To take home four times the typical rent, a full-time job in South Carolina needs to pay from $18.87 an hour in Lee County to $56.45 in Charleston County, before taxes. The middle county is Laurens County at $25.31.
| County | Pay needed | Studio rent |
|---|---|---|
| Abbeville County | $20.05/hr | $680/mo |
| Aiken County | $25.31/hr | $840/mo |
| Allendale County | $18.93/hr | $645/mo |
| Anderson County | $31.07/hr | $1,010/mo |
| Bamberg County | $19.09/hr | $650/mo |
| Barnwell County | $21.65/hr | $730/mo |
| Beaufort County | $56.07/hr | $1,665/mo |
| Berkeley County | $45.03/hr | $1,380/mo |
| Calhoun County | $30.46/hr | $992/mo |
| Charleston County | $56.45/hr | $1,675/mo |
| Cherokee County | $23.95/hr | $800/mo |
| Chester County | $30.91/hr | $1,005/mo |
| Chesterfield County | $20.21/hr | $685/mo |
| Clarendon County | $18.93/hr | $645/mo |
| Colleton County | $20.37/hr | $690/mo |
| Darlington County | $25.65/hr | $850/mo |
| Dillon County | $23.28/hr | $780/mo |
| Dorchester County | $36.01/hr | $1,150/mo |
| Edgefield County | $24.12/hr | $805/mo |
| Fairfield County | $28.36/hr | $930/mo |
| Florence County | $25.99/hr | $860/mo |
| Georgetown County | $24.63/hr | $820/mo |
| Greenville County | $39.54/hr | $1,240/mo |
| Greenwood County | $21.01/hr | $710/mo |
| Hampton County | $23.28/hr | $780/mo |
| Horry County | $34.85/hr | $1,120/mo |
| Jasper County | $44.25/hr | $1,360/mo |
| Kershaw County | $26.67/hr | $880/mo |
| Lancaster County | $25.99/hr | $860/mo |
| Laurens County | $25.31/hr | $840/mo |
| Lee County | $18.87/hr | $643/mo |
| Lexington County | $28.36/hr | $930/mo |
| Marion County | $20.37/hr | $690/mo |
| Marlboro County | $20.37/hr | $690/mo |
| McCormick County | $22.29/hr | $750/mo |
| Newberry County | $23.28/hr | $780/mo |
| Oconee County | $20.85/hr | $705/mo |
| Orangeburg County | $21.97/hr | $740/mo |
| Pickens County | $32.43/hr | $1,050/mo |
| Richland County | $33.11/hr | $1,070/mo |
| Saluda County | $30.46/hr | $992/mo |
| Spartanburg County | $32.09/hr | $1,040/mo |
| Sumter County | $27.68/hr | $910/mo |
| Union County | $22.61/hr | $760/mo |
| Williamsburg County | $20.05/hr | $680/mo |
| York County | $40.72/hr | $1,270/mo |
The Four Times Rent standard: a month of full-time work (160 hours) should take home at least four times the typical rent on a studio apartment in the county where the work is done. Rents: HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local income taxes plus Social Security and Medicare, for a single filer. Why four times rent?