Aiken, SC

Census Place

Add Comparison

2023 Population

32,334

1% 1-year growth

US Senator

Lindsey Graham

Republican Party

US Senator

Tim Scott

Republican Party

2023 Median Age

46.5

0.216% 1-year increase

2023 Poverty Rate

16.3%

1.89% 1-year increase

2023 Median Household Income

$69,837

6.28% 1-year growth

2023 Median Property Value

$261,800

11.2% 1-year growth

2023 Employed Population

13,688

3.59% 1-year decline

About

In 2023, Aiken, SC had a population of 32.3k people with a median age of 46.5 and a median household income of $69,837. Between 2022 and 2023 the population of Aiken, SC grew from 32,014 to 32,334, a 1% increase and its median household income grew from $65,712 to $69,837, a 6.28% increase.

The 5 largest ethnic groups in Aiken, SC are White (Non-Hispanic) (59.5%), Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) (32%), Two+ (Non-Hispanic) (2.68%), Two+ (Hispanic) (2%), and Asian (Non-Hispanic) (1.98%).

None of the households in Aiken, 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, SC are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Aiken, SC are Aiken School of Cosmetology and Barbering (33 degrees awarded in 2022).

In 2023, the median property value in Aiken, SC was $261,800, and the homeownership rate was 69.7%.

Most people in Aiken, SC drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.5 minutes. The average car ownership in Aiken, SC was 2 cars per household.

United States South Carolina Aiken County, SC Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC Aiken County--Aiken & North Augusta Cities PUMA, SC

Population & Diversity

Aiken, SC is home to a population of 32.3k people, from which 98.4% are citizens. As of 2023, 3.72% of Aiken, SC residents were born outside of the country (1.2k people).

In 2023, there were 1.86 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (19.2k people) in Aiken, SC than any other race or ethnicity. There were 10.3k Black or African American (Non-Hispanic) and 868 Two+ (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.4%

2023 Citizenship

98.1%

2022 Citizenship

As of 2023, 98.4% of Aiken, SC residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.4%. In 2022, the percentage of US citizens in Aiken, SC was 98.1%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been increasing.

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

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Aiken, SC

White (Non-Hispanic)
19.2k ± 1.14k
Black or African American (Non-Hispanic)
10.3k ± 1.15k
Two+ (Non-Hispanic)
868 ± 284

3.48%

Hispanic Population

1.13k people

3.48% of the people in Aiken, SC are hispanic (1.13k people).

The following chart shows the 7 races represented in Aiken, SC as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

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

Most Common Origin

Mexico
58,419 ± 5,900 people
India
18,341 ± 3,319 people
Honduras
13,844 ± 2,885 people

In 2022, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of South Carolina was Mexico, the natal country of 58,419 South Carolina residents, followed by India with 18,341 and Honduras with 13,844.

Foreign-Born Population

3.72%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

1.2k people

4.23%

2022 Foreign-Born Population

1.35k people

As of 2023, 3.72% of Aiken, SC residents (1.2k people) were born outside of the United States, which is lower than the national average of 13.8%. In 2022, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Aiken, SC was 4.23%, meaning that the rate has been decreasing.

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

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
946 ± 218
Gulf War (2001-)
932 ± 338
Gulf War (1990s)
464 ± 206

Aiken, SC has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.02 times greater than any other conflict.

Economy

The economy of Aiken, SC employs 13.7k people. The largest industries in Aiken, SC are Educational Services (1,855 people), Retail Trade (1,704 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,597 people), and the highest paying industries are Utilities ($120,239), Information ($106,250), and Construction ($105,925).

Males in South Carolina have an average income that is 1.37 times higher than the average income of females, which is $52,636. The income inequality in South Carolina (measured using the Gini index) is 0.464, which is lower than than the national average.

Employment

Occupations

13.7k

2023 Value

± 1,133

−3.59%

1 Year decline

± 12%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Aiken, SC declined at a rate of −3.59%, from 14.2k employees to 13.7k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Aiken, SC, are Management Occupations (1,409 people), Sales & Related Occupations (1,383 people), and Education Instruction, & Library Occupations (1,177 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Aiken, SC.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

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

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.

View Full Dashboard

Industries

Employment by Industries

13.7k

2023 Value

± 1,133

−3.59%

1 Year decline

± 12%

From 2022 to 2023, employment in Aiken, SC declined at a rate of −3.59%, from 14.2k employees to 13.7k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Aiken, SC, are Educational Services (1,855 people), Retail Trade (1,704 people), and Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services (1,597 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Aiken, SC, though some of these residents may live in Aiken, SC and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,454

Median earning men ± $12,127

$36,329

Median earning women ± $2,785

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2023 are Wholesale Trade ($205,234), Construction ($105,300), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($94,286).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2023 are Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($44,516), Manufacturing ($42,750), and Finance & Insurance, & Real Estate & Rental & Leasing ($40,362).

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.

Education

In 2022, universities in Aiken, SC awarded 33 degrees. The student population of Aiken, SC in 2021 is skewed towards women, with 12 male students and 60 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Aiken, SC are White (17 and 51.5%), followed by Black or African American (12 and 36.4%), Two or More Races (2 and 6.06%), and Asian (1 and 3.03%).

The largest universities in Aiken, SC by number of degrees awarded are Aiken School of Cosmetology and Barbering (33 and 100%).

The most popular majors in Aiken, SC are General Cosmetology (13 and 39.4%), Aesthetician & Skin Care Specialist (12 and 36.4%), and Nail Specialist & Manicurist (6 and 18.2%).

Admissions & Enrollments

Enrollments by Gender and Races

In 2021 there were 72 students enrolled in Aiken, SC, 16.7% men and 83.3% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in Black or African American with 38 records, of which 71.1% were women and 28.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

General Cosmetology
13 degrees awarded
Barbering
2 degrees awarded

In 2022, the most common concentation for 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate recipients in Aiken, SC was General Cosmetology with 13 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a 1 to 2 Year Postsecondary Certificate from schools in Aiken, SC according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Aiken School of Cosmetology and Barbering

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

33 degrees awarded

In 2022, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Aiken School of Cosmetology and Barbering with 33 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

In 2022, 1 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Aiken, SC, which is 0.0313 times less than the 32 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2022 the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 17 degrees mean that there were 1.42 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Black or African American, with 12 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.

Working Population

Educational Pyramid

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

Measure

In 2022, 0.83% of men over 25 years of age had not completed any academic degree (no schooling), while 0.688% of women were in the same situation.

This visualization shows the gender distribution of the population according to the academic level reached.

Educational Attainment

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

Race

The most common educational levels obtained by the working population in 2022 were High School or Equivalent (1.18M), Some college (892k), and Bachelors Degree (705k).

This visualization illustrates the percentage distribution of the population according to the highest educational level reached. You can filter the data by race by using the selector above.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Aiken, SC was $261,800 in 2023, which is 0.863 times smaller than the national average of $303,400. Between 2022 and 2023 the median property value increased from $235,500 to $261,800, a 11.2% increase. The homeownership rate in Aiken, SC is 69.7%, which is approximately the same as the national average of 65%.

People in Aiken, SC have an average commute time of 23.5 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Aiken, SC is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

Median household income in Aiken, SC is $69,837. In 2023, the place with the highest median household income in Aiken, SC was Census Tract 212.01 with a value of $98,646, followed by Census Tract 212.02 and Census Tract 215, with respective values of $69,853 and $62,000.

Housing

Property

$261,800

Median Property Value 2023

±$12,728

$9,032

Median Property Taxes

±$777

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, SC the largest share of households pay taxes in the < $800 range.

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

Rent vs Own

69.7%

Homeownership

2023

66%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2023

In 2023, 69.7% of the housing units in Aiken, SC were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 68.8%.

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

Equity

Income by Location

Use the dropdown to filter by race/ethnicity.

Race/Ethnicity

Highest Median Household Income (Total)

Census Tract 212.01
Census Tract 212.02
Census Tract 215

In 2023, the place with the highest Median Household Income (Total) in Aiken, SC was Census Tract 212.01 with a value of $98,646, followed by Census Tract 212.02 and Census Tract 215, with respective values of $69,853 and $62,000.

The following map shows all of the places in Aiken, SC colored by their Median Household Income (Total).

Household Income

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

$69,837

Median Household Income

± $10,415

13k

Number of Households

± 964

In 2023, the median household income of the 13k households in Aiken, SC grew to $69,837 from the previous year's value of $65,712.

The following chart displays the households in Aiken, 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, SC is from South Carolina.

0.464

2022 Wage GINI in South Carolina

0.463

2021 Wage GINI in South Carolina

In 2022, the income inequality in South Carolina was 0.464 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.334% growth from 2021 to 2022, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat less even. The GINI for South Carolina was lower than than the national average of 0.478. 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 2023

Drove Alone (79.5%)
Worked At Home (9.8%)
Carpooled (7.98%)

In 2023, 79.5% of workers in Aiken, SC drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (9.8%) and those who carpooled to work (7.98%).

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

23.5 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Aiken, SC have a shorter commute time (23.5 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.6 minutes). Additionally, 2.25% of the workforce in Aiken, SC have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Aiken, 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, SC distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Aiken, SC have 2 cars.

Poverty

Poverty & Diversity

16.3% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Aiken, SC (5.04k out of 31k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.4%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Males 25 - 34, followed by Females 35 - 44 and then Females 6 - 11.

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

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.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

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

Health

94.3% of the population of Aiken, SC has health coverage, with 41.4% on employee plans, 13.4% on Medicaid, 20.6% on Medicare, 15.2% on non-group plans, and 3.74% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Aiken County, SC see 3087 patients per year on average, which represents a 1.18% increase from the previous year (3051 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 2372 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 621 patients per year.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

Data is only available at the country level. Showing data for Aiken County, SC.

3,087 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Aiken County, SC

Primary care physicians in Aiken County, SC see an average of 3,087 patients per year. This represents a 1.18% increase from the previous year (3,051 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 2023, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 20.3% under 18 years, 19.8% between 18 and 34 years, 32% between 35 and 64 years, and 27.8% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 44.7% were men and 55.3% were women.

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

Uninsured People

5.72%

Uninsured

41.4%

Employer Coverage

13.4%

Medicaid

20.6%

Medicare

15.2%

Non-Group

3.74%

Military or VA

Between 2022 and 2023, the percent of uninsured citizens in Aiken, SC declined by 2.54% from 5.87% to 5.72%.

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

Keep Exploring

South Carolina

State

Augusta-Richmond County, GA-SC