Aiken County is located in South Carolina. It is on the western side of the state, adjacent to the Savannah River and the adjoining state of Georgia. Based on acreage, Aiken is the fourth largest county in South Carolina.
This size stems from how Aiken became a county. It was created by pulling from portions of several other counties in South Carolina – Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, and Orangeburg – in 1871 and the county’s name pays homage to the first president of South Carolina Railroad and Canal Company, William Aiken.

Aiken County is one of three major counties that make up the Central Savannah River Region, or to locals – the CSRA. The other two major counties are both located in Georgia – Richmond and Columbia. However, the CSRA is much more than these three areas. The official boundaries of the CSRA include 13 counties in Georgia and eight counties in South Carolina.

Within Aiken County there are the cities of Aiken, New Ellenton, and North Augusta. Although not large enough to classify as cities, seven additional towns lay within the borders of Aiken County: Salley, Burnettown, Jackson, Monetta (partly in Saluda County), Perry, Wagener and Windsor. There are also six census-designated places located in Aiken County: Belvedere, Clearwater, Gloverville, Graniteville, Langley, and Warrenville.

There are many reasons residents are drawn to Aiken County. One of the primary reasons is that Aiken County is known for notably lower taxes and home prices than in the surrounding counties of Richmond, Columbia and Lexington. If you move to Aiken County, you can expect a median home price of $162K and an average home value of $188K, according to the Board of Realtors in 2017, making it an affordable place to settle down, whether you are commuting to a surrounding city or working at a local area business.

Speaking of commute, Aiken is within easy driving distance to both Augusta, GA, and Columbia, SC. It isn’t uncommon for Aiken County residents to commute to one of these major cities (or surrounding areas) for employment. It is approximately 20 miles from Augusta to Aiken, SC, and approximately 30 – 40 minutes to drive between the two areas, depending on route. The distance between Aiken, SC, and South Carolina’s capital city of Columbia is double that – approximately 60 miles and approximately one hour drive time. Aiken County residents enjoy proximity to both the beach and the mountains, as each is within a two hour driving distance.

Children of Aiken County residents have the option to attend Aiken County public schools, served by the Aiken County Public School District. This school district is currently made up of 45 schools, though additional schools are currently in development in response to the district’s growth rates. This includes eight high schools (9-12 grades): Aiken High, South Aiken High, Silver Bluff High, North Augusta High, Midland Valley High, Ridge Spring-Monetta High, and Wagener-Salley High. In addition to these high schools, there are 11 middle schools, 21 elementary schools, 2 charter schools and several specialty classroom environments. Aiken is also home to both the University of South Carolina Aiken and Aiken Technical College.