Compare military bases / Buckley Space Force Base → Vandenberg Space Force Base
Buckley → Vandenberg
Compare Buckley Space Force Base and Vandenberg Space Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Buckley Space Force Base to Vandenberg Space 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
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- $2,778
- Higher BAH at Vandenberg Space Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Buckley Space Force Base
- $168/mo left over
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- $48/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Aurora vs Lompoc
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 | Vandenberg Space Force Base Lompoc 93436 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $469,100 | $472,900 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,835/mo | $1,589 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,980/mo | $2,730 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,590/mo | $3,610 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,089/mo | $3,124 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$168/mo | +$48/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$251/mo | −$277/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$168/mo at Buckley Space Force Base vs +$48/mo at Vandenberg Space Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$251/mo vs −$277/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 | Space Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $2,089 | $3,124 |
| Climate high/low | 65° / 37°F | 70° / 48°F |
| Annual precip | 14.5 in | 13.3 in |
| Nearby city | Aurora | Lompoc |
| Host state | Colorado | California |
Click here for the full state comparison: Colorado → California
PCS checklist for Vandenberg Space Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Vandenberg Space Force Base uses MHA CA026 (ZIP 93437).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Vandenberg Space Force Base is $3,124/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Vandenberg Space Force Base ($3,333 vs $2,841).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $472,900 in Lompoc vs $469,100 in Aurora (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,730 in 93436 vs $1,980 in 80040.
- 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
Does BAH go up from Buckley Space Force Base to Vandenberg Space 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 $3,333; without dependents: $2,148 vs $2,778.
What is local rent like near Vandenberg Space Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 93436 (Lompoc) is $2,730/mo for a 2-bedroom and $3,610/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $3,124/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Buckley Space Force Base to Vandenberg Space Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$168/mo at Buckley Space Force Base vs +$48/mo at Vandenberg Space Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$251/mo vs −$277/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 Vandenberg Space 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.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Vandenberg Space Force Base?
New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car (30 and 90 days in Colorado).
How does sales tax near Vandenberg Space Force Base compare with Buckley Space Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 8.99% in California vs 7.89% in Colorado. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
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 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); Vandenberg Space Force Base (CA026). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Arapahoe County $2,089; Santa Barbara County $3,124.
- 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; 93436 (Lompoc) $2,730 / $3,610.
- 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 Lompoc city, California ($472,900, $1,589/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Denver Intl (NWS) (USW00003017); Santa Maria Public (NWS) (USW00023273).
- 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.