Lexington County, SC: Fair Market Rent 2027 and Income Limits

Official HUD figures for landlords and renters, effective October 1, 2026 (rents) and May 1, 2026 (income limits).

$1,2262-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$1,1261-bedroom FMR, FY2027

$73,90080% income limit, family of 4 (FY2026)

$92,400Median family income (FY2026)

The FY2027 Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom unit in Lexington County is $1,226 a month, down 3.9% from $1,276 in FY2026. Lexington County belongs to the Columbia, SC HUD Metro FMR Area FMR area, so the same figures apply across that area. FMRs are gross rents: rent plus all tenant-paid utilities except phone, cable and internet.

Fair market rent in Lexington County by bedroom count

Unit size	FY2027 FMR	FY2026 FMR	Change	Payment standard range (90–110%)
Studio	$992	$1,032	−3.9%	$893 – $1,091
1 bedroom	$1,126	$1,164	−3.3%	$1,014 – $1,238
2 bedrooms	$1,226	$1,276	−3.9%	$1,104 – $1,348
3 bedrooms	$1,546	$1,623	−4.7%	$1,392 – $1,700
4 bedrooms	$1,754	$1,911	−8.2%	$1,579 – $1,929

Source: HUD Fair Market Rents FY2027 (effective October 1, 2026) and FY2026 (revised file), details.

What can a landlord charge a Section 8 tenant here?

The FMR is not a cap on what you can ask on the open market. For a Housing Choice Voucher tenant, the local housing authority sets a payment standard, normally between 90% and 110% of the FMR (or of the ZIP-level Small Area FMR where those apply). For a two-bedroom unit in Lexington County that is typically $1,104 to $1,348 including utilities. You can charge more than the payment standard if the rent passes the housing authority's rent-reasonableness test and, at move-in, the tenant's share stays within 40% of their adjusted monthly income. Ask the housing authority for its current payment standard schedule.

Can local renters afford the fair market rent?

$48,753median income of renter households

$1,178Median gross rent, all units

29%Rent-to-income ratio (median rent ÷ median renter income)

48%of renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent

At the 30% rule, a renter household earning the local median of $48,753 can afford about $1,219 a month including utilities. The FY2027 two-bedroom Fair Market Rent of $1,226 is $7 (0.6%) more than that. To rent a two-bedroom at the FMR, a household needs $49,040 a year under the 30% rule, or $44,136 under the common landlord rule that income must be three times the rent.

Lexington County, ACS 2020–2024	Estimate ± MOE
Median gross rent (rent + utilities)	$1,178 ±$29
Median income of renter households	$48,753 ±$2,036
Renters paying 30% or more of income (cost-burdened)	48.2% ±3.0
Renters paying 50% or more (severely cost-burdened)	22.3% ±2.3
Renter households (where the share can be computed)	25,024

Change since 2015–2019

	ACS 2015–2019	ACS 2020–2024	Change
Median gross rent	$917	$1,178	+28.5%
Median renter household income	$37,221	$48,753	+31.0%
Renters paying 30%+ of income	48.8%	48.2%	−0.6 pts

Rent-to-income calculator: does an applicant qualify? → · Most affordable counties to rent in this state →

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates 2020–2024 and 2015–2019 (tables B25064, B25119, B25070). ± = margin of error at 90% confidence. Dollar figures are not adjusted for inflation.

Small Area FMRs by ZIP code (FY2027)

In metro areas HUD also publishes ZIP-level Small Area Fair Market Rents. Housing authorities in designated areas must use them for voucher payment standards; others may opt in. Here the two-bedroom SAFMR ranges from $1,000 to $1,820 depending on the ZIP code.

All 78 ZIP codes in this FMR area

ZIP	0 BR	1 BR	2 BR	3 BR	4 BR
29002	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29006	$800	$920	$1,000	$1,260	$1,450
29014	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29015	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29016	$1,080	$1,230	$1,340	$1,690	$1,920
29030	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29031	$930	$1,050	$1,180	$1,560	$1,720
29033	$1,120	$1,280	$1,390	$1,750	$1,990
29036	$1,470	$1,670	$1,820	$2,300	$2,610
29037	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29044	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29045	$1,130	$1,190	$1,330	$1,640	$1,980
29047	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29052	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29053	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29054	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29055	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29061	$1,080	$1,230	$1,340	$1,690	$1,980
29063	$1,360	$1,540	$1,680	$2,120	$2,400
29065	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29070	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29071	$950	$1,080	$1,180	$1,490	$1,720
29072	$1,150	$1,300	$1,420	$1,790	$2,030
29073	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29075	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29078	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29105	$890	$1,060	$1,170	$1,470	$1,770
29112	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29118	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29123	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29127	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29129	$770	$910	$1,000	$1,260	$1,510
29130	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29135	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29138	$810	$920	$1,000	$1,260	$1,430
29160	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29166	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29169	$960	$1,090	$1,190	$1,500	$1,720
29170	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29171	$950	$1,080	$1,180	$1,490	$1,720
29172	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29177	$1,440	$1,640	$1,780	$2,250	$2,560
29180	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29201	$1,330	$1,510	$1,640	$2,070	$2,350
29202	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29203	$970	$1,100	$1,200	$1,510	$1,720
29204	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29205	$1,030	$1,170	$1,270	$1,600	$1,820
29206	$1,160	$1,310	$1,430	$1,800	$2,050
29207	$1,040	$1,160	$1,270	$1,600	$1,840
29208	$1,330	$1,510	$1,640	$2,070	$2,350
29209	$1,080	$1,220	$1,330	$1,680	$1,900
29210	$1,040	$1,190	$1,290	$1,630	$1,850
29211	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29212	$1,160	$1,310	$1,430	$1,800	$2,050
29214	$990	$1,120	$1,220	$1,540	$1,750
29215	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29216	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29217	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29218	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29220	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29221	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29222	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29223	$1,070	$1,210	$1,320	$1,660	$1,890
29224	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29225	$1,330	$1,510	$1,640	$2,070	$2,350
29226	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29227	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29229	$1,330	$1,520	$1,650	$2,080	$2,390
29230	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29240	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29250	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29260	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29290	$1,020	$1,160	$1,260	$1,590	$1,800
29666	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720
29824	$810	$980	$1,080	$1,360	$1,650
29832	$770	$910	$1,010	$1,270	$1,530
29848	$930	$1,050	$1,150	$1,470	$1,720

Source: HUD FY2027 Small Area FMRs (effective October 1, 2026).

HUD income limits for Lexington County (FY2026)

Income limits decide who qualifies for Section 8 vouchers, public housing and most HUD-assisted units. The area median family income is $92,400 (FY2025: $92,700, −0.3%). Small figures under each limit show the change from FY2025.

Household size	1 person	2 people	3 people	4 people	5 people	6 people	7 people	8 people
Extremely low income (30%)	$19,400 −0.5%	$22,200 −0.2%	$27,320 +2.5%	$33,000 +2.6%	$38,680 +2.7%	$44,360 +2.8%	$50,040 +2.9%	$55,720 +2.9%
Very low income (50%)	$32,350 −0.3%	$37,000 −0.3%	$41,600 −0.4%	$46,200 −0.3%	$49,900 −0.4%	$53,600 −0.4%	$57,300 −0.3%	$61,000 −0.3%
Low income (80%)	$51,750 −0.4%	$59,150 −0.3%	$66,550 −0.3%	$73,900 −0.3%	$79,850 −0.3%	$85,750 −0.3%	$91,650 −0.3%	$97,550 −0.4%

The 30% limit is HUD's “extremely low income” limit: the higher of 30% of median income or the federal poverty guideline, but never above the 50% limit. That is why it can rise faster than 30% of median for larger households. Tax-credit (LIHTC) properties use separate Multifamily Tax Subsidy Project limits.

Source: HUD Section 8 Income Limits FY2026 (effective May 1, 2026) and FY2025, details.