HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Aiken County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Aiken County is $1,261 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,261
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,135 to $1,387
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$50,440
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
16th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Aiken moves to $1,329. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Aiken actually rent for?
Search any address in Aiken for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $939 | $845 to $1,033 | $37,560 | $18.06/hr | +8.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,114 | $1,003 to $1,225 | $44,560 | $21.42/hr | +7.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,261 | $1,135 to $1,387 | $50,440 | $24.25/hr | +7.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,627 | $1,464 to $1,790 | $65,080 | $31.29/hr | +5.3% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,984 | $1,786 to $2,182 | $79,360 | $38.15/hr | +5.0% |
5 to 8 bedrooms (PropMetrics estimates)
HUD stops at four bedrooms. These add 15% of the four-bedroom rent per extra bedroom. It's our estimate, not a HUD number.
| Bedrooms | Estimated FMR | Payment standard |
|---|---|---|
| 5 bedroom Estimate | $2,282 | $2,054 to $2,510 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,579 | $2,321 to $2,837 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,877 | $2,589 to $3,165 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,174 | $2,857 to $3,491 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2026 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Fair Market Rent is HUD's estimate of what a modest, decent unit rents for in an area, utilities included. It's set once a year and runs October to September. For FY 2026 that's October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. In Aiken, that runs from $939 for a studio up to $1,984 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
This is a metro rate. The county doesn't get one of its own. HUD lumps Aiken in with 5 other counties in the Augusta-Richmond County metro, Richmond County, Columbia County, Edgefield County among them, and every one of them gets $1,261 for a two-bedroom. Where you are inside the metro doesn't change the county number. It does change the ZIP number, covered below.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Aiken ranks 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 17% above the state median of $1,077 and about 24% above the national median county at $1,018. About 169,865 people live here, 11th in the state.
Counties sharing the Augusta-Richmond County metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $970 in 29137 (Salley) and $1,310 in 29803 (Aiken), with the 21 ZIP codes in between. Housing authorities in HUD-designated metros use those ZIP rates instead of the county rate. Everywhere else the ZIP numbers show where rents actually sit, and the county rate stays the official standard.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29137 | Salley | $970 | -23.1% |
| 29164 | Wagener | $1,080 | -14.4% |
| 29801 | Aiken | $1,280 | +1.5% |
| 29802 | Aiken | $1,200 | -4.8% |
| 29803 | Aiken | $1,310 | +3.9% |
| 29804 | Aiken | $1,200 | -4.8% |
| 29805 | Aiken | $1,010 | -19.9% |
| 29808 | Aiken | $1,261County rate | — |
| 29809 | New Ellenton | $970 | -23.1% |
| 29816 | Bath | $1,140 | -9.6% |
| 29822 | Clearwater | $1,200 | -4.8% |
| 29828 | Gloverville | $1,240 | -1.7% |
| 29829 | Graniteville | $1,260 | -0.1% |
| 29831 | Jackson | $1,180 | -6.4% |
| 29834 | Langley | $1,100 | -12.8% |
| 29839 | Montmorenci | $1,200 | -4.8% |
| 29841 | North Augusta | $1,180 | -6.4% |
| 29842 | Beech Island | $1,010 | -19.9% |
| 29850 | Vaucluse | $1,261County rate | — |
| 29851 | Warrenville | $1,250 | -0.9% |
| 29856 | Windsor | $970 | -23.1% |
| 29860 | North Augusta | $1,290 | +2.3% |
| 29861 | North Augusta | $1,200 | -4.8% |
What a voucher pays here
The voucher doesn't pay the FMR itself. It pays the payment standard. Housing authorities set it anywhere from 90% to 110% of FMR, which puts a two-bedroom standard in Aiken somewhere between $1,135 and $1,387. The tenant pays roughly 30% of their income, the voucher covers the rest up to the standard, and the PHA won't approve a rent above what comparable unassisted units get.
$1,261 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $50,440 a year. Put another way, $24 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom, assuming the rent equals the payment standard. Tenant pays 30% of monthly income, HUD's housing assistance payment covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | HAP at 90% ($1,135) | HAP at 100% ($1,261) | HAP at 110% ($1,387) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $385 | $511 | $637 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $61 | $187 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 7% from FY 2025 ($1,175) to FY 2026 ($1,261). Since FY 2020 it's up 49% in total, about 6.8% a year. The South Carolina median moved up 5% over the same year.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $689 | $722 | $848 | $1,156 | $1,489 | — |
| FY 2021 | $636 | $708 | $815 | $1,108 | $1,411 | -3.9% |
| FY 2022 | $685 | $789 | $906 | $1,228 | $1,532 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $750 | $890 | $1,017 | $1,369 | $1,675 | +12.3% |
| FY 2024 | $805 | $961 | $1,100 | $1,463 | $1,779 | +8.2% |
| FY 2025 | $868 | $1,039 | $1,175 | $1,545 | $1,890 | +6.8% |
| FY 2026 | $939 | $1,114 | $1,261 | $1,627 | $1,984 | +7.3% |
| FY 2027 | $997 | $1,202 | $1,329 | $1,672 | $2,035 | +5.4% |
Nearby counties
Edgefield County
$1,26119 mi · pop 26,181
Saluda County
$1,27625 mi · pop 18,952
Barnwell County
$93027 mi · pop 20,653
McCormick County
$95637 mi · pop 9,612
Lexington County
$1,27640 mi · pop 295,934
Allendale County
$90242 mi · pop 8,073
Bamberg County
$90243 mi · pop 13,311
Newberry County
$99452 mi · pop 37,918
Questions people ask
$1,261 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $939 for a studio, $1,114 for one bedroom, $1,627 for three and $1,984 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Look up any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count.
Section 8 rent calculator
Work out the payment standard and tenant share for a specific rent.
What is Fair Market Rent?
How HUD calculates FMR and what it means for landlords.
Rent affordability calculator
See what income a household needs for a given rent.
What does a rental in Aiken actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Aiken for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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