Rents are 7% below what Beaufort's 10-year trend predicts — a better deal than its own history suggests.
Rent by unit size
These are HUD Fair Market Rents, the payment standard for a Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8). They often differ from the $1,759 market median above, and that is expected: FMR is the 40th percentile of standard-quality units and counts gross rent, so it includes essential utilities such as electricity, water, gas, sewer, and trash. The market median is asking rent, which usually excludes utilities. HUD sets FMR once a year; market rent here updates monthly.
Source: HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents. Read the methodology →
12-month history
Last updated: October 17, 2026
What the numbers show
Rent in Beaufort is 2.1% below its high of $1,796 in January 2025, at $1,759 as of September 2026.
Rent in Beaufort changed -1.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 54 South Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.1%.
Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($61,220) is $1,531 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a studio ($1,517); a 1-bedroom is $1,573.
The priciest of 3 ZIP codes in Beaufort, 29907 ($2,050/mo), costs 19% more than the cheapest, 29902 ($1,726/mo).
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Beaufort. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.
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Who lives here
Beaufort, SC is majority owner-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 39.6% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Beaufort, SC has changed in 5 years
Compared with 2023, rent in Beaufort, SC has climbed by $6 per month, settling near $1,759 after starting the period at $1,753. Census figures show median household income at $61,220 today, compared with $53,653 five years earlier. Income growth outran rent by about 13.8 percentage points, easing the affordability math somewhat compared with 2021. Headcount in the area went from 12,899 to 13,747 between 2021 and 2024, a 6.6% change. About 38.5% of households rent today, against 43.4% in 2021. Educational attainment has shifted as well, with the share of adults holding a bachelor's degree or higher climbed from 34.7% to 39.6%. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2023.
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At $1,759/mo, how Beaufort rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Beaufort rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Beaufort. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Beaufort
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Beaufort is $1,759/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,517/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,743/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,573/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $2,103/mo.
At 34% of local median household income ($61,220/yr), Beaufort ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 1.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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Which nearby cities are cheaper to rent in than Beaufort?
At $1,759/mo, rent takes ~34% of Beaufort's median household income ($61,220/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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