HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Cherokee County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Cherokee County is $902 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$902
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$812 to $992
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
37th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Cherokee moves to $885. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Cherokee actually rent for?
Search any address in Cherokee 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 | $755 | $680 to $831 | $30,200 | $14.52/hr | +5.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $795 | $716 to $875 | $31,800 | $15.29/hr | +10.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $902 | $812 to $992 | $36,080 | $17.35/hr | -4.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,135 | $1,022 to $1,249 | $45,400 | $21.83/hr | -3.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,349 | $1,214 to $1,484 | $53,960 | $25.94/hr | -0.4% |
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 | $1,551 | $1,396 to $1,706 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,754 | $1,579 to $1,929 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,956 | $1,760 to $2,152 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,158 | $1,942 to $2,374 |
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 Cherokee, that runs from $755 for a studio up to $1,349 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Cherokee 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, Gaffney included.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Cherokee ranks 37th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% below the state median of $1,077 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,018. About 56,200 people live here, 24th 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 29340 (Gaffney) and $940 in 29341 (Gaffney), with the 3 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 Cherokee somewhere between $812 and $992. 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.
$902 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,080 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($812) | HAP at 100% ($902) | HAP at 110% ($992) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $62 | $152 | $242 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2025 ($942) to FY 2026 ($902). Since FY 2020 it's up 37% in total, about 5.4% 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 | $429 | $500 | $659 | $836 | $1,073 | — |
| FY 2021 | $476 | $547 | $721 | $920 | $1,165 | +9.4% |
| FY 2022 | $523 | $562 | $739 | $950 | $1,122 | +2.5% |
| FY 2023 | $605 | $612 | $806 | $1,042 | $1,175 | +9.1% |
| FY 2024 | $706 | $711 | $934 | $1,187 | $1,355 | +15.9% |
| FY 2025 | $713 | $718 | $942 | $1,172 | $1,354 | +0.9% |
| FY 2026 | $755 | $795 | $902 | $1,135 | $1,349 | -4.2% |
| FY 2027 | $780 | $813 | $885 | $1,106 | $1,371 | -1.9% |
Nearby counties
Spartanburg County
$1,18720 mi · pop 330,119
Union County
$1,03822 mi · pop 27,158
York County
$1,68627 mi · pop 282,987
Chester County
$1,05643 mi · pop 32,171
Greenville County
$1,33945 mi · pop 528,251
Laurens County
$1,13349 mi · pop 67,456
Lancaster County
$1,01155 mi · pop 97,611
Newberry County
$99455 mi · pop 37,918
Questions people ask
$902 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $755 for a studio, $795 for one bedroom, $1,135 for three and $1,349 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 Cherokee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Cherokee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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