Aiken at a glance
- Population: about 32,947 residents, ranking 17th of 271 Census places in South Carolina (US Census Bureau, Vintage 2023 subcounty estimate).
- 2020 Census base: the 2020 Census recorded 32,108 residents here (US Census Bureau).
- 2020 to 2023 change: an increase of about 2.6% since the 2020 count (US Census Bureau).
- Rank among South Carolina places: 17th out of 271 Census places (US Census Bureau).
- Size percentile: larger than about 94% of the Census places in South Carolina (US Census Bureau).
- Coordinates: mapped at 33.5316, -81.7251 by the US Census Bureau Gazetteer.
- Nearest larger cities: Columbia, SC (59 mi); Statesboro, GA (76 mi); Sumter, SC (81 mi); Summerville, SC (96 mi); Greenville, SC (97 mi); each population is a US Census Bureau estimate.
- Nearest smaller towns: Burnettown, SC (8 mi); New Ellenton, SC (8 mi); Windsor, SC (13 mi) — US Census Bureau populations.
What a personal loan costs in Aiken
A personal loan is an installment loan: you receive a lump sum and repay it in fixed monthly payments over a set term, usually two to seven years.
Compare every quote on APR because it includes the fees the interest rate hides, and check the payment with our personal loan calculator.
The term is the lever: extend it and the payment falls while total interest climbs; shorten it and the reverse happens.
If you are consolidating debt, the loan only helps if you stop adding to the balances it clears; otherwise the total debt grows.
South Carolina lending rules that apply in Aiken
The table lists the South Carolina rules that apply to a loan made in Aiken, each with the regulator that published it.
| Rule | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum legal interest rate (usury cap) | 8.75% per annum statutory legal rate where no rate is agreed (judgment rate: Wall Street Journal prime + 4 points). Source says: "the legal interest shall be at the rate of eight and three-fourths percent per annum" (S.C. Code 34-31-20(A)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Payday lending status | Legal for licensed deferred presentment providers; max $550 advanced at one time; fee limited to 15% of principal; term up to 31 days; 2025 repeal bill S.379 introduced but not enacted. Source says: "The total amount advanced by a licensee to any customer at one time for deferred presentment or deposit may not exceed five hundred fifty dollars" (34-39-180(B)); fees capped at "fifteen percent of the principal amount of the transaction" (34-39-180(E)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
| Small-loan / installment lender licensing | Consumer Finance Division licenses and regulates companies making consumer loans with APRs exceeding 12% (Title 37 Consumer Protection Code; Consumer Finance Act, Title 34, ch. 29). Source says: "The Consumer Finance Division (CFD) licenses and regulates the business activities of all companies... that make consumer loans which have annual percentage rates exceeding 12%." | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division as of 2026-09-16 |
| State lending regulator | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division (Office of the Commissioner of Consumer Finance) Source says: "South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions Office of the Commissioner of Consumer Finance" (site heading). | South Carolina State Board of Financial Institutions - Consumer Finance Division as of 2026-09-16 |
| Supervised loan threshold (state-specific rule) | Consumer loans with a finance charge above 12%/year are "supervised loans" requiring licensed supervised lenders; supervised lenders may charge up to 18% per year on unpaid balances. Source says: "Supervised loan means a consumer loan in which the rate of the loan finance charge exceeds twelve percent per year" (37-3-301); "eighteen percent per year on the unpaid balances of principal" (37-3-201(2)(c)). | South Carolina Legislature (S.C. Code of Laws) as of 2026-09-16 |
How to compare offers in Aiken
The order below is a sensible way to approach a loan in Aiken:
- Pull your free credit reports and dispute any error — it is the cheapest way to improve the rate you are offered.
- Run your figures through the personal loan calculator on this site so you know the payment before a lender quotes one.
- Pre-qualify with at least three lenders and compare the APR, not the interest rate.
- Check that the lender is licensed in South Carolina using the regulator named above.
- Read the disclosure for origination fees and any prepayment penalty before you sign.