Affordable Storage Units in Aiken

Moving and storage go hand in hand. Whether traveling across town or the country, moving is an exciting and fresh start. While Storage Rentals of America is here to help you with all your storage needs, we also want to help you get familiar with the area. That's why we put together this resource guide for Aiken.

About Aiken, SC

Aiken is the county seat of Aiken County in South Carolina. The 2020 Census found 32,025 people living there. It is in a beautiful part of the state called the Central Savannah River Area.

The city was incorporated in 1835 due to the railroad terminal of the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company built there. The train came from Charleston, South Carolina, bringing people and economic growth. The town was named after the railroad company president, William Aiken. The town's government has always been racially integrated. There were three African-American legislators serving on the first city commission.

The city was fought over extensively during the American Civil War. The Confederates won the deciding Battle of Aiken to talk control.

Between 1890 and the 1920s, Aiken attracted many Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, especially Poland. In 1905, a Russian-Jewish socialist group from New York founded a farming community called Happyville.

In the 1950s, the city became known for making nuclear material for thermonuclear weapons. A manufacturing facility to produce enriched uranium was built near the town. The United States Atomic Energy Commission ran the production facility called the Savannah River Plant. There were five nuclear reactors operating, along with fuel fabrication processes and heavy water being made at the facility. The site included a research lab, two fuel reprocessing plants, and tritium recovery facilities.

What to do in Aiken, SC

Aiken has interesting features and hosts thoroughbred horse racing events:

• Features: Hopelands Gardens is a lovely place for a picnic. The Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum is located within the gardens.
• Events: Twice each year, in March (Imperial Cup) and October (Holiday Cup), there are horse steeplechase races sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association. These events attract more than 30,000 spectators.
• Museums: Museums to visit include the Aiken County Historical Museum and the Thoroughbred Museum.
• Destination: Aiken State Park is a terrific place for fishing. There is a freshwater Artesian well for drinking water on the Canoe Trail. Kayaking on the Edisto River is loads of fun.

Working in Aiken, SC

The Aiken local economy depends on hospitality, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, and education. The unemployment rate is 5%, which is pretty high. The median household income is $58,125 per year, which is lower than the American average of $69,021. The economy is growing in alignment with the national average. Aiken's predicted job growth rate for the next ten years is 32.9%, compared to the national rate of 33.5%. Local traffic can be congested on workdays. The average commute time is 19.6 minutes.

The industries offering the most jobs are education (12%), utilities (11.4%), healthcare (9.9%), professional services (6.7%), hospitality (6.1%), construction (5.3%), and administration (5.1%).

Aiken, SC Neighborhoods

The best neighborhoods in Aiken are found in the southern part of the city.

Here are the areas with the finest homes for sale.

• Aiken South: This neighborhood has lovely small lakes throughout. Most homes were built between 1970 and 1999, with a few newer homes built after 2000. The median real estate price is $462,694. This is more expensive than 86.2% of the rest of the state. Most homes are owner-occupied. The houses are medium-to-large single-family homes and townhouses with at least three bedrooms and some up to six bedrooms. Rental homes are pricey and up to $4,335 per month for rent.
• Aiken Southeast: This nice neighborhood is southeast of the city center. The median real estate price is $383,184. Apartments and mobile homes are available to rent for around $1,487 per month. The vacancy rate is 13.2%, so finding a rental is easy.
• Aiken Southwest: This area is to the southwest of Aiken. The median real estate price is $333,165. Rental homes are available for an average rent of $2,070 per month. The vacancy rate is low at 5.6%, making finding a place to rent challenging.
• Whiskey Road / Hitchcock Drive: The median real estate price is $328,600. There is a nice mixture of homes, apartment complexes, and high-rise buildings with apartments and condos. The average rent is $1,956 per month.

Aiken, SC School District

The public school district is the Aiken County Public Schools. The school district spends around $15,389 annually per student. The student-to-teacher ratio is almost 15 to one.

There are eight private schools in the Aiken area. The top three private schools are Mead Hall Episcopal School (PK to 12th), St. Johns Kindergarten, and St. Mary Help of Christians School (K to 8th).

There is a public four-year University of South Carolina, Aiken and 14 other colleges within a 50-mile radius. There is the Augusta State University, about 18 miles away.

Moving to Aiken, SC Resource Guided

Aiken’s municipal government consists of an elected mayor and six elected members serving on the Aiken City Council.

The Aiken Recreation Department manages the public parks and recreational centers. There are enrichment programs, fitness classes, youth scholarships, recreation activities for children and adults, and senior fun.

The Aiken County Farmers Market is open from 7:30 am to 11:30 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 7:30 am to 2:30 pm on Saturdays.

See The Park Bench quarterly publication for information about current programs and activities.

Aiken, SC Housing

The median home price in Aiken is $312,500, trending up about 4% year-over-year. It is a buyer’s market with more homes listed for sale than the number of interested buyers.

The cost of living in Aiken has an A+ rating on Areavibes. It is 3% lower than other cities in the state and 9% lower than the national average for the United States.