County FMR · HUD FY2026
Fairfield County Fair Market Rent
HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Fairfield County, SC - 21% above the US average.
- $1,164
- 1-bedroom FMR
- $1,276
- 2-bedroom FMR
- -0.7%
- YoY change
- +21%
- vs US avg
The verdict
Fairfield is the 14th most expensive of 46 counties in South Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #786 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.
- #786
- most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
- #14
- most expensive of 46 in South Carolina (2BR)
- +19%
- vs the state average
- $46,560
- income to afford it (30% rule)
Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (12.9%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (57%); 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 Fairfield County, SC. Verify with HUD →
Fairfield County, South Carolina carries an FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,164 per month, the federal benchmark HUD publishes for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,276/mo and a studio is $1,032/mo. That's 21% above the national benchmark of $959 and 19% above the South Carolina average of $982.
Rent decreased0.7% from FY 2025 ($1,172), roughly tracking inflation. A household needs about $46,560/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.
Observed renter burden: 43.9% of the 2,105 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.
Market slack: The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.1%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
Local labor market: The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.4% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
FY 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents in South Carolina. Population: 20,942. Population declined 8.7% 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 FAIRFIELD·COUNTY·SC·SC
Fairfield County, SC: $1,164/mo 1BR · #786 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026
- FMR-AREA SC
- 1BR-FMR $1,164
- 2BR-FMR $1,276
- RANK-MID #786
- YOY-FLAT -0.7%
- VSUS-ABOVE +21%
- VS-ST-HIGH +19% SC
- INC-EDGE 30%
- POP-SMALL 21K
- PHOTO-NEAR Greenville County
- VOUCH-90-110 $1,048–$1,280
- FY-2026 FY2026
Photo-finish peer: Greenville ($57 1BR gap)
Read with: Understanding rent burden
Fair Market Rents (2026)
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Bedrooms | FY 2025 | FY 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,063 | $1,032 | $-31 (-2.9%) |
| 1 Bedroom | $1,172 | $1,164 | $-8 (-0.7%) |
| 2 Bedroom | $1,298 | $1,276 | $-22 (-1.7%) |
| 3 Bedroom | $1,656 | $1,623 | $-33 (-2.0%) |
| 4 Bedroom | $1,991 | $1,911 | $-80 (-4.0%) |
Rent Burden Analysis
How much of household income goes to rent in Fairfield 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 Fairfield sits among every US county
2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties
$1,276 Top 25% higher than 75% 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 Fairfield 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
- Fairfield
Fairfield County
$1,164 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
What this shows Fairfield 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), Fairfield County (this county) ($1,164), Richland County ($1,164), Lexington County ($1,164), Spartanburg County ($1,083).
Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?
Against a high local FMR of $1,164/mo, which of 15 common occupations still clear the 30% line using South Carolina BLS wages?
| Occupation | SC Salary | Rent Burden | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Developers | $108,690 | 12.9% | Affordable |
| General & Operations Managers | $99,340 | 14.1% | Affordable |
| Registered Nurses | $79,900 | 17.5% | Affordable |
| Accountants & Auditors | $73,180 | 19.1% | Affordable |
| Elementary School Teachers | $59,370 | 23.5% | Affordable |
| Electricians | $58,260 | 24% | Affordable |
| Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers | $58,020 | 24.1% | Affordable |
| Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $51,810 | 27% | Affordable |
| Paralegals & Legal Assistants | $48,640 | 28.7% | Affordable |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $38,960 | 35.9% | Stretched |
| Customer Service Representatives | $37,940 | 36.8% | Stretched |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $29,560 | 47.3% | Stretched |
| Retail Salespersons | $29,450 | 47.4% | Stretched |
| Fast Food & Counter Workers | $26,830 | 52.1% | Unaffordable |
| Teaching Assistants | $24,510 | 57% | Unaffordable |
Rent Trends (2020–2026)
7-year Fair Market Rent history for Fairfield County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.
Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Fairfield (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 42.3% overall, from $818 to $1,164. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +14.6% in FY 2023, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.
| Year | Studio | 1 BR | 2 BR |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY 2026 ↓0.7% | $1,032 | $1,164 | $1,276 |
| FY 2025 ↑5.6% | $1,063 | $1,172 | $1,298 |
| FY 2024 ↑11.4% | $1,036 | $1,110 | $1,246 |
| FY 2023 ↑14.6% | $944 | $996 | $1,125 |
| FY 2022 ↑2.8% | $834 | $869 | $990 |
| FY 2021 ↑3.3% | $782 | $845 | $963 |
| FY 2020 | $706 | $818 | $931 |
Part of the Columbia, SC Metro Area
Fairfield County is a outlying county of the Columbia, SC metropolitan statistical area, alongside 5 other metro-area counties.
Fairfield County ranks #5 of 6 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Richland County ($1,164), Lexington County ($1,164), Saluda County ($1,164), Calhoun County ($1,164), Fairfield County (this county) ($1,164), Kershaw County ($849).
Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden
Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Fairfield 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 Fairfield County?
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Fairfield County is $1,164 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,276 and a studio is $1,032.
How does Fairfield County rent compare to the national average?
Rent in Fairfield County is 21% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,164 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Fairfield County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent?
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Fairfield County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,276 ranks #786 most expensive among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the upper-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Fairfield County?
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $46,560 ($3,880/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Fairfield County.
Is rent going up or down in Fairfield County?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Fairfield County decreased by 0.7% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,172 to $1,164.
Which jobs can afford rent in Fairfield County?
Based on South Carolina BLS salary data and the 30% affordability rule, jobs like Software Developers, General and Operations Managers, Registered Nurses can afford a 1-bedroom at $1,164/mo. 9 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Fairfield County over time?
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Fairfield County went from $818 in FY 2020 to $1,164 in FY 2026, a total change of +42.3% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Fairfield County?
In Fairfield County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,164/mo for a 1-bedroom sets the baseline that local housing authorities use for Section 8 payment standards.
What does Fair Market Rent mean for Fairfield County?
For Fairfield County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,164/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).
Is the rental market tight or loose in Fairfield County?
The ACS rental vacancy rate here is 3.1%, a tight rental market where HUD's annual FMR schedule can lag what landlords are actually asking.
What is the unemployment rate in Fairfield County?
The county's BLS unemployment rate has averaged 5.4% over the past 12 months, close to the typical US county range.
Data sources
What this means for renters
Treat Fairfield's FY2026 Fair Market Rent as HUD's affordability benchmark, not a single market quote.
- Budget to roughly 30% of income: the FY2026 1-bedroom FMR of $1,164 implies about $46,560/yr to rent without being cost-burdened. Run your numbers
- South Carolina counties vary widely around this figure - compare specific counties before assuming this applies to yours. Compare vs Greenville
- See where Fairfield ranks nationally on rent. National rankings
Fair Market Rent is HUD's 40th-percentile policy benchmark used to set Housing Choice Voucher payment standards. Actual asking rents can run higher or lower, and HUD updates FMRs once a year. This site is informational and not financial or relocation advice.
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.