Rents are 6% below what Greenville'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 $1,564 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
December. Asking rents in Greenville usually run 0.9% below trend in December and 1.1% above it in July, about $31 a month apart at today's median. Based on 11 years of data.
Rent in Greenville is at its highest level since Zillow's records here began in January 2015.
Rent in Greenville changed +3.1% over the year to September 2026. Across the 54 South Carolina cities Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.1%.
From 2019 to 2024, rent in Greenville rose 33.5% while median household income rose 26.3% ($56,609 to $71,472). Rent outpaced income.
Rent in Greenville is 37% higher than in March 2020. Across the US, rent is up 37.3% over the same stretch.
Rent has risen 8 months in a row, and rose in 8 of the last 12 months.
30% of the median household income ($71,472) is $1,787 a month. That covers HUD's Fair Market Rent for up to a 3-bedroom ($1,667); a 4-bedroom is $1,996.
The priciest of 7 ZIP codes in Greenville, 29601 ($1,825/mo), costs 31% more than the cheapest, 29615 ($1,393/mo).
Mauldin, 7 miles away, rents for 13% less ($1,368/mo), about $2,400 a year in savings.
From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for Greenville. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. 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
Greenville, SC is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, 55.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates
How Greenville, SC has changed in 5 years
Across the past five years, the going rent in Greenville, SC has shifted from $1,202 to $1,564, up 30.1% since 2021. Census figures show median household income at $71,472 today, compared with $60,388 five years earlier. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show Greenville, SC adding about 3,210 residents over the five-year window, up 4.6% on net. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 52.5% to 55.5% across the same window. The combined trend lines point to a market that has changed measurably from where it stood in early 2021.
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At $1,564/mo, how Greenville rent compares to typical pay (30% rule).
Greenville rent by bedroom count
Median rent for each apartment size in Greenville. Click any size for full breakdown.
Tips for renters in Greenville
Last updated: October 17, 2026
The median rent in Greenville is $1,564/mo as of October 2026. A studio apartment averages $1,181/mo while a 2-bedroom runs $1,361/mo. One-bedroom apartments average $1,227/mo and 3-bedroom units go for $1,667/mo.
At 26% of local median household income ($71,472/yr), Greenville ranks as affordable compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have increased 3.1% over the past year.
Frequently asked questions
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How does Greenville rent compare to other cities in South Carolina?
At $1,564/mo, rent takes ~26% of Greenville's median household income ($71,472/yr). The standard benchmark is 30%.
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Estimated from ZIP-level data
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