HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Beaufort County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Beaufort County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,816 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Beaufort keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,816
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,634 to $1,998
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$72,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
1st of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Beaufort moves to $2,010. That's up 11%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Beaufort actually rent for?
Search any address in Beaufort 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 | $1,582 | $1,424 to $1,740 | $63,280 | $30.42/hr | -0.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,657 | $1,491 to $1,823 | $66,280 | $31.87/hr | +0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,816 | $1,634 to $1,998 | $72,640 | $34.92/hr | -0.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,177 | $1,959 to $2,395 | $87,080 | $41.87/hr | -0.8% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,720 | $2,448 to $2,992 | $108,800 | $52.31/hr | -3.0% |
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 | $3,128 | $2,815 to $3,441 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,536 | $3,182 to $3,890 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,944 | $3,550 to $4,338 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,352 | $3,917 to $4,787 |
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 Beaufort, that runs from $1,582 for a studio up to $2,720 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Beaufort is its own HUD metro area (Beaufort County, SC), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Beaufort ranks 1st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 69% above the state median of $1,077 and about 78% above the national median county at $1,018. About 189,071 people live here, 10th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,640 in 29902 (Beaufort) and $2,250 in 29910 (Bluffton), with the 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29901 | Beaufort | $1,820 | +0.2% |
| 29902 | Beaufort | $1,640 | -9.7% |
| 29903 | Beaufort | $1,820 | +0.2% |
| 29904 | Beaufort | $1,650 | -9.1% |
| 29905 | Parris Island | $1,640 | -9.7% |
| 29906 | Beaufort | $1,650 | -9.1% |
| 29907 | Beaufort | $2,040 | +12.3% |
| 29910 | Bluffton | $2,250 | +23.9% |
| 29914 | Dale | $1,816County rate | — |
| 29915 | Daufuskie Island | $1,970 | +8.5% |
| 29920 | Saint Helena Island | $1,640 | -9.7% |
| 29925 | Hilton Head Island | $1,820 | +0.2% |
| 29926 | Hilton Head Island | $1,920 | +5.7% |
| 29928 | Hilton Head Island | $1,900 | +4.6% |
| 29931 | Lobeco | $1,816County rate | — |
| 29935 | Port Royal | $1,670 | -8.0% |
| 29938 | Hilton Head Island | $1,820 | +0.2% |
| 29940 | Seabrook | $1,640 | -9.7% |
| 29941 | Sheldon | $1,640 | -9.7% |
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 Beaufort somewhere between $1,634 and $1,998. 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.
$1,816 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $72,640 a year. Put another way, $35 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% ($1,634) | HAP at 100% ($1,816) | HAP at 110% ($1,998) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $884 | $1,066 | $1,248 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $434 | $616 | $798 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 0% from FY 2025 ($1,822) to FY 2026 ($1,816). Since FY 2020 it's up 77% in total, about 9.9% 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 | $864 | $899 | $1,028 | $1,355 | $1,806 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,032 | $1,056 | $1,204 | $1,564 | $2,085 | +17.1% |
| FY 2022 | $1,080 | $1,100 | $1,253 | $1,618 | $2,145 | +4.1% |
| FY 2023 | $1,267 | $1,295 | $1,463 | $1,836 | $2,399 | +16.8% |
| FY 2024 | $1,432 | $1,472 | $1,652 | $2,050 | $2,634 | +12.9% |
| FY 2025 | $1,584 | $1,646 | $1,822 | $2,195 | $2,803 | +10.3% |
| FY 2026 | $1,582 | $1,657 | $1,816 | $2,177 | $2,720 | -0.3% |
| FY 2027 | $1,772 | $1,844 | $2,010 | $2,395 | $2,880 | +10.7% |
Nearby counties
Jasper County
$1,54218 mi · pop 29,444
Colleton County
$90237 mi · pop 38,561
Hampton County
$90237 mi · pop 18,890
Dorchester County
$1,78753 mi · pop 162,139
Charleston County
$1,78754 mi · pop 409,840
Allendale County
$90257 mi · pop 8,073
Bamberg County
$90262 mi · pop 13,311
Berkeley County
$1,78770 mi · pop 231,419
Questions people ask
$1,816 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,582 for a studio, $1,657 for one bedroom, $2,177 for three and $2,720 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 Beaufort actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Beaufort for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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