Compare military bases / Hurlburt Field → Shaw Air Force Base
Hurlburt → Shaw
Compare Hurlburt Field and Shaw Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Hurlburt Field to Shaw 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
- Shaw Air Force Base
- $1,290
- Lower BAH at Shaw Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Hurlburt Field
- $447/mo left over
- Shaw Air Force Base
- $20/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Mary Esther vs Sumter
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 | Shaw Air Force Base Sumter 29150 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $298,900 | $199,100 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,699/mo | $1,076 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,710/mo | $1,310 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,350/mo | $1,570 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,785/mo | $1,276 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$447/mo | −$20/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$83/mo | −$67/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$447/mo at Hurlburt Field vs −$20/mo at Shaw Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$83/mo vs −$67/mo.
Host-state comparison: Florida vs. South Carolina
| Florida | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.98% | 7.49% |
| Property tax | 0.78% | 0.49% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 2.33% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Median home value | $378,667 | $307,843 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,785 | $1,276 |
| Climate high/low | 84° / 71°F | 76° / 53°F |
| Annual precip | 67.4 in | 45.2 in |
| Nearby city | Mary Esther | Sumter |
| Host state | Florida | South Carolina |
Click here for the full state comparison: Florida → South Carolina
PCS checklist for Shaw Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Shaw Air Force Base uses MHA SC263 (ZIP 29152).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Shaw Air Force Base is $1,276/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Shaw Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Shaw Air Force Base ($1,503 vs $2,433).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $199,100 in Sumter vs $298,900 in Mary Esther (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,310 in 29150 vs $1,710 in 32569.
- Host-state wage tax is No personal income tax in Florida vs Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 6.98% in Florida.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Hurlburt Field to Shaw 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 $1,503; without dependents: $2,157 vs $1,290.
What is local rent like near Shaw Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 29150 (Sumter) is $1,310/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,570/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,276/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Hurlburt Field to Shaw Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$447/mo at Hurlburt Field vs −$20/mo at Shaw Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$83/mo vs −$67/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 Hurlburt Field to Shaw 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. Florida: No personal income tax. South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. 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 Shaw Air Force Base?
New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Florida).
How does sales tax near Shaw Air Force Base compare with Hurlburt Field?
Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 6.98% in Florida. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Hurlburt Field to Shaw Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Pensacola Intl (NWS) are 84° / 71°F and 67.4 in of precipitation vs 76° / 53°F and 45.2 in at Columbia Metro (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
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); Shaw Air Force Base (SC263). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Okaloosa County $1,785; Sumter County $1,276.
- 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; 29150 (Sumter) $1,310 / $1,570.
- 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 Sumter city, South Carolina ($199,100, $1,076/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Pensacola Intl (NWS) (USW00012839); Columbia Metro (NWS) (USW00013883).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Florida and South Carolina 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 Carolina. 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 Carolina. 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 Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 45 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 Florida and South Carolina. 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 Carolina. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.