Compare military bases / Fort Irwin → Fort Meade
Irwin → Meade
Compare Fort Irwin and Fort Meade
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Irwin to Fort Meade?
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
- Fort Meade
- $2,436
- Higher BAH at Fort Meade
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Irwin
- $435/mo short
- Fort Meade
- $94/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Barstow vs Fort Meade
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 | Fort Meade Fort Meade 20755 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $245,000 | $-666,666,666 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,091/mo | $2,435 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,130/mo | $2,530 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,820/mo | $3,210 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,201/mo | $1,857 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$435/mo | −$94/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$819/mo | −$309/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$435/mo at Fort Irwin vs −$94/mo at Fort Meade. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$819/mo vs −$309/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. Maryland
| California | Maryland | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 6.00% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 0.92% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 6.5% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $434,258 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $2,201 | $1,857 |
| Climate high/low | 80° / 60°F | 67° / 46°F |
| Annual precip | 4.2 in | 45.0 in |
| Nearby city | Barstow | Fort Meade |
| Host state | California | Maryland |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → Maryland
PCS checklist for Fort Meade
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Meade uses MHA MD133 (ZIP 20755).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Meade is $1,857/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Maryland residents typically have 60 days for a license and 60 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Meade.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Meade ($2,901 vs $2,001).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $-666,666,666 in Fort Meade vs $245,000 in Barstow (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,530 in 20755 vs $2,130 in 92312.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs Top listed rate 6.5% in Maryland (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6% in Maryland vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Irwin to Fort Meade?
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 $2,901; without dependents: $1,695 vs $2,436.
What do homes cost in Barstow vs Fort Meade?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $245,000 in Barstow city, California vs $-666,666,666 in Fort Meade CDP, Maryland. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,091 vs $2,435. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Fort Meade?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 20755 (Fort Meade) is $2,530/mo for a 2-bedroom and $3,210/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,857/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Irwin to Fort Meade?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$435/mo at Fort Irwin vs −$94/mo at Fort Meade. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$819/mo vs −$309/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 Fort Meade?
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). Maryland: Top listed rate 6.5%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort Meade compare with Fort Irwin?
Combined sales tax averages 6% in Maryland vs 8.99% in California. 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 Fort Meade?
New Maryland residents typically have 60 days for a license and 60 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); Fort Meade (MD133). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — San Bernardino County $2,201; Anne Arundel County $1,857.
- 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; 20755 (Fort Meade) $2,530 / $3,210.
- 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, $1,091/mo) and Fort Meade CDP, Maryland ($-666,666,666, $2,435/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) (USW00023169); Baltimore-Washington Intl (NWS) (USW00093721).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and Maryland 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 Maryland. 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 Maryland. 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%); Maryland motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 60 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 Maryland. 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 Maryland. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.