HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Barnwell County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
$930 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Barnwell County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Barnwell is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$930
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$837 to $1,023
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,200
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
32nd of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Barnwell moves to $892. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Barnwell actually rent for?
Search any address in Barnwell 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 | $699 | $629 to $769 | $27,960 | $13.44/hr | -0.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $709 | $638 to $780 | $28,360 | $13.63/hr | -0.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $930 | $837 to $1,023 | $37,200 | $17.88/hr | -0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,115 | $1,004 to $1,227 | $44,600 | $21.44/hr | -4.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,231 | $1,108 to $1,354 | $49,240 | $23.67/hr | -0.5% |
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 | $1,416 | $1,274 to $1,558 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,600 | $1,440 to $1,760 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,785 | $1,607 to $1,964 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $1,970 | $1,773 to $2,167 |
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 Barnwell, that runs from $699 for a studio up to $1,231 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Barnwell sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Barnwell included.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Barnwell ranks 32nd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 14% below the state median of $1,077 and about 9% below the national median county at $1,018. About 20,653 people live here, 39th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $900 in 29812 (Barnwell) and $1,010 in 29817 (Blackville), with the 4 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.
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 Barnwell somewhere between $837 and $1,023. 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.
$930 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,200 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($837) | HAP at 100% ($930) | HAP at 110% ($1,023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $87 | $180 | $273 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($930). Since FY 2020 it's up 43% in total, about 6.1% 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 | $513 | $572 | $651 | $851 | $1,019 | — |
| FY 2021 | $557 | $587 | $679 | $898 | $921 | +4.3% |
| FY 2022 | $603 | $606 | $712 | $963 | $1,000 | +4.9% |
| FY 2023 | $607 | $611 | $780 | $1,041 | $1,088 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $684 | $689 | $905 | $1,167 | $1,243 | +16.0% |
| FY 2025 | $705 | $711 | $933 | $1,169 | $1,237 | +3.1% |
| FY 2026 | $699 | $709 | $930 | $1,115 | $1,231 | -0.3% |
| FY 2027 | $648 | $682 | $892 | $1,063 | $1,172 | -4.1% |
Nearby counties
Bamberg County
$90216 mi · pop 13,311
Allendale County
$90220 mi · pop 8,073
Aiken County
$1,26127 mi · pop 169,865
Orangeburg County
$91032 mi · pop 84,159
Calhoun County
$1,27638 mi · pop 14,145
Hampton County
$90239 mi · pop 18,890
Lexington County
$1,27642 mi · pop 295,934
Edgefield County
$1,26144 mi · pop 26,181
Questions people ask
$930 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $699 for a studio, $709 for one bedroom, $1,115 for three and $1,231 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 Barnwell actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Barnwell for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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