Cost of living in Aiken research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Aiken is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in South Carolina, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Aiken is 90, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Aiken is 0.9x lower than the national average.
Aiken ranks as the #33 cheapest in South Carolina out of 99.
Aiken ranks as the #1,633 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Aiken is $199,000.
The median income in Aiken is $58,125.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Aiken has an overall cost of living index of 90, which is 0.9x lower than the national index of 100.
Compared to South Carolina, Aiken has a cost of living index that's 0.9x lower than South Carolina's index of 96.
The standard of living in Aiken ranks as #33 most affordable out of the 99 places we measured in South Carolina. By definition, that implies Aiken ranks as the #66 most expensive place in the Palmetto State.
For more reading on life in Aiken, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Aiken. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Aiken is 95.
The Groceries index in Aiken is 93.
The Health index in Aiken is 90.
The Housing index in Aiken is 96.
The Transportation index in Aiken is 84.
The Utilities index in Aiken is 88.
Living Expense | Aiken | South Carolina | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 90 | 96 | 100 | |
Services | 95 | 99 | 100 | |
Groceries | 93 | 100 | 100 | |
Health | 90 | 96 | 100 | |
Housing | 96 | 89 | 100 | |
Transportation | 84 | 90 | 100 | |
Utilities | 88 | 107 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in South Carolina, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Aiken is $199,000.
The Median Rent in Aiken is $1,027.
The Median Income in Aiken is $58,125.
The Home Value To Income in Aiken is 3.4x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Aiken is 0.21x.
Statistic | Aiken | South Carolina | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $199,000 | $181,800 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $1,027 | $970 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $58,125 | $58,234 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 3.4x | 3.1x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.21x | 0.2x | 0.2x |
Item | Aiken | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $0.93 | $1.06 |
Movie | $13.01 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $14.9 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $16.42 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $33.99 | $39.05 |
Item | Aiken | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $4.13 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.71 | $1.39 |
Milk | $1.4 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.19 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $9.96 | $10.62 |
Beer | $9.67 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $2.27 | $2.34 |
Item | Aiken | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $173.63 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $94.91 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $76.94 | $99.13 |
Item | Aiken | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $2.01 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $31.72 | $50.07 |
Item | Aiken | South Carolina |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $124.29 | $167.67 |
Phone | $185.79 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Aiken. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
Evans, GA has a cost of living index of 106, 1.2x Aiken.
Martinez, GA has a cost of living index of 90, 1.0x Aiken.
North Augusta, SC has a cost of living index of 91, 1.0x Aiken.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Aiken |
---|---|---|---|
Evans, GA | 38,452 | 106 | 1.2x |
Martinez, GA | 33,829 | 90 | 1.0x |
North Augusta, SC | 24,013 | 91 | 1.0x |
Lexington, SC | 23,068 | 99 | 1.1x |
West Columbia, SC | 17,265 | 94 | 1.0x |
Grovetown, GA | 15,608 | 89 | 1.0x |
Seven Oaks, SC | 15,561 | 92 | 1.0x |
Oak Grove, SC | 11,803 | 93 | 1.0x |
Irmo, SC | 11,581 | 94 | 1.0x |
Red Bank, SC | 10,070 | 93 | 1.0x |