Compare military bases / Ellsworth Air Force Base → McConnell Air Force Base
Ellsworth → McConnell
Compare Ellsworth Air Force Base and McConnell Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Ellsworth Air Force Base to McConnell 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
- McConnell Air Force Base
- $1,212
- Lower BAH at McConnell Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Ellsworth Air Force Base
- $145/mo left over
- McConnell Air Force Base
- $222/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Rapid City vs Wichita
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 | McConnell Air Force Base Wichita 67216 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $299,400 | $190,800 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,109/mo | $975 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,400/mo | $990 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,860/mo | $1,300 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,273/mo | $1,099 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$145/mo | +$222/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$126/mo | +$77/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$145/mo at Ellsworth Air Force Base vs +$222/mo at McConnell Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$126/mo vs +$77/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Dakota vs. Kansas
| South Dakota | Kansas | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.11% | 8.69% |
| Property tax | 1.00% | 1.21% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 1.93% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 5.58% |
| Median home value | $322,999 | $248,965 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,273 | $1,099 |
| Climate high/low | 60° / 34°F | 69° / 46°F |
| Annual precip | 17.4 in | 34.3 in |
| Nearby city | Rapid City | Wichita |
| Host state | South Dakota | Kansas |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Dakota → Kansas
PCS checklist for McConnell Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at McConnell Air Force Base uses MHA KS101 (ZIP 67221).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near McConnell Air Force Base is $1,099/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Kansas residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: McConnell Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at McConnell Air Force Base ($1,377 vs $1,986).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $190,800 in Wichita vs $299,400 in Rapid City (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $990 in 67216 vs $1,400 in 57719.
- Host-state wage tax is No personal income tax in South Dakota vs Top listed rate 5.58% in Kansas (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.69% in Kansas vs 6.11% in South Dakota.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Ellsworth Air Force Base to McConnell 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 $1,377; without dependents: $1,545 vs $1,212.
What is local rent like near McConnell Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 67216 (Wichita) is $990/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,300/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,099/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Ellsworth Air Force Base to McConnell Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$145/mo at Ellsworth Air Force Base vs +$222/mo at McConnell Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$126/mo vs +$77/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 Ellsworth Air Force Base to McConnell 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. South Dakota: No personal income tax. Kansas: Top listed rate 5.58%. 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 McConnell Air Force Base?
New Kansas residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 90 days in South Dakota).
How does sales tax near McConnell Air Force Base compare with Ellsworth Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 8.69% in Kansas vs 6.11% in South Dakota. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What do homes cost in Rapid City vs Wichita?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $299,400 in Rapid City city, South Dakota vs $190,800 in Wichita city, Kansas. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,109 vs $975. 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); McConnell Air Force Base (KS101). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Meade County $1,273; Sedgwick County $1,099.
- 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; 67216 (Wichita) $990 / $1,300.
- 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 Wichita city, Kansas ($190,800, $975/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Rapid City Regional (NWS) (USW00024090); Wichita (NWS) (USW00003928).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Dakota and Kansas 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 Kansas. 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 Kansas. 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%); Kansas motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.50%). 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 South Dakota and Kansas. 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 Kansas. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.