HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Lexington County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Lexington County is $1,276 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$1,276
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$1,148 to $1,404
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$51,040
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
12th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Lexington moves to $1,226. That's down 4%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Columbia are asking $1,310. HUD says $1,276.
That's 3% above the county FMR. Median asking rent across 12 Columbia ZIP codes with active 2BR listings. FMR includes utilities and asking rents usually don't, so the true gap is a little smaller.
Comps for a specific address
A rent estimate built from nearby listings, next to the HUD number.
FY 2026 Fair Market Rents
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,032 | $929 to $1,135 | $41,280 | $19.85/hr | -2.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,164 | $1,048 to $1,280 | $46,560 | $22.38/hr | -0.7% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,276 | $1,148 to $1,404 | $51,040 | $24.54/hr | -1.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,623 | $1,461 to $1,785 | $64,920 | $31.21/hr | -2.0% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,911 | $1,720 to $2,102 | $76,440 | $36.75/hr | -4.0% |
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 | $2,198 | $1,978 to $2,418 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,484 | $2,236 to $2,732 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,771 | $2,494 to $3,048 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $3,058 | $2,752 to $3,364 |
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 Lexington, that runs from $1,032 for a studio up to $1,911 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 Lexington in with 4 other counties in the Columbia metro, Richland County, Fairfield County, Saluda County among them, and every one of them gets $1,276 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, Lexington ranks 12th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 18% above the state median of $1,077 and about 25% above the national median county at $1,018. About 295,934 people live here, 6th in the state.
Counties sharing the Columbia metro rate
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,020 in 29006 (Batesburg) and $1,880 in 29036 (Chapin), with the 16 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.
| ZIP | City | 2BR rate | vs county |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29006 | Batesburg | $1,020 | -20.1% |
| 29033 | Cayce | $1,430 | +12.1% |
| 29036 | Chapin | $1,880 | +47.3% |
| 29053 | Gaston | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29054 | Gilbert | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29070 | Leesville | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29071 | Lexington | $1,220 | -4.4% |
| 29072 | Lexington | $1,430 | +12.1% |
| 29073 | Lexington | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29123 | Pelion | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29160 | Swansea | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29169 | West Columbia | $1,220 | -4.4% |
| 29170 | West Columbia | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29171 | West Columbia | $1,220 | -4.4% |
| 29172 | West Columbia | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29212 | Columbia | $1,460 | +14.4% |
| 29228 | Columbia | $1,276County rate | — |
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 Lexington somewhere between $1,148 and $1,404. 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.
$1,276 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $51,040 a year. Put another way, $25 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% ($1,148) | HAP at 100% ($1,276) | HAP at 110% ($1,404) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $398 | $526 | $654 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $76 | $204 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 2% from FY 2025 ($1,298) to FY 2026 ($1,276). 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 | $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 2027 | $992 | $1,126 | $1,226 | $1,546 | $1,754 | -3.9% |
Nearby counties
Richland County
$1,27615 mi · pop 416,161
Saluda County
$1,27626 mi · pop 18,952
Fairfield County
$1,27630 mi · pop 20,942
Newberry County
$99432 mi · pop 37,918
Calhoun County
$1,27633 mi · pop 14,145
Edgefield County
$1,26138 mi · pop 26,181
Aiken County
$1,26140 mi · pop 169,865
Orangeburg County
$91041 mi · pop 84,159
Questions people ask
$1,276 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $1,032 for a studio, $1,164 for one bedroom, $1,623 for three and $1,911 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 Lexington actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Lexington for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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