Compare military bases / Fort Meade → Fort Irwin
Meade → Irwin
Compare Fort Meade and Fort Irwin
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Meade to Fort Irwin?
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 Meade
- $2,436
- Fort Irwin
- $1,695
- Lower BAH at Fort Irwin
BAH minus HUD 2-bedroom rent for the ZIP nearest each base.
- Fort Meade
- −$94/mo
- Fort Irwin
- −$435/mo
Housing just outside the gate: Fort Meade vs Barstow
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Meade Fort Meade 20755 | Fort Irwin Barstow 92312 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $-666,666,666 | $245,000 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $2,435/mo | $1,091 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,530/mo | $2,130 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,210/mo | $2,820 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,857/mo | $2,201 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$94/mo | −$435/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$309/mo | −$819/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$94/mo at Fort Meade vs −$435/mo at Fort Irwin. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$309/mo vs −$819/mo.
Host-state comparison: Maryland vs. California
| Maryland | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.00% | 8.99% |
| Property tax | 0.92% | 0.70% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 0.65% effective |
| Top state income tax | 6.5% | 13.3% |
| Median home value | $434,258 | $778,217 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,857 | $2,201 |
| Climate high/low | 67° / 46°F | 80° / 60°F |
| Annual precip | 45.0 in | 4.2 in |
| Nearby city | Fort Meade | Barstow |
| Host state | Maryland | California |
Click here for the full state comparison: Maryland → California
PCS checklist for Fort Irwin
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Irwin uses MHA CA028 (ZIP 92310).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Irwin is $2,201/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Irwin.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Irwin ($2,001 vs $2,901).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $245,000 in Barstow vs $-666,666,666 in Fort Meade (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,130 in 92312 vs $2,530 in 20755.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 6.5% in Maryland vs 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.99% in California vs 6% in Maryland.
Common questions
Can I PCS from Fort Meade to Fort Irwin?
This pair is listed because the installations share a tenant service (Army). Your actual orders depend on your MOS/AFSC/rating and the gaining unit.
How does BAH change from Fort Meade to Fort Irwin?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,901 vs $2,001; without dependents: $2,436 vs $1,695.
What is local rent like near Fort Irwin?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 92312 (Barstow) is $2,130/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,820/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $2,201/mo.
What do homes cost in Fort Meade vs Barstow?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $-666,666,666 in Fort Meade CDP, Maryland vs $245,000 in Barstow city, California. Median gross rent in those cities is $2,435 vs $1,091. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Meade to Fort Irwin?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$94/mo at Fort Meade vs −$435/mo at Fort Irwin. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$309/mo vs −$819/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 Meade to Fort Irwin?
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. Maryland: Top listed rate 6.5%. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
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 in the snapshot above BAH 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 Meade (MD133); Fort Irwin (CA028). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Anne Arundel County $1,857; San Bernardino County $2,201.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 20755 (Fort Meade) $2,530 / $3,210; 92312 (Barstow) $2,130 / $2,820.
- Off-base city home value and rent. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year 2020–2024 tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes) and B25064 (median gross rent) for Fort Meade CDP, Maryland ($-666,666,666, $2,435/mo) and Barstow city, California ($245,000, $1,091/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Baltimore-Washington Intl (NWS) (USW00093721); Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) (USW00023169).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Maryland and California 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 Maryland and California. 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 Maryland and California. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Maryland motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 60 days; title tax 6.00%); California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%). 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 Maryland and California. 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 Maryland and California. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.