HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Marlboro County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom in Marlboro County is $902 a month. That's the number the housing authority starts from when it sets Section 8 payment standards here.
2 bedroom FMR
$902
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$812 to $992
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$36,080
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
45th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Marlboro moves to $885. That's down 2%. The full FY 2027 table is in the history section below.
HUD's number is one input. What does a two-bedroom in Marlboro actually rent for?
Search any address in Marlboro 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 | $685 | $617 to $754 | $27,400 | $13.17/hr | +7.0% |
| 1 bedroom | $687 | $618 to $756 | $27,480 | $13.21/hr | -3.4% |
| 2 bedroom | $902 | $812 to $992 | $36,080 | $17.35/hr | -3.3% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,082 | $974 to $1,190 | $43,280 | $20.81/hr | -3.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,482 | $1,334 to $1,630 | $59,280 | $28.50/hr | +3.8% |
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 | $1,704 | $1,534 to $1,874 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,927 | $1,734 to $2,120 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,149 | $1,934 to $2,364 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,371 | $2,134 to $2,608 |
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 Marlboro, that runs from $685 for a studio up to $1,482 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Marlboro sits outside any HUD metro area, its rate is a county-wide figure built from local rents. One number covers every address in the county, Bennettsville included.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Marlboro ranks 45th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 16% below the state median of $1,077 and about 11% below the national median county at $1,018. About 26,585 people live here, 35th 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 29512 (Bennettsville) and $1,060 in 29516 (Blenheim), with the 6 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 Marlboro somewhere between $812 and $992. 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.
$902 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $36,080 a year. Put another way, $17 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% ($812) | HAP at 100% ($902) | HAP at 110% ($992) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $62 | $152 | $242 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 3% from FY 2025 ($933) to FY 2026 ($902). Since FY 2020 it's up 39% in total, about 5.6% 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 | $507 | $510 | $651 | $896 | $986 | — |
| FY 2021 | $523 | $527 | $679 | $923 | $1,033 | +4.3% |
| FY 2022 | $484 | $541 | $712 | $931 | $1,020 | +4.9% |
| FY 2023 | $522 | $593 | $780 | $982 | $1,072 | +9.6% |
| FY 2024 | $613 | $689 | $905 | $1,104 | $1,210 | +16.0% |
| FY 2025 | $640 | $711 | $933 | $1,124 | $1,428 | +3.1% |
| FY 2026 | $685 | $687 | $902 | $1,082 | $1,482 | -3.3% |
| FY 2027 | $672 | $677 | $885 | $1,054 | $1,479 | -1.9% |
Nearby counties
Dillon County
$90223 mi · pop 28,255
Darlington County
$1,09829 mi · pop 63,025
Chesterfield County
$90232 mi · pop 43,536
Marion County
$90239 mi · pop 29,212
Florence County
$1,11741 mi · pop 137,015
Lee County
$90246 mi · pop 16,557
Kershaw County
$1,00960 mi · pop 65,779
Lancaster County
$1,01163 mi · pop 97,611
Questions people ask
$902 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $685 for a studio, $687 for one bedroom, $1,082 for three and $1,482 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 Marlboro actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Marlboro for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
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