Aiken is a city of 32,521 people in South Carolina. At a median age of 46.6, this is an older place than the country as a whole. 48% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, against 36% nationally. 3% of residents were born outside the United States. The population is up 28% since 2000. There are 1,502 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
median household income $76,746, below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.6
US median: 38.9
More educated
48% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 45%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Unique to this place
What stands out about Aiken
What changed most since 1990
White share67.4% → 59.2%(−8.3 pts)US over the same years: −17.8 pts
Median age35.2 → 46.6(+11.4 years)US over the same years: +6.0 years
Hispanic share1.0% → 4.7%(+3.7 pts)US over the same years: +9.9 pts
Aiken's population equals 19% of Aiken County's. Its number of adults with a bachelor's degree or higher equals 29% of the county's. Its number of residents 65 and older equals 26% of the county's.
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)28.7%(771)
US avg: 26.4%
Gulf War (1990s)27.6%(744)
US avg: 24.3%
Vietnam era41.1%(1,105)
US avg: 33.1%
Korean War4.3%(116)
US avg: 4.5%
World War II2.2%(60)
US avg: 1%
Share of the 2,691 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Over time
Aiken, decade by decade
Aiken population, inflation-adjusted income and home value, education, and diversity by year
Year
Population
Median household income
Median home value
Bachelor's degree+
Diversity score
1990
19,872
$79,857
$199,446
33.1%
56.5
2000
25,337
$80,466
$197,467
38.1%
59.4
2010
29,524
$77,099
$250,311
45.5%
61.3
2020
32,025
$68,119
$241,317
42.4%
67.1
2024
32,521
$76,746
$286,800
47.7%
69.4
Census years come from the decennial census and the latest year from the American Community Survey, so part of any change between those two rows can reflect the different surveys. Dollar figures are adjusted for inflation to 2024 dollars; a figure ending in "+" was at the Census Bureau's reporting cap that year. The diversity score runs from 0 to 100; see how it's calculated.
