Property Tax in Aiken County, South Carolina
In Aiken County, South Carolina, the typical homeowner pays $862 a year in property taxes on a home worth a median of $199,500. The figures on this page are the Census Bureau's published medians (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023), shown exactly as released.
What the Aiken County numbers mean
The median is the midpoint of the county's actual bills: half of Aiken County homeowners pay more than $862 a year and half pay less. The exact bill for any one home depends on its assessed value, exemptions, and which school, municipal and special districts cover it.
Set against the median home value of $199,500, the median bill works out to a derived effective rate of 0.43%. That rate is an estimate computed from the two medians — no county publishes a rate calculated this way — but it adjusts for home prices, which makes comparisons between counties more meaningful.
Aiken County by the numbers
| Measure | Aiken County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median real estate taxes paid | $862 | $1,199 | $2,969 |
| Median home value | $199,500 | $236,700 | $303,400 |
| Derived effective rate* | 0.43% | 0.51% | 0.98% |
| Median tax per month | $72 | $100 | $247 |
*Estimate derived from Census medians (tax ÷ value), not an official rate.
Aiken County at a glance
- Median tax rank in South Carolina: #21 of 46 counties
- Median home value rank in South Carolina: #17 of 46
- Population rank in South Carolina: #11 of 46 (171,949 residents)
- Population density rank: #15 of 46 (161 people per square mile)
- Land area rank in South Carolina: #4 of 46 (1,070 sq mi, 3.6% of the combined county land area)
- Median tax as a monthly figure: $72; per $1,000 of home value: $0.43
How Aiken County compares
Set against its state, Aiken County's median bill of $862 is about 28% lower than the South Carolina median ($1,199). Against the country as a whole it is about 71% lower than the US median ($2,969). That places the county #21 of 46 South Carolina counties ranked by median taxes paid.
Remember what drives the ranking: bills follow home values as much as rates. Aiken County's median home, at $199,500, ranks #17 by value in South Carolina, while its derived rate of 0.43% compares with a derived US figure of 0.98%.
Some extra context for Aiken County: the median bill works out to about $72 a month, and the derived rate equals roughly $432 of tax per $100,000 of home value. The county is home to 171,949 people — the #11 most populous county in South Carolina, spread over 1,070 square miles, a density of about 161 people per square mile. Its median home value, $199,500, ranks #17 among the state's 46 counties with data.
Zooming out: of 3133 counties nationwide with published Census figures, only 2560 record a higher median tax bill than Aiken County — it sits in the top 82% nationally. The county holds roughly 3.3% of South Carolina's people. Its homes are worth less than the state norm (median $199,500 versus $236,700), and a decade at the derived rate of 0.43% adds up to about 4.32% of the median home's value in tax. The cheapest county in the state, Marion County, medians $397 — $465 less than Aiken County per year.
Counties nearest Aiken County in the South Carolina ranking
| County | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horry County, SC | $879 | $260,500 | 0.34% |
| Edgefield County, SC | $877 | $194,300 | 0.45% |
| Sumter County, SC | $860 | $159,500 | 0.54% |
| Oconee County, SC | $856 | $217,200 | 0.39% |
Aiken County and its population peers
Population is a useful lens on these figures, so the table below sets Aiken County beside the counties closest to it in population anywhere in the country — communities of a similar scale operating under different state and local tax systems. Ranked by median tax paid within this peer group of 9, Aiken County's $862 bill is the lowest.
| County | Population | Median tax paid | Median home value | Derived rate* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paulding County, GA | 174,292 | $2,444 | $289,000 | 0.85% |
| Alamance County, NC | 174,286 | $1,440 | $221,200 | 0.65% |
| Porter County, IN | 174,150 | $2,172 | $261,900 | 0.83% |
| Pitt County, NC | 172,279 | $1,649 | $194,300 | 0.85% |
| Midland County, TX | 171,496 | $3,697 | $293,000 | 1.26% |
| Winnebago County, WI | 171,357 | $3,573 | $208,600 | 1.71% |
| Davidson County, NC | 171,063 | $1,262 | $200,100 | 0.63% |
| McLean County, IL | 170,882 | $4,503 | $198,300 | 2.27% |
The closest population match is Pitt County, North Carolina (172,279 residents), where the median real estate tax paid is $1,649 on a median home value of $194,300 — $787 less than Aiken County pays.
Inside South Carolina itself, the counties closest to Aiken County in population are Anderson County (207,218 residents, median tax $985 on a median value of $212,500); Beaufort County (192,123 residents, median tax $2,022 on a median value of $407,600); Dorchester County (164,322 residents, median tax $1,710 on a median value of $294,400); Florence County (136,921 residents, median tax $724 on a median value of $165,500). Same state, same broad tax framework — yet the median bills still differ, because assessed values and the mix of county, municipal and school-district rates are set locally.
How the tax is worked out
The bill is built in stages. First the assessor puts a market value on the property. Exemptions — a homestead exemption above all — then reduce the taxable amount. Finally the combined local rate is applied. To see the scale: at the county's derived rate of 0.43%, each $100,000 of value corresponds to about $432 of tax a year, and a $400,000 home to roughly $1,728. Real bills use the official assessment and district rates, not this derived figure, so treat the example as a sense of scale only.
Illustrative bills in Aiken County at the derived rate
The derived rate of 0.43% is only an estimate built from medians, but applying it to different home values gives a sense of scale for Aiken County — and a quick way to compare with the state derived rate of 0.51% and the US figure of 0.98%:
| Home value | Illustrative tax / year | Per month |
|---|---|---|
| $150,000 | $648 | $54 |
| $250,000 | $1,080 | $90 |
| $350,000 | $1,512 | $126 |
| $500,000 | $2,160 | $180 |
| $750,000 | $3,240 | $270 |
Illustration only: real bills are computed from the assessed value, exemptions, and the combined rates of the property's actual taxing districts.
Checking your assessment in Aiken County
Most successful appeals are won on facts, not arguments. Start with the property record card held by the Aiken County assessor: wrong square footage, an extra room, or a missing homestead exemption are common and fixable. Next, line your assessed value up against recent sales of genuinely similar homes nearby. Many disputes end at an informal conversation with the assessor's office; if yours does not, file the formal appeal with the review board named on your notice before its deadline, evidence attached, and keep paying the bill in the meantime so penalties do not build up.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the median property tax in Aiken County, South Carolina?
The median real estate tax paid in Aiken County, South Carolina is $862 per year, on a median home value of $199,500 (US Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2023).
What is the effective property tax rate in Aiken County, South Carolina?
On a derived basis, 0.43%: the county's median tax bill of $862 divided by its median home value of $199,500. Because it is calculated from two survey medians, read it as a comparison estimate rather than an official rate.
How does Aiken County compare with the rest of South Carolina?
Aiken County ranks #21 of 46 South Carolina counties with published data by median taxes paid. Its median bill of $862 is about 28% lower than the South Carolina median of $1,199.
How are property taxes calculated in Aiken County, South Carolina?
Three steps produce the bill: an assessment of market value by the local assessor, a reduction for exemptions you qualify for (a homestead exemption is the common one), and multiplication by the combined rates of the county, municipality, school district and any special districts covering the property. The median result in Aiken County is $862 of tax on a $199,500 median home value.
Can I appeal my property tax assessment in Aiken County, South Carolina?
You can. Pull your property record card from the Aiken County assessor, verify its details, and compare the assessed value against similar homes that sold recently. If the value still seems too high, submit a formal appeal to the board named on your notice before the stated deadline — usually a 30-to-90-day window.