the housing supply is structured and used

Types of Housing unit

80.1%

Single family houses

80.1%

Apartments in multi-unit structures

19.6%

Mobile homes

0.3%

Boat, RV, van, etc

Median Year Built

1991

Half of houses were built before 1991, and half after.

Historic ∙ 1939 or earlier

5.2%

Postwar & mid-century ∙ 1940 - 1969

23.1%

Late 20th century ∙ 1970 - 1999

40.1%

Modern ∙ 2000 or later

31.7%

Note: Median year built reflects occupied units only; distribution includes all units.

Housing Characteristics

Units, rooms & bedrooms

Physical characteristics of housing units

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Rooms per unit
Median rooms	6.1	6	5.7
1–3 rooms	9.5%	8.1%	9.1%
4–6 rooms	45.9%	51.3%	55.3%
7+ rooms	44.5%	40.6%	35.5%
Bedrooms
No bedroom / studio	1%	0.9%	1.5%
1 bedroom	7.2%	5%	5.7%
2 bedrooms	23.9%	22.2%	22.5%
3 bedrooms	42.6%	48.5%	47.5%
4+ bedrooms	25.2%	23.4%	22.8%
At a glance
Median year built	1991	1991	1993
Total housing units	15,345	80,008	2,443,039

Occupancy Profile

Who is inside and how they use it

Homeownership

68.1% owners

Renter-occupied 31.9%

Owner-occupied 68.1%

homeownership rate

Aiken 68.1%

Aiken County 76.5%

South Carolina 71.9%

Average household size

2.48

Owner-occupied

2.05

Renter-occupied

owner-occupied average size

Aiken 2.48

Aiken County 2.52

South Carolina 2.49

Housing Characteristics

Occupied unit characteristics

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Total occupied units	13,275	69,916	2,117,989
Year moved in
2020 or later	24.6%	21.9%	25.6%
2010 to 2019	42.1%	38.5%	39.4%
2000 to 2009	17.1%	18.2%	16%
1999 or earlier	16.2%	21.4%	19%
Occupants per room
1.00 or fewer	98.9%	98.1%	98%
1.01 to 1.50	0.9%	1.3%	1.4%
1.51 or more	0.2%	0.6%	0.6%
Vehicles availability
No vehicles	6.4%	5.9%	5.7%
1 vehicle	35.4%	28.2%	32.2%
2 vehicles	37.1%	38.2%	38.5%
3 or more vehicles	21.1%	27.7%	23.6%
House heating fuel used
Gas	43.4%	34.5%	27.1%
Electricity	54.7%	63.6%	70.8%
Solar	0.1%	0.1%	0.2%
Fuel oil, kerosene etc	0.2%	0.1%	0.5%
All other fuels	0.4%	1%	0.6%
No fuel used	1.2%	0.6%	0.7%
Selected characteristics
Lacking complete plumbing	0.3%	0.2%	0.3%
Lacking complete kitchen	1.6%	0.7%	0.6%
No telephone service available	0.4%	0.8%	0.8%

Housing Value

What owner-occupied units are worth

Median home value

$286,800

owner-occupied units

Median value(USD)

Aiken

$286,800

Aiken County

$218,000

South Carolina

$259,000

Housing Cost Burden

20.9%

of homeowners with a mortgage are cost-burdened

% Cost-Burdened Households

Owners with a mortgage

20.9%

Owners without a mortgage

Renters

55.9%

Note: Households spending 30% or more of their income on housing costs are considered cost-burdened.

Financial characteristics

Property value and housing costs

Tenure, crowding, and utilities

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Property value
Median Value	$286,800	$218,000	$259,000
Under $100,000	8.9%	19.9%	16.8%
$100,000 - $200,000	19.9%	25.2%	19.5%
$200,000 - $300,000	24.8%	24.2%	21.8%
$300,000 - $500,000	28.3%	20.3%	25.5%
$500,000 - $1,000,000	15.9%	8.6%	12.7%
$1,000,000 and more	2.3%	1.8%	3.7%
Owner-occupied households
With a mortgage	53.8%	52.9%	57.1%
Without a mortgage	46.2%	47.1%	42.9%
Median monthly owner costs
With a mortgage	$1,448	$1,384	$1,529
Without a mortgage	$510	$418	$448
Gross rent
Median rent	$1,180	$1,062	$1,180

Education Profile

How educated is the community and how education pays off

Adults with a college degree

47.7%

of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher

Aiken 47.7%

Aiken County 31.9%

South Carolina 32.1%

Adults without a high school diploma

5.7%

of adults (25+) without a high school diploma

Aiken 5.7%

Aiken County 9.5%

South Carolina 9.9%

School Enrollment

Who is enrolled in school and at what level

School enrollment

7,918

population (age 3+) enrolled in school

Nursery / Preschool

3.6%

K–12

60.4%

College / Undergraduate

34%

Graduate / Professional

College-going rate (18-24 yr olds)

66%

of 18-24-year-olds in college or graduate school

Aiken

66%

Aiken County

36.6%

South Carolina

37.5%

Enrollment & school type

Enrollment levels, college-going rate, and public vs private school split

Population 3+ currently enrolled in a school

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Total enrolled (age 3+)	7,918	38,412	1,202,992
Nursery / preschool	3.6%	4.7%	5.2%
K–12	60.4%	72.7%	69.7%
Kindergarten	4.3%	4.3%	5.5%
Elementary: Grades 1–4	17%	22.1%	20.6%
Elementary: Grades 5–8	20.4%	23%	21.4%
High School: Grades 9–12	18.7%	23.3%	22.2%
College or graduate school	36%	22.7%	25.1%
College, undergraduate	34%	18%	20%
Graduate, professional school	2%	4.6%	5%
College-going rate · 18-24 yr olds	66%	36.6%	37.5%
School type
Public school	79.4%	82.8%	82.7%
Private school	20.6%	17.2%	17.3%

Education Attainment by Level & Gender

What is the highest level of education completed among adults

Education attainment

23,631

population 25 years and over

Total adults (25+)

Less than 9th grade

1.6%

9th-12th, no diploma

4.1%

HS graduate

22%

Some college no degree

15.6%

Associates degree

Bachelors degree

29.2%

Graduate or professional degree

18.5%

Attainment by gender

Male vs Female

Adults (25+) · Share within each education level

% male · % female

Less than 9th grade

41.7% · 58.3%

9th-12th, no diploma

66% · 34%

HS graduate

44% · 56%

Some college no degree

34.7% · 65.3%

Associates degree

37.1% · 62.9%

Bachelors degree

49.2% · 50.8%

Graduate or professional degree

49.3% · 50.7%

Educational Attainment Overview

Distribution and key education attainment rates for adults (25+)

Highest credential completed · adults 25+

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Population (25+)	23,631	123,582	3,677,078
Less than 9th grade	1.6%	3%	3.1%
9th–12th, no diploma	4.1%	6.5%	6.8%
High school diploma or GED	22%	29.9%	28.2%
Some college, no degree	15.6%	19.8%	19.8%
Associate's degree	9%	8.9%	10%
Bachelor's degree or higher	47.7%	31.9%	32.1%
Bachelor's degree	29.2%	19.9%	19.8%
Graduate or professional	18.5%	12.1%	12.3%
High School or higher	94.3%	90.5%	90.1%

Earnings by education level

percentage as applicable

Median Earnings

$46,308

Median earnings for adults 25+, by level

Less than HS graduate

$9,093

HS graduate

$37,840

Some college or associates

$38,779

Bachelors degree

$64,125

Graduate or professional degree

$79,135

Poverty Rate

6.2%

for ages 25+, with bachelors degree or higher

Less than HS graduate

61.7%

HS graduate

21.1%

Some college or associates

16.2%

Bachelors degree or higher

6.2%

Outcomes by Education Level

Earnings and poverty rates across education levels (25+)

Adults 25+

	Aiken	Aiken County	South Carolina
Median earnings
Population 25+, with earnings	$46,308	$47,026	$47,658
Less than high school graduate	$9,093	$31,235	$30,223
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	$37,840	$37,274	$37,196
Some college or associate's degree	$38,779	$43,352	$44,160
Bachelor's degree	$64,125	$65,759	$61,860
Graduate or professional degree	$79,135	$81,487	$73,671
Poverty rates
Less than high school graduate	61.7%	32.2%	28.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	21.1%	17%	15.6%
Some college or associate's degree	16.2%	10.8%	10.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher	6.2%	4.9%	4.7%

Insights for Aiken, by topic

Income By year By race By age By gender

Population By year By race By age By gender

About Neilsberg Research

Neilsberg Research team are data scientists with expertise in processing, analysis and visualization of big data helping small businesses make right decisions.

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