HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Laurens County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
$1,133 a month. That's HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Laurens County, and it's the baseline every voucher in Laurens is measured against.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,133
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,020 to $1,246
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$45,320
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
21st of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Laurens moves to $1,119. That's down 1%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Laurens actually rent for?
Search any address in Laurens 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 | $863 | $777 to $949 | $34,520 | $16.60/hr | +22.1% |
| 1 bedroom | $869 | $782 to $956 | $34,760 | $16.71/hr | +22.2% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,133 | $1,020 to $1,246 | $45,320 | $21.79/hr | +21.4% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,358 | $1,222 to $1,494 | $54,320 | $26.12/hr | +19.6% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,625 | $1,463 to $1,788 | $65,000 | $31.25/hr | +23.5% |
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 | $1,869 | $1,682 to $2,056 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,113 | $1,902 to $2,324 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,356 | $2,120 to $2,592 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,600 | $2,340 to $2,860 |
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 Laurens, that runs from $863 for a studio up to $1,625 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Laurens is its own HUD metro area (Laurens County, SC), so the rate here is set from rents inside the county rather than a wider region.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Laurens ranks 21st for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 5% above the state median of $1,077 and about 11% above the national median county at $1,018. About 67,456 people live here, 20th 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 29351 (Joanna) and $1,200 in 29332 (Cross Hill), 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 Laurens somewhere between $1,020 and $1,246. 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.
$1,133 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $45,320 a year. Put another way, $22 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% ($1,020) | HAP at 100% ($1,133) | HAP at 110% ($1,246) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $270 | $383 | $496 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $46 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went up 21% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($1,133). Since FY 2020 it's up 51% in total, about 7.1% 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 | $560 | $570 | $751 | $949 | $1,017 | — |
| FY 2021 | $606 | $610 | $804 | $1,023 | $1,090 | +7.1% |
| FY 2022 | $591 | $595 | $783 | $981 | $1,062 | -2.6% |
| FY 2023 | $652 | $656 | $864 | $1,056 | $1,161 | +10.3% |
| FY 2024 | $752 | $757 | $994 | $1,202 | $1,330 | +15.0% |
| FY 2025 | $707 | $711 | $933 | $1,135 | $1,316 | -6.1% |
| FY 2026 | $863 | $869 | $1,133 | $1,358 | $1,625 | +21.4% |
| FY 2027 | $875 | $924 | $1,119 | $1,333 | $1,571 | -1.2% |
Nearby counties
Greenwood County
$93419 mi · pop 69,309
Newberry County
$99424 mi · pop 37,918
Abbeville County
$90231 mi · pop 24,368
Union County
$1,03831 mi · pop 27,158
Spartanburg County
$1,18737 mi · pop 330,119
Greenville County
$1,33939 mi · pop 528,251
Anderson County
$1,17340 mi · pop 204,592
Saluda County
$1,27640 mi · pop 18,952
Questions people ask
$1,133 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $863 for a studio, $869 for one bedroom, $1,358 for three and $1,625 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 Laurens actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Laurens for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.