29540 Darlington, SC Fair Market Rent

What the FMR for ZIP 29540 actually means

HUD publishes Small Area Fair Market Rents at the ZIP code level for designated metros. ZIP 29540 (Darlington, SC) is covered by Darlington County, SC HUD Metro FMR Area, so FY 2026 figures here are ZIP-specific: $810 for a 1-bedroom, studio $810, 2-bedroom $1,040, 3-bedroom $1,250, and 4-bedroom $1,420. These are 40th-percentile gross rents (utilities except telephone), not live asking rents. Housing Choice Voucher payment standards are typically set between 90% and 110% of the applicable FMR/SAFMR.

Because this page uses SAFMR, nearby ZIPs in Darlington can show different bedroom figures. Against the national benchmark the 1-bedroom SAFMR here is 16% below the US average of $959, and 18% below the SC state average of $982.

For budgeting, the 30% affordability rule says rent should not exceed 30% of gross household income. At the FY 2026 1-bedroom FMR of $810, that implies a household income of $32,400 per year (about $2,700/month) to avoid being cost-burdened, a 2-bedroom at $1,040 lifts that threshold higher still. ZIP 29540 has a population of 5,599 residents, so the gap between these FMR figures and local wages shapes how many households qualify as rent-burdened (paying more than 30% of income) or severely burdened (above 50%).