Aiken vs Columbia
Aiken, South Carolina versus Columbia, South Carolina: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Aiken and Columbia score about the same overall (47 vs 49 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Aiken | Columbia |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $66k | $54k |
| Cost of Living | $45k | $50k |
| Home Value | $236k | $226k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $1k | $1k |
| Property Tax Rate | 0.48% | 0.69% |
| Income Tax | 6.40% | 6.40% |
| Sales Tax | 7.50% | 7.50% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 10.58% | 11.74% |
| Unemployment | 3.9% | 7.9% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 48°F | 47°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 83°F | 83°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.5 in | 48.7 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.7 in | 0.2 in |
| Sunny Days | 263 days | 234 days |
| Summer Humidity | 71°F | 70°F |
| Comfortable Days | 85 days | 82 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 46.2 | 55.4 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 42 AQI |
| School Quality | 48.0 | 66.9 |
| Violent Crime | 2454/100k | 1365/100k |
| Property Crime | 3495/100k | 2858/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,014 | 136,754 |
| Median Age | 46.4 | 28.3 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.54 | 0.58 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.84 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | R+23 | D+39 |
| White (%) | 56.9% | 47.9% |
| Black (%) | 35.9% | 40.2% |
| Hispanic (%) | 2.6% | 5.2% |
| Asian (%) | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 2.5% | 4.5% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 17 min |
| Walkability | 6.3/20 | 11.1/20 |
| Airport Distance | 107 mi | 81 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 89.8% | 86.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 35.92 | 12.21 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Aiken or Columbia more affordable?
- Aiken has the lower cost of living: its index is $45k, compared with Aiken's $45k and Columbia's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Aiken versus $1k in Columbia.
- Is Aiken or Columbia safer?
- Columbia has the lower violent crime rate. Aiken reports 2454/100k and Columbia reports 1365/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Aiken or Columbia?
- The median home value is $236k in Aiken and $226k in Columbia, so homes are more affordable in Columbia.