Compare military bases / Fort Irwin → Carlisle Barracks
Irwin → Carlisle
Compare Fort Irwin and Carlisle Barracks
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Irwin to Carlisle Barracks?
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.
- Fort Irwin
- $1,695
- Carlisle Barracks
- $1,617
- Lower BAH at Carlisle Barracks
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Irwin
- $435/mo short
- Carlisle Barracks
- $127/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Barstow vs Carlisle
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Irwin Barstow 92312 | Carlisle Barracks Carlisle 17015 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $245,000 | $224,100 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,091/mo | $1,094 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,130/mo | $1,490 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,820/mo | $1,920 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,201/mo | $1,493 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$435/mo | +$127/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$819/mo | +$156/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$435/mo at Fort Irwin vs +$127/mo at Carlisle Barracks. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$819/mo vs +$156/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. Pennsylvania
| California | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 6.34% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 1.26% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 3.07% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $288,697 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $2,201 | $1,493 |
| Climate high/low | 80° / 60°F | 64° / 45°F |
| Annual precip | 4.2 in | 44.2 in |
| Nearby city | Barstow | Carlisle |
| Host state | California | Pennsylvania |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → Pennsylvania
PCS checklist for Carlisle Barracks
- Update DEERS. BAH at Carlisle Barracks uses MHA PA247 (ZIP 17013).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Carlisle Barracks is $1,493/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Pennsylvania residents typically have 60 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Carlisle Barracks.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Carlisle Barracks ($2,076 vs $2,001).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $224,100 in Carlisle vs $245,000 in Barstow (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,490 in 17015 vs $2,130 in 92312.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs Flat 3.07% (local earned-income tax extra) in Pennsylvania (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6.34% in Pennsylvania vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Irwin to Carlisle Barracks?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,001 vs $2,076; without dependents: $1,695 vs $1,617.
What is local rent like near Carlisle Barracks?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 17015 (Carlisle) is $1,490/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,920/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,493/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Irwin to Carlisle Barracks?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$435/mo at Fort Irwin vs +$127/mo at Carlisle Barracks. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$819/mo vs +$156/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 Fort Irwin to Carlisle Barracks?
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). Pennsylvania: Flat 3.07% (local earned-income tax extra). BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Carlisle Barracks compare with Fort Irwin?
Combined sales tax averages 6.34% in Pennsylvania vs 8.99% in California. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Fort Irwin to Carlisle Barracks?
Annual normals at Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) are 80° / 60°F and 4.2 in of precipitation vs 64° / 45°F and 44.2 in at Harrisburg Intl (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Carlisle Barracks?
New Pennsylvania residents typically have 60 days for a license and 20 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
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 Fort Irwin (CA028); Carlisle Barracks (PA247). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — San Bernardino County $2,201; Cumberland County $1,493.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 92312 (Barstow) $2,130 / $2,820; 17015 (Carlisle) $1,490 / $1,920.
- 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 Barstow city, California ($245,000, $1,091/mo) and Carlisle borough, Pennsylvania ($224,100, $1,094/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) (USW00023169); Harrisburg Intl (NWS) (USW00014711).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and Pennsylvania 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 Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania. 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%); Pennsylvania motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 20 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 Pennsylvania. 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 Pennsylvania. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.