Compare military bases / Joint Base Charleston → Malmstrom Air Force Base
JB Charleston → Malmstrom
Compare Joint Base Charleston and Malmstrom Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Charleston to Malmstrom 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
- Malmstrom Air Force Base
- $1,392
- Lower BAH at Malmstrom Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Charleston
- $251/mo left over
- Malmstrom Air Force Base
- $112/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Charleston vs Great Falls
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 | Malmstrom Air Force Base Great Falls 59403 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $509,700 | $257,000 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,722/mo | $900 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,690/mo | $1,280 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,100/mo | $1,780 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,787/mo | $1,284 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$251/mo | +$112/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$285/mo | −$172/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$112/mo at Malmstrom Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs −$172/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Carolina vs. Montana
| South Carolina | Montana | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 0.00% |
| Property tax | 0.49% | 0.61% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.33% effective | Yes — 1.13% effective |
| Top state income tax | 6.0% | 5.65% |
| Median home value | $307,843 | $472,698 |
| Branch | Joint | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,787 | $1,284 |
| Climate high/low | 72° / 51°F | 57° / 32°F |
| Annual precip | 43.6 in | 14.8 in |
| Nearby city | Charleston | Great Falls |
| Host state | South Carolina | Montana |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Carolina → Montana
PCS checklist for Malmstrom Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Malmstrom Air Force Base uses MHA MT175 (ZIP 59402).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Malmstrom Air Force Base is $1,284/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Montana residents typically have 60 days for a license and 60 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Malmstrom Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Malmstrom Air Force Base ($1,608 vs $2,385).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $257,000 in Great Falls vs $509,700 in Charleston (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,280 in 59403 vs $1,690 in 29406.
- Joint Base Charleston is labeled Joint; Malmstrom 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 5.65% in Montana (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 0% in Montana vs 7.49% in South Carolina.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Charleston to Malmstrom 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 $1,608; without dependents: $1,941 vs $1,392.
How does sales tax near Malmstrom Air Force Base compare with Joint Base Charleston?
Combined sales tax averages 0% in Montana vs 7.49% in South Carolina. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What is local rent like near Malmstrom Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 59403 (Great Falls) is $1,280/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,780/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,284/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Malmstrom Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$112/mo at Malmstrom Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs −$172/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 Malmstrom 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%. Montana: Top listed rate 5.65%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Malmstrom 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 different is the climate from Joint Base Charleston to Malmstrom Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Charleston Intl (NWS) are 72° / 51°F and 43.6 in of precipitation vs 57° / 32°F and 14.8 in at Great Falls Intl (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 Joint Base Charleston (SC259); Malmstrom Air Force Base (MT175). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Charleston County $1,787; Cascade County $1,284.
- 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; 59403 (Great Falls) $1,280 / $1,780.
- 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 Great Falls city, Montana ($257,000, $900/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881); Great Falls Intl (NWS) (USW00024143).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Carolina and Montana 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 Montana. 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 Montana. 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%); Montana motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 60 days; title tax 0.00%). 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 South Carolina and Montana. 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 Montana. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.