County FMR · HUD FY2026

Pickens County Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for Pickens County, SC - 27% above the US average.

$1,221
1-bedroom FMR
$1,339
2-bedroom FMR
+3.5%
YoY change
+27%
vs US avg

The verdict

Pickens is the 8th most expensive of 46 counties in South Carolina by 2-bedroom FMR; nationally it ranks #692 most expensive of 3,145 HUD counties.

#692
most expensive of 3,145 US counties (2BR)
#8
most expensive of 46 in South Carolina (2BR)
+24%
vs the state average
$48,840
income to afford it (30% rule)

Software Developers spend the smallest share of income on rent here (13.5%), while Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary spend the most (59.8%); 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 Pickens County, SC. Verify with HUD →

HUD sets the FY 2026 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent for Pickens County, South Carolina at $1,221 per month - the federal rental-assistance benchmark for this county. A 2-bedroom costs $1,339/mo and a studio is $1,166/mo. This is 27% higher than the national average of $959 and 24% above the South Carolina average of $982.

Rent increased3.5% from FY 2025 ($1,180), outpacing inflation. A household needs about $48,840/year to stay under the 30% rent-to-income line.

Observed renter burden: 48.6% of the 15,154 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: 131,106. Population grew 8.0% over the past five years (Census ACS) - among the faster-growing counties nationally, a trend that typically adds upward pressure on rents. That's faster than South Carolina's statewide growth of +5.2% over the same period.

FMR filing desk

Area PICKENS·COUNTY·SC·SC

Pickens County, SC: $1,221/mo 1BR · #692 of 3145 counties (2BR) · FY2026

  • FMR-AREA SC
  • 1BR-FMR $1,221
  • 2BR-FMR $1,339
  • RANK-MID #692
  • YOY-UP +3.5%
  • VSUS-HIGH +27%
  • VS-ST-HIGH +24% SC
  • INC-MID 25%
  • POP-MID 131K
  • PHOTO-FINISH Greenville County
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,099–$1,343
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Greenville ($0 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Fair Market Rents (2026)

Studio
State avg: $928 · US avg: $893
$1,166/mo
↑ 2.6% YoY +26% vs state +31% vs US
1 Bedroom
State avg: $982 · US avg: $959
$1,221/mo
↑ 3.5% YoY +24% vs state +27% vs US
2 Bedroom
State avg: $1,155 · US avg: $1,175
$1,339/mo
↑ 2.5% YoY +16% vs state +14% vs US
3 Bedroom
State avg: $1,450 · US avg: $1,525
$1,612/mo
↑ 0.8% YoY +11% vs state +6% vs US
4 Bedroom
State avg: $1,699 · US avg: $1,756
$1,943/mo
↑ 1.7% YoY +14% vs state +11% vs US

Year-over-Year Comparison

Bedrooms FY 2025 FY 2026 Change
Studio $1,136
$1,166
+$30 (+2.6%)
1 Bedroom $1,180
$1,221
+$41 (+3.5%)
2 Bedroom $1,306
$1,339
+$33 (+2.5%)
3 Bedroom $1,599
$1,612
+$13 (+0.8%)
4 Bedroom $1,911
$1,943
+$32 (+1.7%)

Rent Burden Analysis

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

Studio
23.6%
Affordable
Need $46,640/yr for 30% rule
1 Bedroom
24.7%
Affordable
Need $48,840/yr for 30% rule
2 Bedroom
27%
Affordable
Need $53,560/yr for 30% rule
3 Bedroom
32.6%
Burdened
Need $64,480/yr for 30% rule
4 Bedroom
39.2%
Burdened
Need $77,720/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%27%
Pickens County 2-bedroom rent burden
County median income: $59,411 · National avg burden: 21.7% ·View South Carolina rent burden →

Where Pickens sits among every US county

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

$1,339 Top 22% higher than 78% of 3,145 counties

$600–$800: 23 counties (1%). Below this entry. $800–$1,000: 1,406 counties (45%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 723 counties (23%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 417 counties (13%). This entry sits in this band. $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 Pickens compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other South Carolina counties

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Pickens is highlighted. Nearby South Carolina counties by 1-bedroom FMR, highest to lowest: Charleston County ($1,630), Horry County ($1,229), Pickens County (this county) ($1,221), Greenville County ($1,221), Richland County ($1,164), Lexington County ($1,164), Spartanburg County ($1,083).

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

Can Common Jobs Afford Rent Here?

Against a high local FMR of $1,221/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 13.5% Affordable
General & Operations Managers $99,340 14.7% Affordable
Registered Nurses $79,900 18.3% Affordable
Accountants & Auditors $73,180 20% Affordable
Elementary School Teachers $59,370 24.7% Affordable
Electricians $58,260 25.1% Affordable
Police & Sheriff's Patrol Officers $58,020 25.3% Affordable
Heavy & Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers $51,810 28.3% Affordable
Paralegals & Legal Assistants $48,640 30.1% Stretched
Pharmacy Technicians $38,960 37.6% Stretched
Customer Service Representatives $37,940 38.6% Stretched
Janitors & Cleaners $29,560 49.6% Stretched
Retail Salespersons $29,450 49.8% Stretched
Fast Food & Counter Workers $26,830 54.6% Unaffordable
Teaching Assistants $24,510 59.8% Unaffordable
Salaries: BLS OES (South Carolina) median · 30% = affordable threshold · Try the salary calculator →

Rent Trends (2020–2026)

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

Over the 6-year span HUD has tracked for Pickens (FY 2020-2026), the 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent has risen 65.0% overall, from $740 to $1,221. Most of that movement was gradual except for a single sharp jump of +15.4% in FY 2024, well above this county's typical year-to-year change.

$600$800$1,000$1,200$1,400 FY2020FY2021FY2022FY2023FY2024FY2025FY2026 $1,221
Pickens County 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent, FY2020–FY2026
Year Studio 1 BR 2 BR
FY 2026 ↑3.5% $1,166 $1,221 $1,339
FY 2025 ↑9.9% $1,136 $1,180 $1,306
FY 2024 ↑15.4% $1,032 $1,074 $1,206
FY 2023 ↑6.9% $865 $931 $1,051
FY 2022 ↑5.4% $783 $871 $992
FY 2021 ↑11.6% $731 $826 $942
FY 2020 $628 $740 $842
Total change (6yr): +65.0%
Annualized: +8.7%/yr
1 BR: $740 → $1,221

Part of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC Metro Area

Pickens County is a central county of the Greenville-Anderson-Greer, SC metropolitan statistical area, alongside 3 other metro-area counties.

Pickens County ranks #2 of 4 counties in this metro area by 1-bedroom FMR. Every county sharing this metro, highest to lowest: Greenville County ($1,221), Pickens County (this county) ($1,221), Anderson County ($1,035), Laurens County ($869).

Greenville County
1 BR: $1,221/mo
Pickens County (this county)
1 BR: $1,221/mo
Anderson County
1 BR: $1,035/mo
Laurens County
1 BR: $869/mo

Nationwide peers by 2BR FMR & rent burden

Two PlainRent-derived comparison paths for Pickens 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).

Tom Green County
TX · 2 BR $1,339/mo
Irion County
TX · 2 BR $1,339/mo
Golden Valley County
MT · 2 BR $1,339/mo
Milwaukee County
WI · 2 BR $1,338/mo

Similar rent burden

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

Douglas County
GA · 27% of income · 2 BR $1,820/mo
Brevard County
FL · 27% of income · 2 BR $1,709/mo
Madison County
FL · 27.1% of income · 2 BR $1,086/mo
Somerset County
ME · 27% of income · 2 BR $1,266/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 Pickens County? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Pickens County is $1,221 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,339 and a studio is $1,166.
How does Pickens County rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in Pickens County is 27% above the national average. A 1-bedroom here costs $1,221 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Pickens County rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
According to HUD's FY 2026 Fair Market Rent schedule, Pickens County's 2-bedroom FMR of $1,339 ranks #692 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 Pickens County? ▼
Based on the 30% affordability rule, you need an annual income of at least $48,840 ($4,070/month) to afford a 1-bedroom at Fair Market Rent in Pickens County.
Is rent going up or down in Pickens County? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pickens County increased by 3.5% from FY 2025 to FY 2026, going from $1,180 to $1,221.
Which jobs can afford rent in Pickens 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 $1,221/mo. 8 of 15 common occupations are affordable here.
How much has rent changed in Pickens County over time? ▼
The 1-bedroom Fair Market Rent in Pickens County went from $740 in FY 2020 to $1,221 in FY 2026, a total change of +65.0% over 6 years.
How does Fair Market Rent affect Section 8 vouchers in Pickens County? ▼
In Pickens County, the FY 2026 FMR of $1,221/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 Pickens County? ▼
For Pickens County, it's the specific 40th-percentile rent HUD publishes each year ($1,221/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.