HUD Fair Market Rent · FY 2027 · Effective Oct 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2027
Fair Market Rent in Richland County, South Carolina (FY 2027)
A two-bedroom in Richland County carries a FY 2027 Fair Market Rent of $1,226 a month, effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. Everything Section 8 pays in Richland keys off that figure.
Two-bedroom FMR
$1,226
-3.9% from FY 2026
Payment standard
$1,103–$1,349
90% to 110% of the FMR, two-bedroom
Income to afford
$49,040
a year, with rent at 30% of income
Rank in South Carolina
16th of 46
by two-bedroom FMR, highest first
FY 2027 Fair Market Rents
Payment standard is the 90% to 110% band a housing authority can set. Income needed puts rent at 30% of gross income, and the hourly wage assumes a 40-hour week.
| Bedrooms | FMR | Payment standard | Income needed | Hourly wage | vs FY 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $992 | $893–$1,091 | $39,680 | $19.08/hr | -3.9% |
| 1 bedroom | $1,126 | $1,013–$1,239 | $45,040 | $21.65/hr | -3.3% |
| 2 bedroom | $1,226 | $1,103–$1,349 | $49,040 | $23.58/hr | -3.9% |
| 3 bedroom | $1,546 | $1,391–$1,701 | $61,840 | $29.73/hr | -4.7% |
| 4 bedroom | $1,754 | $1,579–$1,929 | $70,160 | $33.73/hr | -8.2% |
Five to eight 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 | $2,017 | $1,815–$2,219 |
| 6 bedroom Estimate | $2,280 | $2,052–$2,508 |
| 7 bedroom Estimate | $2,543 | $2,289–$2,797 |
| 8 bedroom Estimate | $2,806 | $2,525–$3,087 |
Source: HUD Office of Policy Development and Research, FY 2027 Fair Market Rents. Rents include utilities. huduser.gov
Market check
Two-bedrooms in Columbia are asking $1,315. HUD says $1,226.
That's 7% 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.
No card needed
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 $1,103 and $1,349. 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.
$1,226 a month is affordable, by HUD's 30% rule, on an income of roughly $49,040 a year. Put another way, $24 an hour full time.
Worked example for a two-bedroom renting at the payment standard. The tenant pays 30% of monthly income and the voucher covers the rest.
| Monthly household income | Tenant pays (30%) | Voucher pays at 90%$1,103 | Voucher pays at 100%$1,226 | Voucher pays at 110%$1,349 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $750 | $353 | $476 | $599 |
| $4,000 | $1,200 | $0 | $26 | $149 |
Rate history
The two-bedroom rate went down 4% from FY 2026 ($1,276) to FY 2027 ($1,226). Since FY 2020 it's up 32% in total, about 4.0% a year. The South Carolina median moved up 2% over the same year.
| Fiscal 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 2027In effect | $992 | $1,126 | $1,226 | $1,546 | $1,754 | -3.9% |
About this rate
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 2027 that's October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. In Richland, that runs from $992 for a studio up to $1,754 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 $1,226 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 16th for two-bedroom FMR. That's about 12% above the state median of $1,098 and about 15% above the national median county at $1,063. About 422,117 people live here, 2nd in the state.
Rates by ZIP code
Zoom in and the picture changes. HUD's Small Area FMRs put a two-bedroom at $1,150 in 29044 (Eastover) and $1,780 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 | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29016 | Blythewood | $1,340 | +9.3% |
| 29044 | Eastover | $1,150 | -6.2% |
| 29052 | Gadsden | $1,150 | -6.2% |
| 29061 | Hopkins | $1,340 | +9.3% |
| 29063 | Irmo | $1,680 | +37.0% |
| 29147 | State Park | $1,226County rate | — |
| 29177 | White Rock | $1,780 | +45.2% |
| 29201 | Columbia | $1,640 | +33.8% |
| 29202 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29203 | Columbia | $1,200 | -2.1% |
| 29204 | Columbia | $1,150 | -6.2% |
| 29205 | Columbia | $1,270 | +3.6% |
| 29206 | Columbia | $1,430 | +16.6% |
| 29207 | Columbia | $1,270 | +3.6% |
| 29208 | Columbia | $1,640 | +33.8% |
| 29209 | Columbia | $1,330 | +8.5% |
| 29210 | Columbia | $1,290 | +5.2% |
| 29211 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29214 | Columbia | $1,220 | -0.5% |
| 29215 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29216 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29217 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29218 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29219 | Columbia | $1,226County rate | — |
| 29220 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29221 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29222 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29223 | Columbia | $1,320 | +7.7% |
| 29224 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29225 | Columbia | $1,640 | +33.8% |
| 29226 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29227 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29229 | Columbia | $1,650 | +34.6% |
| 29230 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29240 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29250 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29260 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29290 | Columbia | $1,260 | +2.8% |
| 29292 | Columbia | $1,226County rate | — |
Counties sharing the Columbia metro rate
HUD sets one rate for the whole metro, so every county here carries the same $1,226 two-bedroom figure as Richland.
Nearby counties
Two-bedroom FMR, with how each compares to Richland.
Lexington County
15 mi · 304,887 people
$1,226
same rate
Fairfield County
25 mi · 20,550 people
$1,226
same rate
Calhoun County
29 mi · 14,182 people
$1,226
same rate
Kershaw County
30 mi · 68,314 people
$954
-22%
Sumter County
34 mi · 104,725 people
$1,338
+9%
Newberry County
38 mi · 38,435 people
$933
-24%
Orangeburg County
41 mi · 83,253 people
$906
-26%
Saluda County
41 mi · 19,131 people
$1,226
same rate
Questions people ask
$1,226 a month for FY 2027, which runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027. The other rates are $992 for a studio, $1,126 for one bedroom, $1,546 for three and $1,754 for four.
Tools for this county
Fair Market Rent lookup
Any ZIP code's Small Area FMR by bedroom count
Section 8 rent calculator
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
The 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. Free to start, no card.
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