Compare military bases / Hurlburt Field → Ellsworth Air Force Base
Hurlburt → Ellsworth
Compare Hurlburt Field and Ellsworth Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Hurlburt Field to Ellsworth 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.
- Hurlburt Field
- $2,157
- Ellsworth Air Force Base
- $1,545
- Lower BAH at Ellsworth Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Hurlburt Field
- $447/mo left over
- Ellsworth Air Force Base
- $145/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Mary Esther vs Rapid City
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Hurlburt Field Mary Esther 32569 | Ellsworth Air Force Base Rapid City 57719 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $298,900 | $299,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,699/mo | $1,109 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,710/mo | $1,400 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,350/mo | $1,860 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,785/mo | $1,273 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$447/mo | +$145/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$83/mo | +$126/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$447/mo at Hurlburt Field vs +$145/mo at Ellsworth Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$83/mo vs +$126/mo.
Host-state comparison: Florida vs. South Dakota
| Florida | South Dakota | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.98% | 6.11% |
| Property tax | 0.78% | 1.00% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $378,667 | $322,999 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,785 | $1,273 |
| Climate high/low | 84° / 71°F | 60° / 34°F |
| Annual precip | 67.4 in | 17.4 in |
| Nearby city | Mary Esther | Rapid City |
| Host state | Florida | South Dakota |
Click here for the full state comparison: Florida → South Dakota
PCS checklist for Ellsworth Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Ellsworth Air Force Base uses MHA SD264 (ZIP 57706).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Ellsworth Air Force Base is $1,273/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New South Dakota residents typically have 90 days for a license and 90 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Ellsworth Air Force Base ($1,986 vs $2,433).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $299,400 in Rapid City vs $298,900 in Mary Esther (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,400 in 57719 vs $1,710 in 32569.
- Combined sales tax averages 6.11% in South Dakota vs 6.98% in Florida.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Hurlburt Field to Ellsworth 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: $2,433 vs $1,986; without dependents: $2,157 vs $1,545.
What is local rent like near Ellsworth Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 57719 (Rapid City) is $1,400/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,860/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,273/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Hurlburt Field to Ellsworth Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$447/mo at Hurlburt Field vs +$145/mo at Ellsworth Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$83/mo vs +$126/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Ellsworth Air Force Base?
New South Dakota residents typically have 90 days for a license and 90 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Florida).
How different is the climate from Hurlburt Field to Ellsworth Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Pensacola Intl (NWS) are 84° / 71°F and 67.4 in of precipitation vs 60° / 34°F and 17.4 in at Rapid City Regional (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
How does sales tax near Ellsworth Air Force Base compare with Hurlburt Field?
Combined sales tax averages 6.11% in South Dakota vs 6.98% in Florida. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
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 Hurlburt Field (FL056); Ellsworth Air Force Base (SD264). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Okaloosa County $1,785; Meade County $1,273.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 32569 (Mary Esther) $1,710 / $2,350; 57719 (Rapid City) $1,400 / $1,860.
- 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 Mary Esther city, Florida ($298,900, $1,699/mo) and Rapid City city, South Dakota ($299,400, $1,109/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Pensacola Intl (NWS) (USW00012839); Rapid City Regional (NWS) (USW00024090).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Florida and South Dakota 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 Florida and South Dakota. 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 Florida and South Dakota. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Florida motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.00%); South Dakota motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 90 days; title tax 4.20%). 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 Florida and South Dakota. 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 Florida and South Dakota. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.