HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Darlington County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Darlington County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,098 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Darlington keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,098
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$988 to $1,208
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$43,920
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
23rd of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Darlington moves to $1,093. That's unchanged. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Darlington actually rent for?
Search any address in Darlington 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 | $850 | $765 to $935 | $34,000 | $16.35/hr | +3.8% |
| 1 bedroom | $856 | $770 to $942 | $34,240 | $16.46/hr | +3.9% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,098 | $988 to $1,208 | $43,920 | $21.12/hr | +4.1% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,317 | $1,185 to $1,449 | $52,680 | $25.33/hr | +3.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,499 | $1,349 to $1,649 | $59,960 | $28.83/hr | +2.5% |
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 | $1,724 | $1,552 to $1,896 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,949 | $1,754 to $2,144 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,174 | $1,957 to $2,391 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,398 | $2,158 to $2,638 |
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 Darlington, that runs from $850 for a studio up to $1,499 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Darlington is its own HUD metro area (Darlington County, SC), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Darlington ranks 23rd for two-bedroom FMR. That's within a couple percent of the state median of $1,077 and about 8% above the national median county at $1,018. About 63,025 people live here, 23rd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,030 in 29069 (Lamar) and $1,110 in 29532 (Darlington), with the 7 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 Darlington somewhere between $988 and $1,208. 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.
$1,098 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $43,920 a year. Put another way, $21 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% ($988) | HAP at 100% ($1,098) | HAP at 110% ($1,208) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $238 | $348 | $458 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $8 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 4% from FY 2025 ($1,055) to FY 2026 ($1,098). Since FY 2020 it's up 59% in total, about 8.0% 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 | $496 | $595 | $692 | $912 | $942 | — |
| FY 2021 | $516 | $596 | $679 | $889 | $966 | -1.9% |
| FY 2022 | $586 | $621 | $721 | $941 | $1,029 | +6.2% |
| FY 2023 | $665 | $669 | $807 | $1,023 | $1,173 | +11.9% |
| FY 2024 | $751 | $756 | $959 | $1,170 | $1,349 | +18.8% |
| FY 2025 | $819 | $824 | $1,055 | $1,271 | $1,462 | +10.0% |
| FY 2026 | $850 | $856 | $1,098 | $1,317 | $1,499 | +4.1% |
| FY 2027 | $868 | $874 | $1,093 | $1,302 | $1,523 | -0.5% |
Nearby counties
Questions people ask
$1,098 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $850 for a studio, $856 for one bedroom, $1,317 for three and $1,499 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 Darlington actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Darlington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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