Aiken County, South Carolina Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Aiken County, SC Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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C
Health Below averageHealthier than 76% of counties in South Carolina
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C
Income Below averageWealthier than 71% of counties in South Carolina
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D
Education Well below averageBetter educated than 76% of counties in South Carolina
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Aiken County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 174,097 | 5,295,781 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 161.3 | 165.5 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.69% | 1.16% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 43.5 | 40.4 | 37.3 |
| Households | 69,891 | 2,118,015 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Aiken County grew by 14.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 174,097 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Aiken County is Boomers, aged 61–79, at 20.4% of residents. That is 1.9 points above South Carolina as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 33,722 19.4% -1.8 pts
- Millennials 29–44 35,111 20.2% -0.8 pts
- Gen X 45–60 35,449 20.4% +0.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 35,475 20.4% +1.9 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below South Carolina, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.6% of the people living in Aiken County and men 48.4%.
- Women 51.6% South Carolina 51.2%
- Men 48.4% South Carolina 48.8%
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100% of everyone living in Aiken County
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Economy
Aiken County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Aiken County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $70,949 | $69,383 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 5.43% | 5.01% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 4.8% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Aiken County is about 2% higher than in South Carolina.
Housing
| Metric | Aiken County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $363,520 | $239,609 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,062 | $1,179 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 76.5% | 71.9% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Aiken County is about 28.5 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,062 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Aiken County spend about 45 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 188 hours, about 7.8 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Aiken County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.5 | 22.3 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 45.1 | 44.5 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 188 | 186 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,822 | $5,753 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.6% | 11.5% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,270 | 9,507 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,251 | 1,499 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
South Carolina:
Greenwood County (16.5 min), Sumter County (18.2 min), Florence County (18.3 min).
Slowest:
McCormick County (33.9 min), Fairfield County (30.8 min), Chester County (30.6 min).
The average commute time in Aiken County is 23 minutes, longer than the 22 minutes in South Carolina.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Aiken County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Aiken County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.6% | 28.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.45 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
South Carolina:
Charleston County (0.4), Beaufort County (0.3), Richland County (0.3).
Lowest:
Allendale County (0.1), Marlboro County (0.2), Chesterfield County (0.2).
Health
Aiken County has a health index of C, which means it is somewhat healthy.
| Metric | Aiken County | South Carolina Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 77.1 | 75.8 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 18.0% | 19.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 20.3% | 21.5% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
South Carolina:
Beaufort County (0.8), Charleston County (0.8), Dorchester County (0.8).
Lowest:
Dillon County (0.8), Allendale County (0.8), Marlboro County (0.8).
Aiken County, SC Compared With Nearby Counties
Aiken County, SC is the 3rd largest of the 5 counties compared here, 174,097 residents against a local median of 116,756. Where Aiken County, SC breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 254% above the local median of $102,822 at $363,520.
The counties themselves spread $223,178 on median home price, so Aiken County, SC sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Aiken County, SC has the highest median home price of the 5 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken County, SC | 174,097 | $70,949 #3/5 | $363,520 #1/5 | 22.5 min #2/5 |
| Barnwell County, SC | 20,521 | $46,693 | $36,935 | 23.7 min |
| Edgefield County, SC | 27,456 | $71,945 | $63,750 | 22.8 min |
| Richmond County, GA | 206,056 | $56,121 | $141,895 | 18.7 min |
| Lexington County, SC | 304,957 | $77,064 | $260,113 | 22.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Aiken County, South Carolina.
How big is Aiken County, South Carolina by population?
About 174,097 people live in Aiken County, South Carolina, in 69,891 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 43.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 6 years.
How densely populated is Aiken County, South Carolina?
Averaged over its land area, Aiken County, South Carolina has 161 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Aiken County, South Carolina?
The median home costs 5.1 times the median household income ($363,520 against $70,949), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,062 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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