States › South Carolina › Aiken

Is Aiken, SC expensive to live in?

OKRent takes 21 cents of every $1 people earn here.
🏠 Rent per month (2026)$1,44618% lower than U.S. average
💵 Families earn per year (2026)$82,771about $6,898/month · 5% lower than U.S. average
🔑 House price$286,80014% lower than U.S. average

Rent is lower than in 61% of U.S. cities. A typical house costs about 3.5 years of household income.

How much money do I need?

To rent here comfortably, you should earn about $57,840 a year. That is $28 an hour at a full-time job.

Is rent cheaper than other South Carolina cities?

Yes. Rent here is cheaper than in most of South Carolina. It is number 49 of 101 cities from cheapest to most expensive.

Aiken
$1,446
Bluffton
$2,627
Fort Mill
$2,215
Anderson
$1,343
Hilton Head Island
$2,020
Myrtle Beach
$1,538
Conway
$1,678

How much do households earn in Aiken?

Under $25k
12.4%
$25k–50k
20.9%
$50k–100k
28.9%
$100k–150k
15.9%
$150k+
14.0%

Share of households by yearly income. 29.9% of households earn $100,000 or more.

Rent by apartment size in Aiken

SizeAikenU.S. average
Studio$734$1,338
1 bedroom$1,175$1,324
2 bedrooms$1,181$1,509
3 bedrooms$1,261$1,698
4 bedrooms$1,861$2,098

Median monthly rent plus utilities for all renters, by number of bedrooms.

How expensive is Aiken overall?

Everyday prices in South Carolina overall are 6% below the U.S. average (index 93.7, U.S. = 100).

Housing
80
Goods (food, clothes…)
96
Utilities
88
Other services
98
U.S. average
100

Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional Price Parities 2024. City-level data is not published for Aiken, so the South Carolina figure is shown.

Taxes and bills in Aiken

🏛️ Property tax$1,273a year · 0.44% of home value · U.S. $3,119
⚡ Electric bill$178a month (typical) · U.S. $156

Life in Aiken

Commute to work24.2 minU.S.: 26.4 min
College degree47.7%U.S.: 35.7%
Own their home68.1%U.S.: 65.2%
Below poverty line17%U.S.: 12.5%
Unemployment5.4%U.S.: 5.2%

Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Aiken?

Renting is cheaper right now: about $544 a month less.

Renting
$1,446
Owning
$1,990

Owning assumes a typical $286,800 home, 10% down, a 30-year loan at 6.5% and about 1.5% a year for taxes and insurance. You would also need $28,680 for the down payment.

Frequently asked questions

What is the average rent in Aiken, SC?

Renting in Aiken costs a median of about $1,446 a month in 2026, including utilities. The South Carolina median is $1,479.

How much do I need to make to live in Aiken?

To keep rent under 30% of income, you need about $57,840 a year, or $28 an hour at a full-time job.

Is Aiken cheap or expensive?

Aiken is rated OK: rent takes 21.0% of the typical household income of $82,771. It ranks 49th cheapest of 101 South Carolina cities we track.

How much are property taxes in Aiken?

The median homeowner in Aiken pays $1,273 a year in property taxes, about 0.44% of the median home value.

Is Aiken more expensive than the national average?

Overall prices in South Carolina are 6% below the U.S. average, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.

How much does a house cost in Aiken?

The median home value in Aiken is $286,800, about 3.5 times the typical yearly household income.

32,521 people live in Aiken. Numbers are typical (middle) values.