Compare military bases / Dover Air Force Base → Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dover → Wright-Patt
Compare Dover Air Force Base and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Dover Air Force Base to Wright-Patterson 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.
- Dover Air Force Base
- $1,947
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- $1,341
- Lower BAH at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Dover Air Force Base
- $477/mo left over
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- $59/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Dover vs Dayton
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Dover Air Force Base Dover 19903 | Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Dayton 45424 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $258,900 | $100,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,344/mo | $918 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,470/mo | $1,400 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,040/mo | $1,820 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,470/mo | $1,273 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$477/mo | −$59/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$237/mo | −$170/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$477/mo at Dover Air Force Base vs −$59/mo at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$237/mo vs −$170/mo.
Host-state comparison: Delaware vs. Ohio
| Delaware | Ohio | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 0.00% | 7.29% |
| Property tax | 0.54% | 1.36% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 6.6% | 2.75% |
| Median home value | $410,545 | $247,931 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,470 | $1,273 |
| Climate high/low | 65° / 47°F | 59° / 42°F |
| Annual precip | 44.1 in | 29.9 in |
| Nearby city | Dover | Dayton |
| Host state | Delaware | Ohio |
PCS checklist for Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base uses MHA OH231 (ZIP 45433).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is $1,273/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Ohio residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base ($1,650 vs $2,277).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $100,600 in Dayton vs $258,900 in Dover (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,400 in 45424 vs $1,470 in 19903.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 6.6% in Delaware vs Top listed rate 2.75% in Ohio (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.29% in Ohio vs 0% in Delaware.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Dover Air Force Base to Wright-Patterson 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: $2,277 vs $1,650; without dependents: $1,947 vs $1,341.
How does sales tax near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base compare with Dover Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 7.29% in Ohio vs 0% in Delaware. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What is local rent like near Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 45424 (Dayton) is $1,400/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,820/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,273/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Dover Air Force Base to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$477/mo at Dover Air Force Base vs −$59/mo at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$237/mo vs −$170/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 Dover Air Force Base to Wright-Patterson 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. Delaware: Top listed rate 6.6%. Ohio: Top listed rate 2.75%. 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 Wright-Patterson Air Force Base?
New Ohio residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (60 and 60 days in Delaware).
What do homes cost in Dover vs Dayton?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $258,900 in Dover city, Delaware vs $100,600 in Dayton city, Ohio. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,344 vs $918. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
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 Dover Air Force Base (DE054); Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (OH231). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Kent County $1,470; Greene County $1,273.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 19903 (Dover) $1,470 / $2,040; 45424 (Dayton) $1,400 / $1,820.
- 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 Dover city, Delaware ($258,900, $1,344/mo) and Dayton city, Ohio ($100,600, $918/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Philadelphia Intl (NWS) (USW00013739); Dayton Intl (NWS) (USW00014822).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Delaware and Ohio 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 Delaware and Ohio. 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 Delaware and Ohio. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Delaware motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 60 days; title tax 4.25%); Ohio motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.75%). 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 Delaware and Ohio. 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 Delaware and Ohio. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.