Compare military bases / Camp Lejeune → Camp Pendleton
Lejeune → Pendleton
Compare Camp Lejeune and Camp Pendleton
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Camp Lejeune to Camp Pendleton?
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.
- Camp Lejeune
- $1,476
- Camp Pendleton
- $3,093
- Higher BAH at Camp Pendleton
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Camp Lejeune
- $306/mo left over
- Camp Pendleton
- $253/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Jacksonville vs Oceanside
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Camp Lejeune Jacksonville 28541 | Camp Pendleton Oceanside 92054 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $210,100 | $770,300 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,321/mo | $2,303 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,170/mo | $2,840 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,630/mo | $3,780 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,173/mo | $3,001 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$306/mo | +$253/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$46/mo | +$183/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$306/mo at Camp Lejeune vs +$253/mo at Camp Pendleton. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$46/mo vs +$183/mo.
Host-state comparison: North Carolina vs. California
| North Carolina | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.00% | 8.99% |
| Property tax | 0.66% | 0.70% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 1.10% effective | Yes — 0.65% effective |
| Top state income tax | 3.99% | 13.3% |
| Median home value | $339,594 | $778,217 |
| Branch | Marine Corps | Marine Corps |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,173 | $3,001 |
| Climate high/low | 65° / 46°F | 71° / 58°F |
| Annual precip | 45.3 in | 9.8 in |
| Nearby city | Jacksonville | Oceanside |
| Host state | North Carolina | California |
Click here for the full state comparison: North Carolina → California
PCS checklist for Camp Pendleton
- Update DEERS. BAH at Camp Pendleton uses MHA CA024 (ZIP 92055).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Camp Pendleton is $3,001/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Camp Pendleton.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Camp Pendleton ($3,963 vs $1,584).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $770,300 in Oceanside vs $210,100 in Jacksonville (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,840 in 92054 vs $1,170 in 28541.
- Host-state wage tax is Flat 3.99% in North Carolina 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% in North Carolina.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Camp Lejeune to Camp Pendleton?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,584 vs $3,963; without dependents: $1,476 vs $3,093.
What do homes cost in Jacksonville vs Oceanside?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $210,100 in Jacksonville city, North Carolina vs $770,300 in Oceanside city, California. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,321 vs $2,303. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Camp Pendleton?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 92054 (Oceanside) is $2,840/mo for a 2-bedroom and $3,780/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $3,001/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Camp Lejeune to Camp Pendleton?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$306/mo at Camp Lejeune vs +$253/mo at Camp Pendleton. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$46/mo vs +$183/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 Camp Lejeune to Camp Pendleton?
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. North Carolina: Flat 3.99%. 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 Camp Pendleton?
New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car (60 and 60 days in North Carolina).
How does sales tax near Camp Pendleton compare with Camp Lejeune?
Combined sales tax averages 8.99% in California vs 7% in North Carolina. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Related PCS
Camp Pendleton → Camp Lejeune · Camp Pendleton → Camp Lejeune · Camp Pendleton → MCAGCC Twentynine Palms · Camp Lejeune → MCAS Cherry Point
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 Camp Lejeune (NC178); Camp Pendleton (CA024). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Onslow County $1,173; San Diego County $3,001.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 28541 (Jacksonville) $1,170 / $1,630; 92054 (Oceanside) $2,840 / $3,780.
- 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 Jacksonville city, North Carolina ($210,100, $1,321/mo) and Oceanside city, California ($770,300, $2,303/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — New Bern (NWS) (USW00013781); San Diego Intl (NWS) (USW00023188).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for North Carolina 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina and California. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. North Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 60 days; title tax 3.00%); 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina and California. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.