HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Charleston County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Charleston County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,787 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Charleston keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,787
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,608 to $1,966
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$71,480
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
3rd of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Charleston moves to $1,884. That's up 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Charleston are asking $2,285. HUD says $1,787.
That's 28% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 12 Charleston ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,557 | $1,401 to $1,713 | $62,280 | $29.94/hr | -1.6% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,630 | $1,467 to $1,793 | $65,200 | $31.35/hr | -0.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,787 | $1,608 to $1,966 | $71,480 | $34.37/hr | -1.8% |
| 3 bedroom | $2,222 | $2,000 to $2,444 | $88,880 | $42.73/hr | -1.5% |
| 4 bedroom | $2,562 | $2,306 to $2,818 | $102,480 | $49.27/hr | -3.4% |
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 | $2,946 | $2,651 to $3,241 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $3,331 | $2,998 to $3,664 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $3,715 | $3,344 to $4,087 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $4,099 | $3,689 to $4,509 |
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 Charleston, that runs from $1,557 for a studio up to $2,562 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 Charleston in with 2 other counties in the Charleston-North Charleston metro, Berkeley County, Dorchester County among them, and every one of them gets $1,787 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, Charleston ranks 3rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 66% above the state median of $1,077 and about 76% above the national median county at $1,018. About 409,840 people live here, 3rd in the state.
Counties sharing the Charleston-North Charleston metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,300 in 29449 (Hollywood) and $2,680 in 29451 (Isle Of Palms), with the 34 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29401 | Charleston | $2,320 | +29.8% |
| 29402 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29403 | Charleston | $2,190 | +22.6% |
| 29404 | Charleston Afb | $2,160 | +20.9% |
| 29405 | North Charleston | $1,540 | -13.8% |
| 29406 | Charleston | $1,690 | -5.4% |
| 29407 | Charleston | $1,880 | +5.2% |
| 29409 | Charleston | $2,190 | +22.6% |
| 29412 | Charleston | $2,130 | +19.2% |
| 29413 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29414 | Charleston | $2,110 | +18.1% |
| 29415 | North Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29416 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29417 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29418 | North Charleston | $1,560 | -12.7% |
| 29419 | North Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29422 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29423 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29424 | Charleston | $2,270 | +27.0% |
| 29425 | Charleston | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29426 | Adams Run | $1,520 | -14.9% |
| 29429 | Awendaw | $2,080 | +16.4% |
| 29439 | Folly Beach | $2,530 | +41.6% |
| 29449 | Hollywood | $1,300 | -27.3% |
| 29451 | Isle Of Palms | $2,680 | +50.0% |
| 29455 | Johns Island | $1,800 | +0.7% |
| 29457 | Johns Island | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29458 | Mc Clellanville | $2,130 | +19.2% |
| 29464 | Mount Pleasant | $2,530 | +41.6% |
| 29465 | Mount Pleasant | $1,820 | +1.8% |
| 29466 | Mount Pleasant | $2,540 | +42.1% |
| 29470 | Ravenel | $1,300 | -27.3% |
| 29482 | Sullivans Island | $2,540 | +42.1% |
| 29487 | Wadmalaw Island | $1,690 | -5.4% |
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 Charleston somewhere between $1,608 and $1,966. 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.
$1,787 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $71,480 a year. Put another way, $34 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% ($1,608) | HAP at 100% ($1,787) | HAP at 110% ($1,966) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $858 | $1,037 | $1,216 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $408 | $587 | $766 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($1,820) to FY 2026 ($1,787). Since FY 2020 it's up 52% in total, about 7.2% 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 | $907 | $1,035 | $1,179 | $1,535 | $2,012 | — |
| FY 2021 | $1,000 | $1,059 | $1,207 | $1,544 | $2,010 | +2.4% |
| FY 2022 | $1,183 | $1,204 | $1,372 | $1,721 | $2,206 | +13.7% |
| FY 2023 | $1,328 | $1,357 | $1,533 | $1,906 | $2,397 | +11.7% |
| FY 2024 | $1,386 | $1,424 | $1,599 | $1,979 | $2,402 | +4.3% |
| FY 2025 | $1,583 | $1,644 | $1,820 | $2,255 | $2,653 | +13.8% |
| FY 2026 | $1,557 | $1,630 | $1,787 | $2,222 | $2,562 | -1.8% |
| FY 2027 | $1,661 | $1,731 | $1,884 | $2,336 | $2,687 | +5.4% |
Nearby counties
Berkeley County
$1,78724 mi · pop 231,419
Dorchester County
$1,78730 mi · pop 162,139
Colleton County
$90241 mi · pop 38,561
Beaufort County
$1,81654 mi · pop 189,071
Williamsburg County
$90258 mi · pop 30,879
Georgetown County
$1,20460 mi · pop 63,594
Clarendon County
$90265 mi · pop 31,163
Orangeburg County
$91065 mi · pop 84,159
Questions people ask
$1,787 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,557 for a studio, $1,630 for one bedroom, $2,222 for three and $2,562 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 Charleston actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Charleston for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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