Compare military bases / Camp Pendleton → MCAS Beaufort
Pendleton → MCAS Beaufort
Compare Camp Pendleton and MCAS Beaufort
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Camp Pendleton to MCAS Beaufort?
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 Pendleton
- $3,093
- MCAS Beaufort
- $2,103
- Lower BAH at MCAS Beaufort
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Camp Pendleton
- $253/mo left over
- MCAS Beaufort
- $463/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Oceanside vs Beaufort
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Camp Pendleton Oceanside 92054 | MCAS Beaufort Beaufort 29902 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $770,300 | $345,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $2,303/mo | $1,212 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,840/mo | $1,640 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,780/mo | $1,980 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $3,001/mo | $1,816 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$253/mo | +$463/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$183/mo | +$423/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$253/mo at Camp Pendleton vs +$463/mo at MCAS Beaufort. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$183/mo vs +$423/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. South Carolina
| California | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 7.49% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 0.49% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | Yes — 2.33% effective |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 6.0% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $307,843 |
| Branch | Marine Corps | Marine Corps |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $3,001 | $1,816 |
| Climate high/low | 71° / 58°F | 72° / 51°F |
| Annual precip | 9.8 in | 43.6 in |
| Nearby city | Oceanside | Beaufort |
| Host state | California | South Carolina |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → South Carolina
PCS checklist for MCAS Beaufort
- Update DEERS. BAH at MCAS Beaufort uses MHA SC258 (ZIP 29904).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near MCAS Beaufort is $1,816/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car.
- Reporting: MCAS Beaufort.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at MCAS Beaufort ($2,403 vs $3,963).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $345,400 in Beaufort vs $770,300 in Oceanside (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,640 in 29902 vs $2,840 in 92054.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Camp Pendleton to MCAS Beaufort?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $3,963 vs $2,403; without dependents: $3,093 vs $2,103.
What is local rent like near MCAS Beaufort?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 29902 (Beaufort) is $1,640/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,980/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,816/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Camp Pendleton to MCAS Beaufort?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$253/mo at Camp Pendleton vs +$463/mo at MCAS Beaufort. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$183/mo vs +$423/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 Pendleton to MCAS Beaufort?
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. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. 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 MCAS Beaufort?
New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
How does sales tax near MCAS Beaufort compare with Camp Pendleton?
Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 8.99% in California. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What do homes cost in Oceanside vs Beaufort?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $770,300 in Oceanside city, California vs $345,400 in Beaufort city, South Carolina. Median gross rent in those cities is $2,303 vs $1,212. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Related PCS
MCAS Beaufort → Camp Pendleton · Camp Pendleton → Camp Lejeune · Camp Pendleton → MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
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 Pendleton (CA024); MCAS Beaufort (SC258). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — San Diego County $3,001; Beaufort County $1,816.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 92054 (Oceanside) $2,840 / $3,780; 29902 (Beaufort) $1,640 / $1,980.
- 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 Oceanside city, California ($770,300, $2,303/mo) and Beaufort city, South Carolina ($345,400, $1,212/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — San Diego Intl (NWS) (USW00023188); Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and South Carolina 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 California and South Carolina. 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 California and South Carolina. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%); South Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 45 days; title tax 6.00%). 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 California and South Carolina. 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 California and South Carolina. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.