HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2026 · effective Oct 1, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026
Fair Market Rent in Richland County, South Carolina (FY 2026)
A two-bedroom in Richland County carries a FY 2026 Fair Market Rent of $1,276 a month, effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. Everything Section 8 pays in Richland keys off that figure.
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
13th of 46
by 2BR FMR
HUD has already published FY 2027. On October 1, 2026 the two-bedroom rate in Richland 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 Richland, 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 Richland in with 4 other counties in the Columbia metro, Lexington 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, Richland ranks 13th 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 416,161 people live here, 2nd 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 $1,170 in 29044 (Eastover) and $1,840 in 29177 (White Rock), with the 37 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29002 | Ballentine | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29016 | Blythewood | $1,410 | +10.5% |
| 29044 | Eastover | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29052 | Gadsden | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29061 | Hopkins | $1,460 | +14.4% |
| 29063 | Irmo | $1,730 | +35.6% |
| 29147 | State Park | $1,276County rate | — |
| 29177 | White Rock | $1,840 | +44.2% |
| 29201 | Columbia | $1,720 | +34.8% |
| 29202 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29203 | Columbia | $1,250 | -2.0% |
| 29204 | Columbia | $1,170 | -8.3% |
| 29205 | Columbia | $1,340 | +5.0% |
| 29206 | Columbia | $1,490 | +16.8% |
| 29207 | Columbia | $1,330 | +4.2% |
| 29208 | Columbia | $1,720 | +34.8% |
| 29209 | Columbia | $1,390 | +8.9% |
| 29210 | Columbia | $1,360 | +6.6% |
| 29211 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29214 | Columbia | $1,270 | -0.5% |
| 29215 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29216 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29217 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29218 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29219 | Columbia | $1,276County rate | — |
| 29220 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29221 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29222 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29223 | Columbia | $1,390 | +8.9% |
| 29224 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29225 | Columbia | $1,720 | +34.8% |
| 29226 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29227 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29229 | Columbia | $1,770 | +38.7% |
| 29230 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29240 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29250 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29260 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29290 | Columbia | $1,320 | +3.4% |
| 29292 | 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 Richland 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
Lexington County
$1,27615 mi · pop 295,934
Fairfield County
$1,27625 mi · pop 20,942
Calhoun County
$1,27629 mi · pop 14,145
Kershaw County
$1,00930 mi · pop 65,779
Sumter County
$1,27634 mi · pop 105,199
Newberry County
$99438 mi · pop 37,918
Orangeburg County
$91041 mi · pop 84,159
Saluda County
$1,27641 mi · pop 18,952
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 Richland actually go for?
HUD's number is one input. Search any address in Richland for a rent estimate built from nearby comps. 3 free searches, no card.
Free tier. No credit card.