HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Fairfield County, South Carolina (FY 2027)
HUD's FY 2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Fairfield County is $1,226 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,226
-3.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,103–$1,349
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$49,040
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
14th of 46
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $992 | $893–$1,091 | $39,680 | $19.08/hr | -3.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,126 | $1,013–$1,239 | $45,040 | $21.65/hr | -3.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,226 | $1,103–$1,349 | $49,040 | $23.58/hr | -3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,546 | $1,391–$1,701 | $61,840 | $29.73/hr | -4.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,754 | $1,579–$1,929 | $70,160 | $33.73/hr | -8.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,017 | $1,815–$2,219 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,280 | $2,052–$2,508 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,543 | $2,289–$2,797 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,806 | $2,525–$3,087 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Fairfield actually rent for?
Search any address in Fairfield for a rent estimate built from nearby comps, with the HUD figure right next to it.
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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 Fairfield somewhere between $1,103 and $1,349. 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.
$1,226 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,040 a year. Put another way, $24 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,103 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,226 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,349 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $353 | $476 | $599 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $26 | $149 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2026 ($1,276) to FY 2027 ($1,226). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.0% a year. The South Carolina median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Fiscal year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR | 3 BR | 4 BR | 2BR change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2020 | $706 | $818 | $931 | $1,204 | $1,491 | — |
| FY 2021 | $782 | $845 | $963 | $1,236 | $1,527 | +3.4% |
| FY 2022 | $834 | $869 | $990 | $1,268 | $1,531 | +2.8% |
| FY 2023 | $944 | $996 | $1,125 | $1,442 | $1,724 | +13.6% |
| FY 2024 | $1,036 | $1,110 | $1,246 | $1,595 | $1,917 | +10.8% |
| FY 2025 | $1,063 | $1,172 | $1,298 | $1,656 | $1,991 | +4.2% |
| FY 2026 | $1,032 | $1,164 | $1,276 | $1,623 | $1,911 | -1.7% |
| FY 2027In effect | $992 | $1,126 | $1,226 | $1,546 | $1,754 | -3.9% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Fairfield, that runs from $992 for a studio up to $1,754 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 Fairfield in with 4 other counties in the Columbia metro, Richland County, Lexington County, Saluda County among them, and every one of them gets $1,226 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, Fairfield ranks 14th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% above the state median of $1,098 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,063. About 20,550 people live here, 38th in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
HUD also publishes Small Area FMRs by ZIP code. For the 4 ZIP codes it covers in Fairfield, the two-bedroom rate is $1,150 across the board, so there's no ZIP-level story here.
Counties sharing the Columbia metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,226 two-bedroom figure as Fairfield.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Fairfield.
Chester County
24 mi · 32,182 people
$1,103
-10%
Richland County
25 mi · 422,117 people
$1,226
same rate
Newberry County
26 mi · 38,435 people
$933
-24%
Kershaw County
30 mi · 68,314 people
$954
-22%
Lexington County
30 mi · 304,887 people
$1,226
same rate
Lancaster County
36 mi · 104,475 people
$1,069
-13%
Union County
37 mi · 26,885 people
$1,003
-18%
Saluda County
44 mi · 19,131 people
$1,226
same rate
Questions people ask
$1,226 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $992 for a studio, $1,126 for one bedroom, $1,546 for three and $1,754 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The income a household needs for a given rent
What does a rental in Fairfield actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Fairfield for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. Free to start, no card.
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