Compare military bases / Buckley Space Force Base → Travis Air Force Base
Buckley → Travis
Compare Buckley Space Force Base and Travis Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Buckley Space Force Base to Travis Air Force Base?
This calculator uses 2026 DTMO (Defense Travel Management Office) rates for selected pay grade and dependent status.
Monthly BAH at E-5 pay grade without dependents.
- Buckley Space Force Base
- $2,148
- Travis Air Force Base
- $2,664
- Higher BAH at Travis Air Force Base
BAH minus HUD 2-bedroom rent for the ZIP nearest each base.
- Buckley Space Force Base
- +$168/mo
- Travis Air Force Base
- +$484/mo
Housing just outside the gate: Aurora vs Fairfield
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Buckley Space Force Base Aurora 80040 | Travis Air Force Base Fairfield 94533 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $469,100 | $624,300 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,835/mo | $2,266 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,980/mo | $2,180 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,590/mo | $2,920 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,089/mo | $2,178 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$168/mo | +$484/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$251/mo | +$449/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$168/mo at Buckley Space Force Base vs +$484/mo at Travis Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$251/mo vs +$449/mo.
Host-state comparison: Colorado vs. California
| Colorado | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.89% | 8.99% |
| Property tax | 0.50% | 0.70% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 1.79% effective | Yes — 0.65% effective |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 13.3% |
| Median home value | $548,480 | $778,217 |
| Branch | Space Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $2,089 | $2,178 |
| Climate high/low | 65° / 37°F | 75° / 49°F |
| Annual precip | 14.5 in | 18.1 in |
| Nearby city | Aurora | Fairfield |
| Host state | Colorado | California |
Click here for the full state comparison: Colorado → California
PCS checklist for Travis Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Travis Air Force Base uses MHA CA036 (ZIP 94535).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Travis Air Force Base is $2,178/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Travis Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Travis Air Force Base ($3,369 vs $2,841).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $624,300 in Fairfield vs $469,100 in Aurora (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,180 in 94533 vs $1,980 in 80040.
- Buckley Space Force Base is labeled Space Force; Travis Air Force Base is Air Force. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Flat 4.4% in Colorado vs 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.99% in California vs 7.89% in Colorado.
Common questions
Can I PCS from Buckley Space Force Base to Travis Air Force Base?
This pair is listed because the installations share a tenant service (Air Force). Your actual orders depend on your MOS/AFSC/rating and the gaining unit.
How does BAH change from Buckley Space Force Base to Travis Air Force Base?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,841 vs $3,369; without dependents: $2,148 vs $2,664.
What is local rent like near Travis Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 94533 (Fairfield) is $2,180/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,920/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $2,178/mo.
What do homes cost in Aurora vs Fairfield?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $469,100 in Aurora city, Colorado vs $624,300 in Fairfield city, California. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,835 vs $2,266. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Buckley Space Force Base to Travis Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$168/mo at Buckley Space Force Base vs +$484/mo at Travis Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$251/mo vs +$449/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
Does my state income tax change if I PCS from Buckley Space Force Base to Travis Air Force Base?
Usually not just because the duty station changes. Military pay generally follows legal residence under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; spouses may have similar protection. Colorado: Flat 4.4%. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Related PCS
Your PCS
Only destinations that share a service with the origin are listed.
Sources
Housing figures below are for the installation (MHA, HUD rent, climate). Host-state tax rates in the snapshot above BAH are statewide averages — not a tax return. County add-ons can differ, and wage tax on military pay follows legal residence, not the duty station.
- BAH (with and without dependents). DTMO CY2026 BAH tables for Buckley Space Force Base (CO045); Travis Air Force Base (CA036). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Arapahoe County $2,089; Solano County $2,178.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 80040 (Aurora) $1,980 / $2,590; 94533 (Fairfield) $2,180 / $2,920.
- Off-base city home value and rent. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year 2020–2024 tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes) and B25064 (median gross rent) for Aurora city, Colorado ($469,100, $1,835/mo) and Fairfield city, California ($624,300, $2,266/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Denver Intl (NWS) (USW00003017); Sacramento Intl (NWS) (USW00023232).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Colorado and California from the Tax Foundation 2026 individual income-tax tables. On this page they describe the host state, not automatically the tax on a military LES (legal residence can stay put). BAH is untaxed.
- Combined sales tax near the installation. Tax Foundation January 2026 state-and-local sales-tax averages for Colorado and California. Used as an off-base shopping stand-in; city and county add-ons vary.
- Effective property tax if you buy off-base. Tax Foundation 2026 property taxes by state for Colorado and California. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Colorado motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 90 days; title tax 2.90%); California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%). These are host-state motor-vehicle rules, not BAH.
- Vehicle personal-property tax on the host-state snapshot. WalletHub 2026 vehicle property-tax table for Colorado and California. This is a statewide car-tax flag, not real-estate tax and not BAH.
- Statewide median home value on the host-state snapshot. Experian / Zillow March 2026 state medians for Colorado and California. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.