Compare military bases / Ellsworth Air Force Base → Dyess Air Force Base
Ellsworth → Dyess
Compare Ellsworth Air Force Base and Dyess Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Dyess 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.
- Ellsworth Air Force Base
- $1,545
- Dyess Air Force Base
- $1,545
- Same BAH
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Ellsworth Air Force Base
- $145/mo left over
- Dyess Air Force Base
- $185/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Rapid City vs Abilene
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Ellsworth Air Force Base Rapid City 57719 | Dyess Air Force Base Abilene 79605 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $299,400 | $183,700 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,109/mo | $1,157 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,400/mo | $1,360 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,860/mo | $1,760 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,273/mo | $1,276 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$145/mo | +$185/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$126/mo | +$112/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$145/mo at Ellsworth Air Force Base vs +$185/mo at Dyess Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$126/mo vs +$112/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Dakota vs. Texas
| South Dakota | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.11% | 8.20% |
| Property tax | 1.00% | 1.40% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $322,999 | $304,099 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,273 | $1,276 |
| Climate high/low | 60° / 34°F | 78° / 54°F |
| Annual precip | 17.4 in | 25.2 in |
| Nearby city | Rapid City | Abilene |
| Host state | South Dakota | Texas |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Dakota → Texas
PCS checklist for Dyess Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Dyess Air Force Base uses MHA TX270 (ZIP 79607).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Dyess Air Force Base is $1,276/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Texas residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Dyess Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Dyess Air Force Base ($1,872 vs $1,986).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $183,700 in Abilene vs $299,400 in Rapid City (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,360 in 79605 vs $1,400 in 57719.
- Combined sales tax averages 8.2% in Texas vs 6.11% in South Dakota.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Dyess 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: $1,986 vs $1,872; without dependents: $1,545 vs $1,545.
What is local rent like near Dyess Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 79605 (Abilene) is $1,360/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,760/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,276/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Dyess Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$145/mo at Ellsworth Air Force Base vs +$185/mo at Dyess Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$126/mo vs +$112/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
How does sales tax near Dyess Air Force Base compare with Ellsworth Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 8.2% in Texas vs 6.11% in South Dakota. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Dyess Air Force Base?
New Texas residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 90 days in South Dakota).
How different is the climate from Ellsworth Air Force Base to Dyess Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Rapid City Regional (NWS) are 60° / 34°F and 17.4 in of precipitation vs 78° / 54°F and 25.2 in at Abilene Regional (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
What do homes cost in Rapid City vs Abilene?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $299,400 in Rapid City city, South Dakota vs $183,700 in Abilene city, Texas. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,109 vs $1,157. 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 Ellsworth Air Force Base (SD264); Dyess Air Force Base (TX270). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Meade County $1,273; Taylor County $1,276.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 57719 (Rapid City) $1,400 / $1,860; 79605 (Abilene) $1,360 / $1,760.
- 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 Rapid City city, South Dakota ($299,400, $1,109/mo) and Abilene city, Texas ($183,700, $1,157/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Rapid City Regional (NWS) (USW00024090); Abilene Regional (NWS) (USW00013962).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Dakota and Texas 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 South Dakota and Texas. 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 South Dakota and Texas. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. South Dakota motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 90 days; title tax 4.20%); Texas motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%). 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 South Dakota and Texas. 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 South Dakota and Texas. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.