County FMR · HUD FY2026
Clarendon County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Clarendon County, SC - 28% below the US average.
- $687
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $902
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -3.4%
- YoY change
- -28%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Clarendon is the 6th cheapest of 46 counties in South Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #410 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #410
- most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #6
- cheapest of 46 in South Carolina (2BR)
- -30%
- vs the state average
- $27,480
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (7.6%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (33.6%); 13 of 15 common occupations here can afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent without exceeding the 30% threshold; nearby South Carolina counties range as much as 51% apart in 1-bedroom FMR, so the county line itself can matter for renters comparing options.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rent for Clarendon County, SC. Verify with HUD →
The Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Clarendon County, South Carolina is $687 per month in FY 2026, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). A 2-bedroom costs $902/mo and a studio is $683/mo. This is 28% lower than the national average of $959 and 30% below the South Carolina average of $982.
Rent decreased3.4% from FY 2025 ($711), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $27,480/year.
Observed renter burden: 41.8% of the 3,231 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent benchmark above.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in South Carolina. Population: 31,163. Population declined 8.8% over the past five years (Census ACS), a trend that can ease rental-market pressure over time even as FMR reflects recent rent levels. That's slower than South Carolina's statewide growth of +5.2% over the same period.
FMR filing desk
Area CLARENDON·COUNTY·SC·SC
Clarendon County, SC: $687/mo 1BR · #410 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA SC
- 1BR-FMR $687
- 2BR-FMR $902
- RANK-MID #410
- YOY-DOWN -3.4%
- VSUS-LOW -28%
- VS-ST-LOW -30% SC
- INC-ROOM 17%
- POP-SMALL 31K
- PHOTO-NEAR Greenville County
- VOUCH-90-110 $618–$756
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Greenville ($534 1BR gap)
Read with: Section 8 housing guide
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $707 | $683 | $-24 (-3.4%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $711 | $687 | $-24 (-3.4%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $933 | $902 | $-31 (-3.3%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,244 | $1,205 | $-39 (-3.1%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,453 | $1,380 | $-73 (-5.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Clarendon County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.
How we calculate this
Rent burden = (FMR × 12) ÷ county median household income. Required income = (FMR × 12) ÷ 0.3, the federal 30%-of-gross-income rule HUD uses to define cost burden. Median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey; FMR is from HUD's FY2026 release. See methodology.
Where Clarendon sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$902 higher than 13% of 3,145 counties
Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Fair Market Rents · FY2026
How Clarendon compares on 1-bedroom rent
1-bedroom FMR vs other South Carolina counties
- Charleston
Charleston County
$1,630 1BR FMR / mo
- Horry
Horry County
$1,229 1BR FMR / mo
- Greenville
Greenville County
$1,221 1BR FMR / mo
- Richland
Richland County
$1,164 1BR FMR / mo
- Lexington
Lexington County
$1,164 1BR FMR / mo
- Spartanburg
Spartanburg County
$1,083 1BR FMR / mo
- Clarendon
Clarendon County
$687 1BR FMR / mo
What this shows Clarendon is highlighted. Nearby South Carolina counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Charleston County ($1,630), Horry County ($1,229), Greenville County ($1,221), Richland County ($1,164), Lexington County ($1,164), Spartanburg County ($1,083), Clarendon County (this county) ($687).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
With a below-average 1-bedroom at $687/mo, most of these South Carolina occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.
| Occupation | SC Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $108,690 | 7.6% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,340 | 8.3% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,900 | 10.3% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,180 | 11.3% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $59,370 | 13.9% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $58,020 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,260 | 14.2% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $51,810 | 15.9% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $48,640 | 16.9% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,960 | 21.2% | Affordable |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,940 | 21.7% | Affordable |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $29,560 | 27.9% | Affordable |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 28% | Affordable |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,830 | 30.7% | Stretched |
| Teaching Assistants | $24,510 | 33.6% | Stretched |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Clarendon County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Clarendon (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 32.1% overall, from $520 to $687. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +13.9% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓3.4% | $683 | $687 | $902 |
| FY 2025 ↑3.2% | $707 | $711 | $933 |
| FY 2024 ↑13.9% | $684 | $689 | $905 |
| FY 2023 ↑9.6% | $601 | $605 | $796 |
| FY 2022 ↑7.2% | $548 | $552 | $712 |
| FY 2021 ↓1.0% | $512 | $515 | $679 |
| FY 2020 | $513 | $520 | $651 |
Where Clarendon County Ranks in South Carolina
Clarendon County is not part of any federally-designated metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area -- an independent rental market not administratively tied to a larger urban core. By 2-bedroom FMR, it ranks #6 of 46 counties in South Carolina. Nearest by rank: Abbeville County ($902), Allendale County ($902), Bamberg County ($902), Cherokee County ($902), Chesterfield County ($902), Clarendon County (this county) ($902), Colleton County ($902), Dillon County ($902), Hampton County ($902), Lee County ($902), Marion County ($902), Marlboro County ($902), Williamsburg County ($902).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Clarendon County, both outside South Carolina so the link neighborhoods are not the same-state geography lattice above. Axes stay disjoint: burden peers exclude the FMR peer set.
Similar 2-bedroom FMR
Nearest HUD 2BR Fair Market Rents outside SC (FY2026).
Similar rent burden
Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside SC).
Nearby Counties in South Carolina
Largest counties by population in South Carolina
Showing the 8 largest of 45 other counties in South Carolina.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average rent in Clarendon County? ▼
How does Clarendon County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Where does Clarendon County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
What income do I need to afford rent in Clarendon County? ▼
Is rent going up or down in Clarendon County? ▼
Which jobs can afford rent in Clarendon County? ▼
How much has rent changed in Clarendon County over time? ▼
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Clarendon County? ▼
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Clarendon County? ▼
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau and HUD Fair Market Rents. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Every figure on PlainRent is rendered directly from HUD's published Fair Market Rent records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of FY 2026.