Living in Aiken, SC
Small city in South Carolina
Aiken is a small city in South Carolina, home to about 32,000 people, with 401,000 living within 31 mi. Day to day, most trips are by car. Life moves at a relaxed pace, and homes are mostly houses.
Is Aiken a good place to live? Pros and cons
👍 Pros
- Low taxes: about $1,296 state income tax per resident, 0.46% property tax
- Affordable housing: a typical 3-bedroom home is about $298k and rents for $1,630 a month
- Low natural disaster risk: 8 federally declared disasters since 2000
- Strong healthcare: 1 top-rated (4–5★) hospital within 31 mi
👎 Cons
- Quieter on culture: few museums and attractions nearby
- Fewer family amenities than most places
- Smaller job market: about 401,000 people live within 31 mi
- No dog parks within 9 mi
Whether it's a good place for you depends on what you value. Take the quiz to see how Aiken ranks against your own priorities.
Key facts
Living in Aiken: common questions
What is the cost of living in Aiken?
A typical 3-bedroom home is worth about $298k, and a 3-bedroom rents for about $1,630 a month including utilities. Overall living costs are below the US average (index 94, where the US is 100).
What are taxes like in Aiken?
South Carolina collects about $1,296 in state income tax per resident, and homeowners here pay about 0.46% of their home's value in property tax each year.
Is Aiken safe?
Violent crime is somewhat above the national rate (1.5× in FBI 2019 data).
How are the schools in Aiken?
Public schools in Aiken test below the US average in math and reading (2018–19 state tests, put on one national scale with NAEP), with about 17 students per teacher.
What is the weather like in Aiken?
Aiken has mild winters: winter days average around 60°F and summer days around 92°F.
Does Aiken get natural disasters?
Natural disaster risk is low, mainly from flooding, hurricanes and tornadoes: 8 federally declared disasters have hit the county since 2000, and FEMA expects about 0.42 deaths or injuries per 100,000 residents a year.
What is the nearest major airport to Aiken?
The nearest major airport is SAV, about 102 mi away.
How Aiken scores
Each bar compares Aiken with the other 1,990 places in Best Life Fit Me. A dot shows where it sits between two ends, such as major metro and small town; neither end is better. Coloured bars run from poor (red) to excellent (green).
Places like Aiken
These places have the most similar overall profile across all 24 aspects.
The circle is each place's all-round score out of 100: the average of its 15 quality scores, from red (poor) to green (excellent).
Nearby
See all the best places to live in South Carolina.
Is Aiken right for you?
Answer 27 quick questions and see how it ranks against your priorities.