Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Aiken grades C overall, ranked 99th of 167 in South Carolina, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Natural-hazard risk is low. On the other side, its crime rate is higher than 92% of U.S. towns, with 148 violent crimes reported to the FBI in 2025. Aiken’s trail density is 1.8 miles per square mile, above both South Carolina’s towns (0.3) and U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Joye Cottage and Aiken Mile Track.
Where Aiken beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Phelps House
Its 26 National Register listings are more than in 94% of South Carolina towns with a listing.
Census counts: 1,817 in 1880, 32,025 in 2020. The archive holds 10 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 5 maps from 1921 on.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within South Carolina), ordered by how far Aiken is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Aiken, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Sep 12, 2025.
Ordered by what stands out in Aiken.
40 miles of trail in 18 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Hitchcock Woods, 206 acres with 6.9 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hitchcock Woods | 6.9 mi | 206 |
| 2. Generations Park | 3 mi | 118 |
| 3. Virginia Acres Park | 1.8 mi | 43 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Aiken 01 school district. Two of its 17 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Millbrook ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 664 | B− |
| South Aiken HighLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,349 | A |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within SC on state tests and graduation
19,491 jobs are based in Aiken, 1.7 for every working resident, so most of the people who work here commute in. Jobs based here fell from 25,313 in 2013 to 19,491.
About one in 4 of Aiken’s working residents works in town. Since 2013, Aiken has lost 5,822 jobs, to 19,491 in 2023. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Aiken, near the South Carolina town median (17%) and above the median of U.S. towns (9.6%).
| Aiken | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 26% | 6.1% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 17% | 17% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 12% | 8.6% | 11% |
| Median household income | $77,000 | $57,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The property crime rate in Aiken is 34 per 1,000 residents. Aiken reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 92% report less. The violent crime rate in Aiken is 4.5 per 1,000 residents.
| Aiken | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 34 per 1,000 residents | 21.1 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.5 per 1,000 residents | 3.9 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Aiken since 1979.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Aiken has mild winters and hot summers, with plenty of rain. Aiken’s July high is 92°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Aiken beats the South Carolina average on 9 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Aiken.
| Aiken | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 18% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 80% | 79% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 15% | 14% |
| What stands out | Aiken | SC |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.3% | 13.9% |
| Fewer smokers | 11.4% | 13.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Aiken home is worth about $274,000, up 3.3% in a year, 10% below the South Carolina typical home.
| Aiken | South Carolina towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 68% | 65% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,180 a month | $1,058 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Aiken. Close and well known come first.
25 mi LandmarkFort Gordon
15 mi Stadium & arenaJames Brown Arena
15 mi MuseumMeadow Garden
15 mi MuseumMorris Museum of Art120K visitors a year12 mi MuseumBeech Island Historical Society
15 mi GardenAugusta Botanical GardensFort Gordon: U.S. Army Cyber Command, Public domain · James Brown Arena: Thomson200, CC0 · Meadow Garden: Flickr user Sir Mildred Pierce, CC BY 2.0 · Morris Museum of Art: Thomson200, CC0 · Augusta Botanical Gardens: Liam Wolff (Ospr3yy at en.wikipedia), FAL
2 within 15 miles of the center of Aiken
About 9 of every 100 Aiken residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across South Carolina.
2.8% of the town is conserved land, across 18 parks and preserves.
26 places in Aiken on the National Register of Historic Places.
42 notable people were born in Aiken.
City in South Carolina, United States
Aiken is the most populous city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. According to 2020 census, its population was 32,025, making it the 15th-most-populous city in South Carolina, and one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. Founded in 1835, Aiken was named after William Aiken, the president of the South Carolina Railroad. It became part of Aiken County when the county was formed in 1871. In the late 19th century, Aiken gained fame as a wintering spot for wealthy people from the Northeast. Thomas Hitchcock, Sr. and William C. Whitney established the Aiken Winter Colony. Over the years, Aiken became a winter home for many notable peop…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Aiken grades C overall, better than 31% of U.S. towns and #99 of 167 in South Carolina. It grades B for health, D for safety and B for schools. Safety is its weak spot, with a D.
Within South Carolina, it does better than 43% of towns.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
42 notable people were born here, including Paul Wight and Anna Camp.
