Compare military bases / Joint Base Charleston → Naval Base Kitsap
JB Charleston → Kitsap
Compare Joint Base Charleston and Naval Base Kitsap
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Base Kitsap?
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
- Naval Base Kitsap
- $2,091
- Higher BAH at Naval Base Kitsap
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Charleston
- $251/mo left over
- Naval Base Kitsap
- $231/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Charleston vs Bremerton
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 | Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton 98337 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $509,700 | $439,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,722/mo | $1,641 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,690/mo | $1,860 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,100/mo | $2,420 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,787/mo | $2,031 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$251/mo | +$231/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$285/mo | −$56/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$231/mo at Naval Base Kitsap. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs −$56/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Carolina vs. Washington
| South Carolina | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 9.51% |
| Property tax | 0.49% | 0.75% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.33% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 6.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $307,843 | $609,756 |
| Branch | Joint | Navy |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,787 | $2,031 |
| Climate high/low | 72° / 51°F | 61° / 46°F |
| Annual precip | 43.6 in | 39.3 in |
| Nearby city | Charleston | Bremerton |
| Host state | South Carolina | Washington |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Carolina → Washington
PCS checklist for Naval Base Kitsap
- Update DEERS. BAH at Naval Base Kitsap uses MHA WA306 (ZIP 98314).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Naval Base Kitsap is $2,031/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Washington residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Naval Base Kitsap.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Naval Base Kitsap ($2,364 vs $2,385).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $439,400 in Bremerton vs $509,700 in Charleston (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,860 in 98337 vs $1,690 in 29406.
- Joint Base Charleston is labeled Joint; Naval Base Kitsap is Navy. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina vs No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold in Washington (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 9.51% in Washington vs 7.49% in South Carolina.
Common questions
Is BAH different from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Base Kitsap?
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 $2,364; without dependents: $1,941 vs $2,091.
What is local rent like near Naval Base Kitsap?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 98337 (Bremerton) is $1,860/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,420/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $2,031/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Base Kitsap?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$231/mo at Naval Base Kitsap. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs −$56/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 Naval Base Kitsap?
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%. Washington: No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Base Kitsap?
This pair is listed because the installations share a tenant service (Navy). Your actual orders depend on your MOS/AFSC/rating and the gaining unit.
How does sales tax near Naval Base Kitsap compare with Joint Base Charleston?
Combined sales tax averages 9.51% in Washington vs 7.49% in South Carolina. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Naval Base Kitsap?
New Washington residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 45 days in South Carolina).
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); Naval Base Kitsap (WA306). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Charleston County $1,787; Kitsap County $2,031.
- 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; 98337 (Bremerton) $1,860 / $2,420.
- 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 Bremerton city, Washington ($439,400, $1,641/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881); Seattle-Tacoma Intl (NWS) (USW00024233).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Carolina and Washington 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 Washington. 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 Washington. 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%); Washington 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 Washington. 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 Washington. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.