HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Kershaw County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Kershaw County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,009 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Kershaw keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,009
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$908 to $1,110
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$40,360
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
27th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Kershaw moves to $954. That's down 5%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Kershaw actually rent for?
Search any address in Kershaw 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 | $844 | $760 to $928 | $33,760 | $16.23/hr | +6.2% |
| 1 bedroom | $849 | $764 to $934 | $33,960 | $16.33/hr | +6.1% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,009 | $908 to $1,110 | $40,360 | $19.40/hr | +2.2% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,214 | $1,093 to $1,335 | $48,560 | $23.35/hr | +2.1% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,458 | $1,312 to $1,604 | $58,320 | $28.04/hr | +8.6% |
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 | $1,677 | $1,509 to $1,845 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,895 | $1,706 to $2,085 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,114 | $1,903 to $2,325 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,333 | $2,100 to $2,566 |
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 Kershaw, that runs from $844 for a studio up to $1,458 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Kershaw is its own HUD metro area (Kershaw County, SC), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Kershaw ranks 27th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 6% below the state median of $1,077 and within a couple percent of the national median county at $1,018. About 65,779 people live here, 21st in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $940 in 29074 (Liberty Hill) and $1,430 in 29045 (Elgin), with the 8 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 Kershaw somewhere between $908 and $1,110. 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.
$1,009 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $40,360 a year. Put another way, $19 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% ($908) | HAP at 100% ($1,009) | HAP at 110% ($1,110) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $158 | $259 | $360 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 2% from FY 2025 ($987) to FY 2026 ($1,009). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.8% 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 | $614 | $632 | $719 | $1,021 | $1,262 | — |
| FY 2021 | $585 | $630 | $718 | $1,028 | $1,243 | -0.1% |
| FY 2022 | $647 | $667 | $760 | $1,067 | $1,301 | +5.8% |
| FY 2023 | $775 | $781 | $895 | $1,183 | $1,428 | +17.8% |
| FY 2024 | $800 | $805 | $985 | $1,211 | $1,415 | +10.1% |
| FY 2025 | $795 | $800 | $987 | $1,189 | $1,342 | +0.2% |
| FY 2026 | $844 | $849 | $1,009 | $1,214 | $1,458 | +2.2% |
| FY 2027 | $841 | $843 | $954 | $1,156 | $1,465 | -5.5% |
Nearby counties
Lancaster County
$1,01129 mi · pop 97,611
Lee County
$90229 mi · pop 16,557
Sumter County
$1,27629 mi · pop 105,199
Fairfield County
$1,27630 mi · pop 20,942
Richland County
$1,27630 mi · pop 416,161
Chester County
$1,05634 mi · pop 32,171
Chesterfield County
$90234 mi · pop 43,536
Darlington County
$1,09835 mi · pop 63,025
Questions people ask
$1,009 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $844 for a studio, $849 for one bedroom, $1,214 for three and $1,458 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 Kershaw actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Kershaw for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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