Compare military bases / Joint Base Charleston → Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
JB Charleston → Kings Bay
Compare Joint Base Charleston and Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay?
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 Submarine Base Kings Bay
- $1,806
- Lower BAH at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Charleston
- $251/mo left over
- Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
- $646/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Charleston vs Kingsland
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 Submarine Base Kings Bay Kingsland 31548 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $509,700 | $251,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,722/mo | $1,275 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,690/mo | $1,160 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,100/mo | $1,610 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,787/mo | $1,225 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$251/mo | +$646/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$285/mo | +$523/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$646/mo at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs +$523/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Carolina vs. Georgia
| South Carolina | Georgia | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 7.49% |
| Property tax | 0.49% | 0.79% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.33% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 6.0% | 5.19% |
| Median home value | $307,843 | $335,116 |
| Branch | Joint | Navy |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,787 | $1,225 |
| Climate high/low | 72° / 51°F | 72° / 52°F |
| Annual precip | 43.6 in | 55.0 in |
| Nearby city | Charleston | Kingsland |
| Host state | South Carolina | Georgia |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Carolina → Georgia
PCS checklist for Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
- Update DEERS. BAH at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay uses MHA GA074 (ZIP 31547).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is $1,225/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Georgia residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay ($2,133 vs $2,385).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $251,400 in Kingsland vs $509,700 in Charleston (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,160 in 31548 vs $1,690 in 29406.
- Joint Base Charleston is labeled Joint; Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is Navy. 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 5.19% in Georgia (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay?
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 $2,133; without dependents: $1,941 vs $1,806.
What is local rent like near Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 31548 (Kingsland) is $1,160/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,610/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,225/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Charleston to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston vs +$646/mo at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$285/mo vs +$523/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 Submarine Base Kings Bay?
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%. Georgia: Top listed rate 5.19%. 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 Submarine Base Kings Bay?
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 long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay?
New Georgia residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 45 days in South Carolina).
What do homes cost in Charleston vs Kingsland?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $509,700 in Charleston city, South Carolina vs $251,400 in Kingsland city, Georgia. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,722 vs $1,275. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
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 Submarine Base Kings Bay (GA074). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Charleston County $1,787; Camden County $1,225.
- 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; 31548 (Kingsland) $1,160 / $1,610.
- 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 Kingsland city, Georgia ($251,400, $1,275/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881); Jacksonville Intl (NWS) (USW00013882).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Carolina and Georgia 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 Georgia. 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 Georgia. 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%); Georgia motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 7.00%). 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 Georgia. 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 Georgia. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.