County FMR · HUD FY2026

Orangeburg County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Orangeburg County, SC - 22% below the US average.

$750
1-bedroom FMR
$910
2-bedroom FMR
-5.3%
YoY change
-22%
vs US avg

The verdict

Orangeburg is the 14th cheapest of 46 counties in South Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #441 most affordable of 3,145 HUD counties; rent here has fallen 5.3% since FY 2025, a modest shift relative to most counties.

#441
most affordable of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#14
cheapest of 46 in South Carolina (2BR)
-24%
vs the state average
$30,000
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (8.3%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (36.7%); 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 Orangeburg County, SC. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Orangeburg County, South Carolina at $750 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $910/mo and a studio is $709/mo. This is 22% lower than the national average of $959 and 24% below the South Carolina average of $982.

Rent decreased5.3% from FY 2025 ($792), declining against the trend. The 30% affordability floor is comparatively reachable here at $30,000/year.

Observed renter burden: 41.5% of the 11,210 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: 84,159. Population declined 5.6% 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 ORANGEBURG·COUNTY·SC·SC

Orangeburg County, SC: $750/mo 1BR · #441 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA SC
  • 1BR-FMR $750
  • 2BR-FMR $910
  • RANK-MID #441
  • YOY-DOWN -5.3%
  • VSUS-BELOW -22%
  • VS-ST-LOW -24% SC
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MID 84K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Greenville County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $675–$825
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Greenville ($471 1BR gap)

Read with: Section 8 housing guide

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $928 · US avg: $893
$709/mo
↓ 9.9% YoY -24% vs state -21% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $982 · US avg: $959
$750/mo
↓ 5.3% YoY -24% vs state -22% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,155 · US avg: $1,175
$910/mo
↓ 4.1% YoY -21% vs state -23% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,450 · US avg: $1,525
$1,091/mo
↓ 4.5% YoY -25% vs state -28% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,699 · US avg: $1,756
$1,205/mo
↓ 4.2% YoY -29% vs state -31% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $787
$709
$-78 (-9.9%)
1 Bedroom $792
$750
$-42 (-5.3%)
2 Bedroom $949
$910
$-39 (-4.1%)
3 Bedroom $1,143
$1,091
$-52 (-4.5%)
4 Bedroom $1,258
$1,205
$-53 (-4.2%)

Rent Burden Analysis

How much of household income goes to rent in Orangeburg County. The 30% threshold indicates cost burden.

Studio
19.7%
Affordable
Need $28,360/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
20.8%
Affordable
Need $30,000/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
25.3%
Affordable
Need $36,400/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
30.3%
Burdened
Need $43,640/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
33.5%
Burdened
Need $48,200/yr for 30% rule
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.

0%100%National avg22%25.3%
Orangeburg County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $43,214 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View South Carolina rent burden →

Where Orangeburg sits among every US county

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 3,145 HUD counties

$910 higher than 14% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). This entry sits in this band. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Above this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). Above this entry. $1,400–$1,600: 181 counties (6%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 172 counties (5%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 108 counties (3%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 29 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 40 counties (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 13 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 9 counties (0%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 15 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 3 counties (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 counties (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 counties (0%). Above this entry. This county $600 $4,400 every US county, bucketed by value

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 Orangeburg compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other South Carolina counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Orangeburg 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), Orangeburg County (this county) ($750).

Source U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) As of FY2026

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

With a below-average 1-bedroom at $750/mo, most of these South Carolina occupations clear, or miss, the 30% affordability line.

Occupation SC Salary Rent Burden Verdict
Software Developers $108,690 8.3% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $99,340 9.1% Affordable
Registered Nurses $79,900 11.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $73,180 12.3% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $59,370 15.2% Affordable
Electricians $58,260 15.4% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $58,020 15.5% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $51,810 17.4% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $48,640 18.5% Affordable
Pharmacy Technicians $38,960 23.1% Affordable
Customer Service Representatives $37,940 23.7% Affordable
Janitors & Cleaners $29,560 30.4% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $29,450 30.6% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $26,830 33.5% Stretched
Teaching Assistants $24,510 36.7% Stretched
Salaries: BLS OES (South Carolina) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

7-year Fair Market Rent history for Orangeburg County. Shows how HUD rental rates have changed over time.

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Orangeburg (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 31.8% overall, from $569 to $750. The path there hasn't been smooth: year-over-year moves have swung by as much as 19.4% (FY 2024), a volatility pattern that makes single-year comparisons a poor guide to the underlying trend.

$500$600$700$800$900 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $750
Orangeburg County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↓5.3% $709 $750 $910
FY 2025 ↓4.0% $787 $792 $949
FY 2024 ↑19.4% $807 $825 $957
FY 2023 ↑10.6% $676 $691 $780
FY 2022 ↑4.9% $614 $625 $712
FY 2021 ↑4.7% $582 $596 $679
FY 2020 $558 $569 $654
Total change (6yr): +31.8%
Annualized: +4.7%/yr
1 BR: $569 → $750

Part of the Orangeburg, SC Micro Area

Orangeburg County is a central county of the Orangeburg, SC micropolitan statistical area.

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Orangeburg 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).

Cole County
MO · 2 BR $910/mo
Osage County
MO · 2 BR $910/mo
Rowan County
KY · 2 BR $911/mo
Grenada County
MS · 2 BR $911/mo

Similar rent burden

Nearest 2BR FMR as a share of median household income (outside SC).

Santa Cruz County
AZ · 25.3% of income · 2 BR $1,129/mo
Johnson County
TX · 25.3% of income · 2 BR $1,723/mo
San Juan County
WA · 25.3% of income · 2 BR $1,762/mo
Plymouth County
MA · 25.3% of income · 2 BR $2,311/mo

Nearby Counties in South Carolina

Largest counties by population in South Carolina

Showing the 8 largest of 45 other counties in South Carolina.

Greenville County
1 BR: $1,221/mo Pop: 528,251
Richland County
1 BR: $1,164/mo Pop: 416,161
Charleston County
1 BR: $1,630/mo Pop: 409,840
Horry County
1 BR: $1,229/mo Pop: 356,578
Spartanburg County
1 BR: $1,083/mo Pop: 330,119
Lexington County
1 BR: $1,164/mo Pop: 295,934
York County
1 BR: $1,538/mo Pop: 282,987
Berkeley County
1 BR: $1,630/mo Pop: 231,419
View all counties in South Carolina →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average rent in Orangeburg County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Orangeburg County is $750 per month. A 2-bedroom is $910 and a studio is $709.
How does Orangeburg County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Orangeburg County is 22% below the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $750 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Orangeburg County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Orangeburg County's 2-bedroom FMR of $910 ranks #441 most affordable among 3,145 HUD counties, placing it in the lower-rent quarter of HUD counties.
What income do I need to afford rent in Orangeburg County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $30,000 ($2,500/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Orangeburg County.
Is rent going up or down in Orangeburg County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Orangeburg County decreased by 5.3% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $792 to $750.
Which jobs can afford rent in Orangeburg 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 $750/mo. 11 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Orangeburg County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Orangeburg County went from $569 in FY 2020 to $750 in FY 2026, a total change of +31.8% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Orangeburg County? ▼
In Orangeburg County, the FY 2026 FMR of $750/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 Orangeburg County? ▼
For Orangeburg County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($750/mo for a 1-bedroom in FY 2026).

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.

All federal data sources used on this page
  • HUD Fair Market Rents (FMR) - county-level fair-market rent estimates by bedroom count. huduser.gov/datasets/fmr
  • HUD Income Limits - area median income for affordability calculations. huduser.gov/datasets/il
  • HUD Comprehensive Housing Affordability Strategy (CHAS) - rent burden and housing-cost distribution. huduser.gov/datasets/cp
  • U.S. Census Bureau ACS - county and metro housing characteristics + median rent. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
  • BLS Consumer Price Index, Rent of Primary Residence - rent inflation by metro. bls.gov/cpi
  • IRS Migration Data (SOI) - interstate migration aggregates affecting county demand. irs.gov/statistics/migration
  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics - state-level median wages by occupation, used for job affordability analysis. bls.gov/oes

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.