Compare military bases / Joint Base Charleston → Little Rock Air Force Base
JB Charleston → Little Rock
Compare Joint Base Charleston and Little Rock Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Charleston to Little Rock 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.
- Joint Base Charleston
- $1,941
- Little Rock Air Force Base
- $1,548
- Lower BAH at Little Rock Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Charleston
- $251/mo left over
- Little Rock Air Force Base
- $478/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Charleston vs Little Rock
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Joint Base Charleston Charleston 29406 | Little Rock Air Force Base Little Rock 72076 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $509,700 | $236,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,722/mo | $1,106 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,690/mo | $1,070 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,100/mo | $1,440 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,787/mo | $1,147 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$251/mo | +$478/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$285/mo | +$408/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$478/mo at Little Rock Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs +$408/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Carolina vs. Arkansas
| South Carolina | Arkansas | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 9.46% |
| Property tax | 0.49% | 0.56% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.33% effective | Yes — 1.02% effective |
| Top state income tax | 6.0% | 3.9% |
| Median home value | $307,843 | $225,790 |
| Branch | Joint | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,787 | $1,147 |
| Climate high/low | 72° / 51°F | 79° / 58°F |
| Annual precip | 43.6 in | 61.9 in |
| Nearby city | Charleston | Little Rock |
| Host state | South Carolina | Arkansas |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Carolina → Arkansas
PCS checklist for Little Rock Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Little Rock Air Force Base uses MHA AR010 (ZIP 72099).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Little Rock Air Force Base is $1,147/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Arkansas residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Little Rock Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Little Rock Air Force Base ($1,848 vs $2,385).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $236,400 in Little Rock vs $509,700 in Charleston (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,070 in 72076 vs $1,690 in 29406.
- Joint Base Charleston is labeled Joint; Little Rock Air Force Base is Air Force. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina vs Top listed rate 3.9% in Arkansas (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 9.46% in Arkansas vs 7.49% in South Carolina.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Charleston to Little Rock 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: $2,385 vs $1,848; without dependents: $1,941 vs $1,548.
What is local rent like near Little Rock Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 72076 (Little Rock) is $1,070/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,440/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,147/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Little Rock Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$478/mo at Little Rock Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs +$408/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 Joint Base Charleston to Little Rock 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. South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. Arkansas: Top listed rate 3.9%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Little Rock Air Force Base?
This pair is listed because the installations share a tenant service (Air Force). Your actual orders depend on your MOS/AFSC/rating and the gaining unit.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Little Rock Air Force Base?
New Arkansas residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 45 days in South Carolina).
How does sales tax near Little Rock Air Force Base compare with Joint Base Charleston?
Combined sales tax averages 9.46% in Arkansas vs 7.49% in South Carolina. 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 Joint Base Charleston (SC259); Little Rock Air Force Base (AR010). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Charleston County $1,787; Pulaski County $1,147.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 29406 (Charleston) $1,690 / $2,100; 72076 (Little Rock) $1,070 / $1,440.
- 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 Charleston city, South Carolina ($509,700, $1,722/mo) and Little Rock city, Arkansas ($236,400, $1,106/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881); Bill and Hillary Clinton Natl (NWS) (USW00013970).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Carolina and Arkansas 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 South Carolina and Arkansas. 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 South Carolina and Arkansas. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. South Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 45 days; title tax 6.00%); Arkansas motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.50%). 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 South Carolina and Arkansas. 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 South Carolina and Arkansas. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.