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Weather
Mild four-season climate. Long spring and fall seasons with temperatures that
average 70°, mild winters and warm summers.
Travel
Aiken Municipal Airport provides service to local pilots and corporate jets.
Close by are the Augusta and Columbia airports, both served by major airlines
with daily flights to major US cities.
Aiken is also perfectly located for easy access to the Interstate system.
I-20, a major east-west highway across the country, is right at the city limits;
I-26 and I-77 are just 50 miles away.
Medical
Aiken Regional Medical Centers is a large modern hospital complex operated by
Universal Health Services, one of the nation's largest hospital management
companies. In 2007, Aiken Regional was ranked #1 in the CSRA for quality care
by the State Healthcare Organization and in the Top 2% in the nation by
HealthInsight based on CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services) data.
Aiken is just 20 minutes from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, another
top ranked regional medical center in the southeast. Also located in Augusta
is Doctor's Hospital with the regions only burn center and two VA hospitals.
Cost of Living
South Carolina has the 4th lowest property taxes in the United States and does
not tax on Social Security benefits. The cost of living in the greater
Augusta/Aiken area is 6% below the national average.
Arts and Culture
The new Washington Center for the Performing Arts hosts the Aiken Community
Playhouse and many other performing groups. The Etherredge Center at the
University of South Carolina Aiken also hosts performances by the Aiken Civic
Ballet, the Aiken Symphony Guild, the Aiken Opera Guild and the Aiken
Community Band.
The downtown Aiken Center for the Arts is a wonderful outlet for fine arts and
craft displays.
There are over 40 published authors who live and work in Aiken.
Outdoor Recreation
Having the 5th oldest golf course in the U.S. (Palmetto Golf Club) and the
first golf course to offer women's tees (Aiken Golf Club), Aiken County has
played a major roll in the history of golf. There are many outstanding
semi-private golf courses throughout the area offering daily fee play.
Close by is Lake Strom Thurmond, part of South Carolina's "freshwater coast".
The lake's 70,000 acres of water offer excellent fishing, boating, camping,
swimming and water sports activities.
The Blue Ridge Mountains and the beaches of the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the
state capitals of Atlanta, Ga. and Columbia, S.C. are only hours away.
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