Aiken County is located on the western edge of South Carolina, adjacent to the Savannah River and the neighboring state of Georgia. It was created from portions of several other counties – Barnwell, Edgefield, Lexington, and Orangeburg – in 1871 and named for the first president of South Carolina Railroad and Canal Company, William Aiken. By land area, Aiken is the fourth largest county in South Carolina.

Aiken County is one of three major counties known as the Central Savannah River Area, or to locals – the CSRA. The other counties are Richmond and Columbia, both located in Georgia. However, the official boundaries of the CSRA include 13 counties in Georgia and an additional eight counties in South Carolina.

Aiken County includes the following cities: Aiken, New Ellenton, and North Augusta. In addition to these cities, seven towns lay within the borders of Aiken County: Burnettown, Jackson, Perry, Salley, Monetta (partly in Saluda County), Wagener and Windsor. Finally, Belvedere, Clearwater, Gloverville, Graniteville, Langley, Warrenville are census-designated places located in Aiken County.

Aiken County residents enjoy proximity to both the beach and the mountains, as each is within a two hour driving distance. Similarly, 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 Columbia, SC, is double that – approximately 60 miles and approximately one hour drive time.

Aiken County is also 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.

Residents of Aiken County are served by Aiken County school district. The school district includes 45 schools. Eight schools serve grades 9 – 12: 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 environments. Aiken is also home to two secondary education systems – University of South Carolina Aiken and Aiken Technical College.

Approximately 10 percent of the total acreage for the county is part of the Savannah River Site (SRS). Per the Site’s website, SRS is a Department of Energy (DOE) industrial complex responsible for disposition of nuclear materials, waste management, environmental cleanup and environmental stewardship, and is a major employer in the CSRA.

Aiken County offers multiple outdoor leisure opportunities, including the North Augusta Greeneway and Hitchcock Woods. Residents of Aiken County enjoy easy driving distance to the internationally renowned Masters Golf Tournament (hosted yearly at Augusta National Golf Course), and Aiken County – and more specifically the city of Aiken – is also known for its equine culture. Horses even get the right of way on downtown streets!

The realtors at Woodside-Aiken Realty are extremely knowledgeable about the Aiken County area. If you have questions about moving to Aiken, call our office today at (803) 643-1899.