HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Oconee County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Oconee County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $941 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Oconee keys off that figure.
2 bedroom FMR
$941
FY 2026, utilities included
Payment standard range
$847 to $1,035
90% to 110% of FMR
Income to afford 2BR
$37,640
per year, at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
30th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Oconee moves to $894. 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 Oconee actually rent for?
Search any address in Oconee 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 | $712 | $641 to $783 | $28,480 | $13.69/hr | -0.4% |
| 1 bedroom | $717 | $645 to $789 | $28,680 | $13.79/hr | -3.8% |
| 2 bedroom | $941 | $847 to $1,035 | $37,640 | $18.10/hr | -3.7% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,153 | $1,038 to $1,268 | $46,120 | $22.17/hr | -4.2% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,337 | $1,203 to $1,471 | $53,480 | $25.71/hr | -3.2% |
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 | $1,538 | $1,384 to $1,692 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $1,738 | $1,564 to $1,912 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $1,939 | $1,745 to $2,133 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,139 | $1,925 to $2,353 |
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 Oconee, that runs from $712 for a studio up to $1,337 for four bedrooms, all five rates in the table above.
Because Oconee 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, Seneca included.
Among South Carolina's 46 counties, Oconee ranks 30th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 13% below the state median of $1,077 and about 8% below the national median county at $1,018. About 78,775 people live here, 18th 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 29691 (Walhalla) and $1,180 in 29678 (Seneca), with the 12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29643 | Fair Play | $990 | +5.2% |
| 29658 | Long Creek | $1,030 | +9.5% |
| 29664 | Mountain Rest | $1,040 | +10.5% |
| 29665 | Newry | $1,000 | +6.3% |
| 29672 | Seneca | $1,000 | +6.3% |
| 29675 | Richland | $941County rate | — |
| 29676 | Salem | $1,130 | +20.1% |
| 29678 | Seneca | $1,180 | +25.4% |
| 29679 | Seneca | $940 | -0.1% |
| 29686 | Tamassee | $1,000 | +6.3% |
| 29691 | Walhalla | $900 | -4.4% |
| 29693 | Westminster | $910 | -3.3% |
| 29696 | West Union | $900 | -4.4% |
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 Oconee somewhere between $847 and $1,035. 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.
$941 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $37,640 a year. Put another way, $18 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% ($847) | HAP at 100% ($941) | HAP at 110% ($1,035) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $97 | $191 | $285 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2025 ($977) to FY 2026 ($941). Since FY 2020 it's up 40% in total, about 5.7% 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 | $477 | $512 | $674 | $943 | $1,114 | — |
| FY 2021 | $507 | $550 | $725 | $996 | $1,028 | +7.6% |
| FY 2022 | $536 | $613 | $806 | $1,041 | $1,093 | +11.2% |
| FY 2023 | $558 | $634 | $835 | $1,055 | $1,122 | +3.6% |
| FY 2024 | $670 | $752 | $988 | $1,215 | $1,348 | +18.3% |
| FY 2025 | $715 | $745 | $977 | $1,203 | $1,381 | -1.1% |
| FY 2026 | $712 | $717 | $941 | $1,153 | $1,337 | -3.7% |
| FY 2027 | $650 | $683 | $894 | $1,090 | $1,204 | -5.0% |
Nearby counties
Pickens County
$1,33916 mi · pop 131,106
Anderson County
$1,17327 mi · pop 204,592
Greenville County
$1,33938 mi · pop 528,251
Abbeville County
$90248 mi · pop 24,368
Greenwood County
$93461 mi · pop 69,309
Spartanburg County
$1,18763 mi · pop 330,119
Laurens County
$1,13364 mi · pop 67,456
McCormick County
$95677 mi · pop 9,612
Questions people ask
$941 a month for FY 2026, which runs October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The other rates are $712 for a studio, $717 for one bedroom, $1,153 for three and $1,337 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 Oconee actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Oconee for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.