HomeSouth CarolinaAiken County
Aiken County, South Carolina: commercial real estate data.
Aiken County, South Carolina has a population of 174,160 across 1,071 square miles, up 6.2 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $10.36 bn in 2024, 3,067 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 88 7(a) approvals worth $70.1 m.
122 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Aiken County
How many people live in Aiken County
- Population174,160
- Households69,916
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$70,609
- Median age42.0
- Median gross rent$1,062 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$218,000
- Home value to household income3.1 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher31.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree12.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over123,582
- Population under 1837,379
- Share under 1821.5 percent
- Population 65 and over36,156
- Share 65 and over20.8 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 64100,625
- Civilian labor force81,900
- Unemployment rate6.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.9 percent
- Rank by population among South Carolina counties11th of 46
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents395th
Aiken County is the 11th largest of 46 South Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.1 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents under 18 outnumber those 65 and over, at 21.5 percent against 20.8 percent, a household formation profile rather than a retirement one.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Aiken County
Is Aiken County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base6.18 percent
- Census 2020 base population168,805
- Births, 20242,426
- Deaths, 20242,174
- Natural change, 2024252
- Net domestic migration, 20241,601
- Net international migration, 2024352
- Total net migration, 20241,953
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20249,330
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents385th
The county has grown 6.18 percent since the 2020 census base. Migration contributed more to 2024 change than births over deaths, so demand here follows people arriving rather than families forming.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Aiken County
Where people moving to Aiken County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,151
- People arriving, from those returns9,745
- Adjusted gross income arriving$408.8 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$79,363
- Largest single originAiken County Non-migrants (63,164 households)
- Largest single destination (63,164 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aiken County Non-migrants | 63,164 | 128,017 | $4.69 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 2,383 | 4,567 | $213.6 m |
| Other flows - South | 1,288 | 2,490 | $104.6 m |
| Richmond County | 668 | 1,264 | $36.4 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 431 | 811 | $42.1 m |
| Other flows - West | 358 | 718 | $35.4 m |
| Columbia County | 346 | 653 | $22.1 m |
| Other flows - Midwest | 306 | 548 | $31.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Aiken County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Aiken County
What the Aiken County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$10.36 bn
- County GDP, 2023$9.79 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.8 percent
- GDP change over five years36.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among South Carolina counties11th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents429th
- GDP per resident$59,513
Output grew 5.8 percent in the latest year and 36.9 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Aiken County
Who employs people in Aiken County
- Covered employment, annual average65,165
- Establishments reporting3,807
- Average annual pay$63,331
- Average weekly wage$1,218
- Sector 56, employment10,042
- Sector 56, average annual pay$89,264
- Sector 31-33, employment8,966
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$76,117
- Sector 44-45, employment7,522
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$32,690
- Sector 62, employment7,128
- Sector 62, average annual pay$49,485
- Sector 72, employment6,285
- Sector 23, employment6,102
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 56 | 10,042 | 217 | $89,264 |
| Sector 31-33 | 8,966 | 134 | $76,117 |
| Sector 44-45 | 7,522 | 554 | $32,690 |
| Sector 62 | 7,128 | 530 | $49,485 |
| Sector 72 | 6,285 | 322 | $20,431 |
| Sector 23 | 6,102 | 360 | $86,755 |
| Sector 54 | 3,687 | 482 | $106,597 |
| Sector 48-49 | 1,725 | 96 | $60,011 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 10,042 jobs, 15.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Aiken County
What businesses operate in Aiken County
- Establishments, all industries3,067
- Employment at those establishments54,369
- Annual payroll$3.28 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents17.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Aiken County
What is being built in Aiken County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 20242,500
- Declared construction value permitted$696.4 m
- Single family units authorised1,471
- Multifamily units authorised1,029
- Multifamily share of units41.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$278,548
- Units authorised per 1,000 households35.8
Multifamily is 41.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is being built for renters rather than buyers.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Aiken County
How much SBA lending happens in Aiken County
- 7(a) approvals recorded88
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$70.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$796,350
- Median 7(a) approval$500,000
- 10th percentile approval$63,200
- 90th percentile approval$2,010,000
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,312
- Jobs per approval14.9
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active34
- Distinct industries receiving approvals56
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer27.3 percent
- Loans on real estate terms24
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter52
- Franchise loans25
- Franchise share of approvals28.4 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLimited-Service Restaurants (8)
- Most active lenderLive Oak Banking Company (14)
- 504 approvals recorded32
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.4 m
- Average 504 approval$699,656
- Median 504 approval$536,000
- Distinct CDCs active5
- 504 jobs per approval15.6
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved22.3
- Most active CDCCSRA Local Development Corporation (21)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals73.3 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$92.5 m
The average approval of $796,350 sits well above the median of $500,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 27.3 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Aiken County
Do SBA loans in Aiken County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded12
- Paid in full12
- Charged off0
- Charge off rate on resolved loans0.0 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure59
- Status: Paid in full12
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed6
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 0.0 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Aiken County
Which parts of Aiken County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending10
- AIKEN, approvals52
- NORTH AUGUSTA, approvals20
- Beech Island, approvals4
- GRANITEVILLE, approvals4
- SALLEY, approvals2
- WARRENVILLE, approvals2
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| AIKEN | 52 | $44,097,700 |
| NORTH AUGUSTA | 20 | $13,447,700 |
| Beech Island | 4 | $2,701,000 |
| GRANITEVILLE | 4 | $5,302,400 |
| SALLEY | 2 | $815,000 |
| WARRENVILLE | 2 | $383,000 |
| NEW ELLENTON | 1 | $637,000 |
| WILLISTON | 1 | $15,000 |
AIKEN accounts for 52 approvals against 20 in NORTH AUGUSTA. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Aiken County
How big is Aiken County
- Land area1,071 sq mi
- Rank by land area among South Carolina counties4th of 46
- Width, east to west47.6 mi
- Height, north to south48.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land163
- Establishments per square mile2.86
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Aiken County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Aiken County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population174,160
- Households69,916
- Average household size2.49
- Median household income$70,609
- Median age42.0
Common questions
Aiken County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Aiken County, South Carolina?
174,160, in 69,916 households, ranking 11th of 46 South Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Aiken County growing?
The population has grown 6.18 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 2,426 births against 2,174 deaths, with net migration of 1,953. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Aiken County?
$70,609. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $218,000, which is 3.1 times income, and median gross rent is $1,062 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Aiken County?
3,067 establishments, employing 54,369 people with an annual payroll of $3.28 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Aiken County?
Average annual pay is $63,331, or $1,218 a week, across 65,165 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Aiken County?
88 7(a) approvals totalling $70.1 m since FY2020, across 34 lenders, with a median approval of $500,000, plus 32 504 approvals worth $22.4 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Aiken County get paid back?
Of the 12 loans that have reached a final outcome, 12 were paid in full and 0 charged off, a charge off rate of 0.0 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Aiken County?
2,500 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $696.4 m. Multifamily was 41.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Aiken County?
Zone 3, a predicted average indoor radon screening level less than 2 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Aiken County come from?
The largest single origin is Aiken County Non-migrants, with 63,164 households. Arriving households report an average income of $79,363 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Aiken County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Aiken County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.