WHAT THE STATE DISTRIBUTION SAYSWithin the 27 current published direct-evidence ZIP reports defining this South Carolina distribution, the latest Zillow ZORI asking-rent index runs from $1,161 to $2,708, a $1,547 spread around a $1,696 median. That range is the practical starting point: whether a household’s budget can accommodate the current asking-rent level in a particular reported ZIP, rather than a statewide figure. Zillow ZORI is an observed asking-rent index, and this distribution does not represent every ZIP, neighborhood, listing, or rental property. The direct evidence is current published ZIP reporting only, so apparent statewide bounds are report-scope bounds. It is best used to frame a ZIP-specific search, income threshold, and tolerance for variation rather than to create a universal state rent.
Current asking-rent affordability and renter burden point to related but noninterchangeable questions. The asking-rent-to-income screen ranges from 18.6% to 62.4%, with a 26.3% median; it compares the direct Zillow asking-rent measure with reported ACS ZCTA median household income. The ACS five-year survey estimate for the share of renter households spending 30% or more of income on rent instead ranges from 38.2% to 62.0%, median 51.1%. For a useful counter-signal, ZIP 29072 pairs an 18.6% screen with a 38.2% burden share, while ZIP 29466 shows 24.4% and 62.0%, respectively. The measures can inform budget context and renter-household burden context, but neither substitutes for the other.
The direct monthly Zillow series likewise separates direction from steadiness. One-year rent growth spans a 3.9% decline to a 5.6% increase, while the median is 2.1%; a single pace measure obscures these opposing recent readings. Annualized volatility ranges from 2.4% to 4.7%, with a 3.0% median, and maximum drawdowns record the largest declines from prior series peaks. ZIP 29483 illustrates stronger recent momentum with comparatively low volatility, whereas ZIP 29492 couples positive one-year growth with the highest volatility and a 5.8% maximum drawdown. Those measures describe historical movement in the index, not a forecast or a claim about an individual rental.
HUD adds a different decision benchmark, not a second asking-rent observation. The ZIP comparisons here place Zillow’s current index at 89.3% to 155.6% of the applicable HUD two-bedroom FMR/SAFMR, with a 119.5% median. That comparison is useful for seeing how this index aligns with an administrative bedroom standard, but it does not establish the rent of a two-bedroom listing or a tenant’s eligibility. It should be read alongside—not merged with—the Zillow series and ACS ZCTA estimates. No measure in this packet supports conclusions about a property’s condition, unit features, quality, safety, schools, amenities, investment merit, or future rent. It also cannot identify an individual unit’s bedroom count, lease terms, or current availability.
