Rents are 4% below what Aiken's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,327 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Aiken is 1.6% below its high of $1,348 in February 2026, at $1,327 as of September 2026.
Rent in Aiken changed +0.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 54 South Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.1%.
Rent has fallen 2 months in a row, and rose in 5 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($76,746) is $1,919 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,575); a 4-bedroom is $1,930.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Aiken. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Aiken, SC is majority owner-occupied, has a large retiree population, 47.7% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Aiken, SC has changed in 5 years
Five years ago, renters in Aiken, SC paid around $1,124 a month. That figure now sits near $1,327, up 18.1% from the 2022 baseline. Median household income climbed from $58,125 to $76,746 between 2021 and 2024, a 32.0% shift. With wages climbing faster than rent over the same window, renters here have a bit more breathing room than they did five years back. Census counts show Aiken, SC adding about 1,005 residents over the five-year window, up 3.2% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 41.3% to 47.7% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in Aiken, SC reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.
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At $1,327/mo, how Aiken rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Aiken rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Aiken. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Aiken
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Aiken is $1,327/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $885/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,200/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,060/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,575/mo.
At 21% of local median household income ($76,746/yr), Aiken ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 0.6% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Is rent going up or down in Aiken?
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How does Aiken rent compare to other cities in South Carolina?
At $1,327/mo, rent takes ~21% of Aiken's median household income ($76,746/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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