Aiken County, South Carolina

SC · FIPS 45003 Republican

Located in South Carolina, Aiken County has a population of 174,160 residents and a median age of 42.0 years, making it the #395 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 14.3%. The median home value is $218,000, and the median household income is $70,609, which is 6% below the national median.

174,160
Population
#395 of 3,222
$70,609
Median Income
-6.0% #1,156 of 3,222
42.0 years
Median Age
+8.0% #1,505 of 3,222
14.3%
Poverty Rate
+13.8% #1,824 of 3,222

Demographics

Aiken County has a population of 174,160, making it the #395 most populous county in the US. The median age is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

96.7%
Native Born
3.3%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Aiken County is $70,609, ranking #1,156 out of 3,222 counties — 6.0% below the national median. The poverty rate is 14.3% and unemployment stands at 6.0%.

Income#1,156
$70,609
-6.0%
vs nation
64th percentile
Per Capita#1,025
$38,470
-6.8%
vs nation
68th percentile
Poverty#1,824
14.3%
+13.8%
vs nation
43th percentile
Unemployment#2,545
6.0%
+13.8%
vs nation
21th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Aiken County is $218,000 (-22.7% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,062/mo and the homeownership rate is 76.5%.

Home Value#1,214
$218,000
-22.7%
vs nation
62th percentile
Rent#809
$1,062
-8.7%
vs nation
75th percentile
Homeownership#1,253
76.5%
+18.8%
vs nation
61th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Aiken County, 31.9% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 5.2% below the national average, ranking #630 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
31.9% −5.2% vs nation
Rank #630 of 3,222
80th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Aiken County is 73.5 years. 18.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 10.7% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#2,087
73.5
-2.1%
vs nation
32th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#1,534
18.7%
-4.4%
vs nation
51th percentile
Diabetes#1,435
10.5%
-5.7%
vs nation
54th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#1,842
38.4%
+2.9%
vs nation
41th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,433
5.6
-1.3%
vs nation
54th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#929
4.0
-9.2%
vs nation
71th percentile
Uninsured Rate#1,854
10.7%
+1.8%
vs nation
41th percentile
Physical Inactivity#2,015
28.0%
+6.1%
vs nation
36th percentile
Food Insecurity#988
12.5%
-13.2%
vs nation
69th percentile

Substance Use

17.6% of adults in Aiken County smoke , 37.0% are obese , and 19.9% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 49.6 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#1,534
17.6%
-2.0%
vs nation
51th percentile
Adult Obesity#1,161
37.0%
-2.4%
vs nation
63th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,548
19.9%
+0.3%
vs nation
51th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#1,812
49.6
+53.5%
vs nation
14th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Aiken County is 11.6 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 21.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 17.5 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#1,256
11.6
+44.5%
vs nation
18th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,742
21.4
+8.3%
vs nation
32th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#2,074
25.2
+40.8%
vs nation
16th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#1,293
17.5
-13.5%
vs nation
54th percentile

Families & Children

17.7% of children in Aiken County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 7.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 20.9 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#902
7.3
+8.1%
vs nation
34th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#1,568
20.9
-4.5%
vs nation
48th percentile
Child Poverty#1,552
17.7%
-6.8%
vs nation
51th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Aiken County is 65.8%. The mean commute time is 27.4 min, which is 0.6% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
65.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
27.4 min −0.6% vs nation
Rank #1,392 of 3,222
57th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Aiken County voted Republican with a margin of 25.9%. The vote was 36.4% Dem / 62.3% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 3.2 toward Republicans .

2024 REP +25.9%
36.4% 62.3%
Dem 86,091 votes Rep
2020 REP +22.7%
37.9% 60.6%
Dem 85,185 votes Rep
2016 REP +27.5%
34% 61.5%
Dem 74,773 votes Rep
2012 REP +26.0%
36.3% 62.3%
Dem 66,049 votes Rep
2008 REP +24.0%
37.4% 61.4%
Dem 69,770 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Aiken County, South Carolina

Aiken County, South Carolina has a total population of 174,160, making it the 395th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Aiken County is 42.0 years, which is 8.0% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Aiken County is $70,609, which ranks #1,156 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 6.0% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 14.3%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 6.0%.

The median home value in Aiken County is $218,000, 22.7% below the national median. Renters in Aiken County pay a median gross rent of $1,062 per month. The homeownership rate is 76.5%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Aiken County, 31.9% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5.2% below the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 91.2% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 27.4 min.

Aiken County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 63.5% of the population, followed by Black (non-Hispanic) (23.7%) and Hispanic or Latino (7.2%).

All data for Aiken County, South Carolina comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.