Metro FMR · CBSA 17900 · HUD FY2026

Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area Fair Market Rent

HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent for the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area metro area - 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

A 2-bedroom in the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area area rents at $1,276 under HUD's FY2026 Fair Market Rent - 9% above the US average, lower than 53% of the 387 metro areas HUD tracks.

#183
most affordable of 387 US metros (2BR)
+9%
vs the US 2-bedroom average
$51,040
income to afford it (30% rule)
-0.7%
1BR change, FY2025→2026

Affordability & income context

Columbia: #183 most affordable nationally · income context

At the metro's ACS median household income of $66,146, this 1-bedroom FMR takes 21.1% of annual income. It remains below the 30% affordability guide, but is a material part of a median-income household's budget.

The 2-bedroom figure places Columbia in the middle half of HUD metro areas, using the same FY2026 HUD schedule as the national comparison.

With 831,913 residents, this is a major regional metro benchmark rather than a single-neighborhood rent quote.

Its 2-bedroom FMR sits in the middle half of HUD metro areas, so the local-income comparison is more informative than the national rank alone.

The studio-through-two-bedroom FMR bands stay below 30% of recorded median income here; the larger-bedroom rows show where that headroom narrows.

Observed renter burden: 49.1% of the 102,965 renter households counted by ACS paid at least 30% of income in gross rent. This ACS 2023 household measure is distinct from the FY2026 HUD FMR benchmark.

ACS median household income lags the FY2026 HUD FMR schedule. The income share is a same-metro cross-source read (Census ACS B19013 vs HUD FMR), not a same-vintage ratio.

Studio

$1,032/mo

18.7% of median income

1 Bedroom

$1,164/mo

21.1% of median income

2 Bedroom

$1,276/mo

23.1% of median income

3 Bedroom

$1,623/mo

29.4% of median income

4 Bedroom

$1,911/mo

34.7% of median income

FMR filing desk

CBSA CBSA·17900

Columbia: $1,164/mo 1BR · #183 of 387 metros (2BR) · FY2026 CBSA 17900

  • CBSA 17900
  • 1BR-FMR $1,164
  • 2BR-FMR $1,276
  • RANK-MID #183
  • YOY-FLAT -0.7%
  • VSUS-ABOVE +21%
  • IN-ST-HIGH #5 SC
  • INC-MID 21%
  • POP-MAJOR 832K
  • PHOTO-NEAR Anderson
  • VOUCH-90-110 $1,048–$1,280
  • FY-2026 FY2026

Photo-finish peer: Anderson ($129 1BR gap)

Read with: Understanding rent burden

Where Columbia sits among every US metro

2-bedroom Fair Market Rent vs. all 387 HUD metro areas

$1,276 higher than 47% of 387 metro areas

$800–$1,000: 28 metro areas (7%). Below this entry. $1,000–$1,200: 114 metro areas (29%). Below this entry. $1,200–$1,400: 95 metro areas (25%). This entry sits in this band. $1,400–$1,600: 52 metro areas (13%). Above this entry. $1,600–$1,800: 41 metro areas (11%). Above this entry. $1,800–$2,000: 26 metro areas (7%). Above this entry. $2,000–$2,200: 9 metro areas (2%). Above this entry. $2,200–$2,400: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,400–$2,600: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,600–$2,800: 5 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $2,800–$3,000: 4 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,000–$3,200: 2 metro areas (1%). Above this entry. $3,200–$3,400: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,400–$3,600: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,600–$3,800: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $3,800–$4,000: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,000–$4,200: 0 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. $4,200–$4,400: 1 metro areas (0%). Above this entry. This metro $800 $4,400 every US metro, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $0.2K-wide band; taller bars hold more metro areas. 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

CBSA 17900

Counties inside Columbia

HUD publishes one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 17900, but county-level schedules inside Columbia still diverge: 6 counties range from $1,009 (2BR in Kershaw) to $1,276 (Richland), a 26% spread. Richland is the largest county by population.

Richland County 2BR $1,276 · 416K Lexington County 2BR $1,276 · 296K Kershaw County 2BR $1,009 · 66K Fairfield County 2BR $1,276 · 21K Saluda County 2BR $1,276 · 19K Calhoun County 2BR $1,276 · 14K

Columbia studio–4BR schedule (FY2026) · 2BR #183 most affordable

1BR $1,164 (+21% vs US, -0.7% YoY). Each bedroom band below is FY2026 HUD FMR for CBSA 17900.

Studio
$1,032
US avg $893
↓2.9% YoY +16% vs US
1 Bedroom
$1,164
US avg $959
↓0.7% YoY +21% vs US
2 Bedroom
$1,276
US avg $1,175
↓1.7% YoY +9% vs US
3 Bedroom
$1,623
US avg $1,525
↓2.0% YoY +6% vs US
4 Bedroom
$1,911
US avg $1,756
↓4.0% YoY +9% vs US

How Columbia compares on 1-bedroom rent

1-bedroom FMR vs other SC metro areas

1BR FMR / mo

What this shows Columbia highlighted among 5 peers · FY2026 1BR HUD FMR.

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

Columbia: out-of-state FMR & burden peers

PlainRent pairs Columbia with the 4 nearest HUD 2BR schedules and 4 nearest burden matches outside SC (burden peers exclude the FMR set; pop ≥50k).

2BR FMR · outside SC

Nearest schedules by 2BR delta (FY2026).

Abilene
TX · 2 BR $1,276/mo
Memphis
TN · 2 BR $1,274/mo
Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek
OH · 2 BR $1,273/mo
Louisville
KY · 2 BR $1,272/mo

Burden % · outside SC

Nearest 2BR FMR ÷ ACS median income (FY2026).

State College
PA · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $1,406/mo
Brunswick County
NC · 23.2% of income · 2 BR $1,426/mo
Bloomington
IN · 23.1% of income · 2 BR $1,210/mo
Mineral County
MT · 23% of income · 2 BR $1,361/mo

Columbia: quick answers

What is the average rent in the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area metro area? ▼
The FY 2026 Fair Market Rent for a 1-bedroom in Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area is $1,164 per month. A 2-bedroom is $1,276 and a studio is $1,032.
How does Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area rent compare to the national average? ▼
Rent in the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area metro area is 21% above the national average. A 1-bedroom costs $1,164 compared to $959 nationally.
Where does Columbia rank nationally for Fair Market Rent? ▼
HUD's FY 2026 2-bedroom FMR of $1,276 ranks #183 most affordable among 387 US metro areas (the middle half of HUD metro areas).
Do county rents differ inside the Columbia metro area? ▼
Yes. HUD assigns one metro-wide FMR for CBSA 17900, but 6 constituent counties publish their own county FMR schedules spanning $1,009–$1,276 for a 2-bedroom (26% spread). Use county pages for filing at the county level.

Compare Columbia vs Anderson →

Data as of FY 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents. Population and demographic data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS).

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

FY 2026 HUD FMR $1,164/mo · 1BR SC

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.