Aiken County, SC

County

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2024 Population

174,160

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2024 Median Age

0.962% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

14.3%

3.51% 1-year increase

2024 Median Household Income

$70,609

3.93% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$218,000

9.27% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

76,924

1.3% 1-year growth

About

None of the households in Aiken County, SC reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.4% of the residents in Aiken County, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Aiken County, SC are University of South Carolina Aiken (846 degrees awarded in 2024), Aiken Technical College (492 degrees), and Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-North Augusta (71 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Aiken County, SC was $218,000, and the homeownership rate was 76.5%.

Most people in Aiken County, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 25 minutes. The average car ownership in Aiken County, SC was 2 cars per household.

Aiken County, SC borders Burke County, GA, Richmond County, GA, Barnwell County, SC, Edgefield County, SC, Lexington County, SC, Orangeburg County, SC, and Saluda County, SC.

United States South Carolina Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC

Population & Diversity

Aiken County, SC is home to a population of 174k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2024, 3.3% of Aiken County, SC residents were born outside of the country (5.75k people).

In 2024, there were 2.69 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (111k people) in Aiken County, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 41.2k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 6.48k Two Races Including Other (Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2024 Citizenship

98.2%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.4% of Aiken County, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Aiken County, SC was 98.2%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Aiken County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Aiken County, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
111k ± 471
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
41.2k ± 862
Two Races Including Other (Hispanic)
6.48k ± 829

7.22%

Hispanic Population

12.6k people

7.22% of the people in Aiken County, SC are hispanic (12.6k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Aiken County, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for South Carolina.

Most Common Origin

Mexico
65,146 ± 6,228 people
India
21,511 ± 3,594 people
Colombia
15,785 ± 3,080 people

In 2024, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 65,146 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 21,511 and Colombia with 15,785.

Foreign-Born Population

3.3%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

5.75k people

3.63%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

6.25k people

As of 2024, 3.3% of Aiken County, SC residents (5.75k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Aiken County, SC was 3.63%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Aiken County, SC compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
4,195 ± 499
Gulf War (2001-)
3,792 ± 538
Gulf War (1990s)
2,061 ± 379

Aiken County, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.11 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Aiken County, SC.

Health

91.2% of the population of Aiken County, SC has health coverage, with 42.8% on employee plans, 15.2% on Medicaid, 15.8% on Medicare, 14.4% on non-group plans, and 2.96% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Aiken County, SC see 2,944 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,944 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2322 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 583 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

2,944 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Aiken County, SC

Primary care physicians in Aiken County, SC see an average of 2,944 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (2,944 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Aiken County, SC in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 23% under 18 years, 18.7% between 18 and 34 years, 37.7% between 35 and 64 years, and 20.6% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 48.3% were men and 51.7% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

8.78%

Uninsured

42.8%

Employer Coverage

15.2%

Medicaid

15.8%

Medicare

14.4%

Non-Group

2.96%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Aiken County, SC declined by 0.431% from 8.82% to 8.78%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Aiken County, SC changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the average number of mentally unhealthy days reported in past 30 days (age-adjusted) was 5.57 in Aiken County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Aiken County, SC.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 37% in Aiken County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Aiken County, SC.

Clinical Care

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of population under age 65 without health insurance was 10.7% in Aiken County, SC.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Aiken County, SC.

Economy

The economy of Aiken County, SC employs 76.9k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Aiken County, SC were Manufacturing (10,912 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,520 people), and Retail Trade (8,304 people), and the highest paying industries were Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($78,017), Utilities ($77,374), and Mining, Quarrying, & Oil & Gas Extraction ($71,488).

Employment

Occupations

76.9k

2024 Value

± 2,476

1.3%

1 Year growth

± 4.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Aiken County, SC grew at a rate of 1.3%, from 75.9k employees to 76.9k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Aiken County, SC, are Sales & Related Occupations (7,527 people), Management Occupations (7,141 people), and Office & Administrative Support Occupations (6,554 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Aiken County, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in South Carolina (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

76.9k

2024 Value

± 2,476

1.3%

1 Year growth

± 4.53%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Aiken County, SC grew at a rate of 1.3%, from 75.9k employees to 76.9k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Aiken County, SC, are Manufacturing (10,912 people), Health Care & Social Assistance (9,520 people), and Retail Trade (8,304 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Aiken County, SC, though some of these residents may live in Aiken County, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,103

Median earning men ± $2,598

$36,398

Median earning women ± $1,437

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($80,857), Public Administration ($71,604), and Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($69,538).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Construction ($70,309), Public Administration ($48,182), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($44,565).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Y-Axis

2.54%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 2.26M people employed in South Carolina. This represents a 2.54% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 13.4%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in South Carolina.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

223
Other Services (except Public Administration)
202
Retail Trade
186
Construction

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$921k
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services
$566k
Manufacturing
$310k
Health Care and Social Assistance

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Civics

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in South Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 58.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.4%), followed by Other (0.595%).

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing the state of South Carolina. In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

South Carolina is currently represented by 7 members in the U.S. house, and members of the House of Representives are elected to 2-year terms.

Presidential Elections

Presidential Popular Vote Over Time

Voting results are not available for Aiken County, SC. Showing the available data for South Carolina.

2024 Election Results

Donald J. Trump (58.2%)
Republican Party
Kamala Harris (40.4%)
Democratic Party
Other (0.595%)
Other Party

In the 2024 presidential election, the popular vote in South Carolina went to Donald J. Trump with 58.2% of the vote. The runner-up was Kamala Harris (40.4%), followed by Other (0.595%).

The following chart shows the popular vote results in South Carolina for each registered party from 1976 to 2024.

Senator Elections

US Senators from South Carolina

Senatorial voting results are only available at the state level. Showing data for South Carolina.

Lindsey Graham

Senator from South Carolina

Assumed office on January 3, 2003

Tim Scott

Senator from South Carolina

Assumed office on January 2, 2013
Appointed to the seat following the resignation of Jim DeMint.

Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott are the senators currently representing South Carolina.

In the United States, senators are elected to 6-year terms with the terms for individual senators staggered.

The following chart shows elected senators in South Carolina over time, excluding special elections, colored by their political party.

Education

In 2024, universities in Aiken County, SC awarded 1,409 degrees. The student population of Aiken County, SC in 2024 is skewed towards women, with 2,276 male students and 4,171 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Aiken County, SC are White (862 and 61.9%), Black or African American (346 and 24.8%), Hispanic or Latino (101 and 7.25%), and Two or More Races (46 and 3.3%).

The largest universities in Aiken County, SC by number of degrees awarded are University of South Carolina Aiken (846 and 60%), Aiken Technical College (492 and 34.9%), and Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-North Augusta (71 and 5.04%).

The most popular majors in Aiken County, SC are General Business Administration & Management (359 and 25.5%), Registered Nursing (171 and 12.1%), and Liberal Arts & Sciences (92 and 6.53%).

The median tuition cost for a public four year colleges is $10,398 for in-state students and $20,856 for out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2024 in Aiken County, SC, the percentage of applicants admitted was 78.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 28.2%. The number of students enrolled in 2024 was 6,447 (35.3% men and 64.7% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2024 there were 6,447 students enrolled in Aiken County, SC, 35.3% men and 64.7% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 3,424 records, of which 62.9% were women and 37.1% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Business Administration & Management
134 degrees awarded
Registered Nursing
114 degrees awarded
General Psychology
49 degrees awarded

In 2024, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Aiken County, SC was General Business Administration & Management with 134 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Aiken County, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

University of South Carolina Aiken
846 degrees awarded
Aiken Technical College
492 degrees awarded
Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology-North Augusta
71 degrees awarded

In 2024, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was University of South Carolina Aiken with 846 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2024, 543 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Aiken County, SC, which is 0.627 times less than the 866 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2024, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 862 degrees mean that there were 2.49 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 346 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Public, 4-year or above ($10,398) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($532) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2024.

Public, 2-year ($1,500) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Aiken County, SC was $218,000 in 2024, which is 0.655 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $199,500 to $218,000, a 9.27% increase. The homeownership rate in Aiken County, SC is 76.5%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Aiken County, SC have an average commute time of 25 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Aiken County, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Aiken County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.69%.

Housing

Property

$218,000

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,056

$53,513

Median Property Taxes

±$1,866

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Aiken County, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Aiken County, SC compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

76.5%

Homeownership

2024

66%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 76.5% of the housing units in Aiken County, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage declined from the previous year's rate of 76.7%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Aiken County, SC compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$70,609

Median Household Income

± $2,453

69.9k

Number of Households

± 2,364

In 2024, the median household income of the 69.9k households in Aiken County, SC grew to $70,609 from the previous year's value of $67,940.

The following chart displays the households in Aiken County, SC distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Aiken County, SC is from South Carolina.

0.462

2024 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.464

2023 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2024, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.462 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.296% decline from 2023 to 2024, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.474. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in South Carolina in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in South Carolina across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (79.5%)
Worked At Home (10.6%)
Carpooled (7.8%)

In 2024, 79.5% of workers in Aiken County, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (10.6%) and those who carpooled to work (7.8%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

25 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Aiken County, SC have a shorter commute time (25 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 1.59% of the workforce in Aiken County, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Aiken County, SC compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Aiken County, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Aiken County, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 12.3% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Aiken County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 1.69%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

14.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Aiken County, SC (24.6k out of 172k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 55 - 64 and then Males 25 - 34.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Aiken County, SC is White, followed by Black and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 17.7% of the children was living in poverty in Aiken County, SC. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 9.7%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798, followed by New York (5,087).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 453 in Aiken County, SC. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 51.9% per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.