Compare military bases / Edwards Air Force Base → Altus Air Force Base
Edwards → Altus
Compare Edwards Air Force Base and Altus Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Edwards Air Force Base to Altus 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.
- Edwards Air Force Base
- $2,148
- Altus Air Force Base
- $1,032
- Lower BAH at Altus Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Edwards Air Force Base
- $72/mo short
- Altus Air Force Base
- $92/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Edwards AFB vs Altus
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Edwards Air Force Base Edwards AFB 93523 | Altus Air Force Base Altus 73522 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $-666,666,666 | $152,200 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $2,457/mo | $854 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,220/mo | $940 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,090/mo | $1,290 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,483/mo | $937 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$72/mo | +$92/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$432/mo | −$36/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$72/mo at Edwards Air Force Base vs +$92/mo at Altus Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$432/mo vs −$36/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. Oklahoma
| California | Oklahoma | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 9.06% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 0.79% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 4.5% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $223,346 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,483 | $937 |
| Climate high/low | 78° / 54°F | 69° / 42°F |
| Annual precip | 6.4 in | 22.0 in |
| Nearby city | Edwards | Altus |
| Host state | California | Oklahoma |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → Oklahoma
PCS checklist for Altus Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Altus Air Force Base uses MHA OK235 (ZIP 73523).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Altus Air Force Base is $937/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Oklahoma residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Altus Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Altus Air Force Base ($1,254 vs $2,658).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $152,200 in Altus vs $-666,666,666 in Edwards AFB (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $940 in 73522 vs $2,220 in 93523.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs Top listed rate 4.5% in Oklahoma (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 9.06% in Oklahoma vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Edwards Air Force Base to Altus 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: $2,658 vs $1,254; without dependents: $2,148 vs $1,032.
What do homes cost in Edwards AFB vs Altus?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $-666,666,666 in Edwards AFB CDP, California vs $152,200 in Altus city, Oklahoma. Median gross rent in those cities is $2,457 vs $854. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Altus Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 73522 (Altus) is $940/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,290/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $937/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Edwards Air Force Base to Altus Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$72/mo at Edwards Air Force Base vs +$92/mo at Altus Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$432/mo vs −$36/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 Edwards Air Force Base to Altus 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. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). Oklahoma: Top listed rate 4.5%. 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 Altus Air Force Base?
New Oklahoma residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
How different is the climate from Edwards Air Force Base to Altus Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Edwards AFB (NWS) are 78° / 54°F and 6.4 in of precipitation vs 69° / 42°F and 22.0 in at Lawton (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
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 Edwards Air Force Base (CA457); Altus Air Force Base (OK235). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Kern County $1,483; Jackson County $937.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 93523 (Edwards AFB) $2,220 / $3,090; 73522 (Altus) $940 / $1,290.
- Off-base city home value and rent. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year 2020–2024 tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes) and B25064 (median gross rent) for Edwards AFB CDP, California ($-666,666,666, $2,457/mo) and Altus city, Oklahoma ($152,200, $854/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Edwards AFB (NWS) (USW00023155); Lawton (NWS) (USW00013985).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and Oklahoma 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 Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma. 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%); Oklahoma motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 4.50%). 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 Oklahoma. 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 Oklahoma. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.