Compare military bases / Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson → Keesler Air Force Base
JBER → Keesler
Compare Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Keesler Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Keesler 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 Elmendorf-Richardson
- $2,157
- Keesler Air Force Base
- $1,365
- Lower BAH at Keesler Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson
- $387/mo left over
- Keesler Air Force Base
- $355/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Anchorage vs Biloxi
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Anchorage 99502 | Keesler Air Force Base Biloxi 39530 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $395,900 | $225,100 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,489/mo | $1,089 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,770/mo | $1,010 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,460/mo | $1,310 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,631/mo | $1,140 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$387/mo | +$355/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$414/mo | +$292/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$387/mo at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson vs +$355/mo at Keesler Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$414/mo vs +$292/mo.
Host-state comparison: Alaska vs. Mississippi
| Alaska | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 1.82% | 7.06% |
| Property tax | 0.94% | 0.58% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 3.42% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 4.0% |
| Median home value | $391,973 | $196,428 |
| Branch | Joint | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,631 | $1,140 |
| Climate high/low | 44° / 31°F | 79° / 60°F |
| Annual precip | 16.4 in | 68.3 in |
| Nearby city | Anchorage | Biloxi |
| Host state | Alaska | Mississippi |
Click here for the full state comparison: Alaska → Mississippi
PCS checklist for Keesler Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Keesler Air Force Base uses MHA MS168 (ZIP 39534).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Keesler Air Force Base is $1,140/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Mississippi residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Keesler Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Keesler Air Force Base ($1,602 vs $2,874).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $225,100 in Biloxi vs $395,900 in Anchorage (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,010 in 39530 vs $1,770 in 99502.
- Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson is labeled Joint; Keesler Air Force Base is Air Force. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is No personal income tax in Alaska vs Top listed rate 4.0% in Mississippi (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.06% in Mississippi vs 1.82% in Alaska.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Keesler 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: $2,874 vs $1,602; without dependents: $2,157 vs $1,365.
How does sales tax near Keesler Air Force Base compare with Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson?
Combined sales tax averages 7.06% in Mississippi vs 1.82% in Alaska. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What is local rent like near Keesler Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 39530 (Biloxi) is $1,010/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,310/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,140/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Keesler Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$387/mo at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson vs +$355/mo at Keesler Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$414/mo vs +$292/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 Elmendorf-Richardson to Keesler 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. Alaska: No personal income tax. Mississippi: Top listed rate 4.0%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How different is the climate from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Keesler Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Anchorage Intl (NWS) are 44° / 31°F and 16.4 in of precipitation vs 79° / 60°F and 68.3 in at Mobile Regional (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
Can I PCS from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to Keesler 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.
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 Elmendorf-Richardson (AK404); Keesler Air Force Base (MS168). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Anchorage Municipality $1,631; Harrison County $1,140.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 99502 (Anchorage) $1,770 / $2,460; 39530 (Biloxi) $1,010 / $1,310.
- 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 Anchorage municipality, Alaska ($395,900, $1,489/mo) and Biloxi city, Mississippi ($225,100, $1,089/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Anchorage Intl (NWS) (USW00026451); Mobile Regional (NWS) (USW00013899).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Alaska and Mississippi 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 Alaska and Mississippi. 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 Alaska and Mississippi. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Alaska motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 10 days; title tax 0.00%); Mississippi 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 Alaska and Mississippi. 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 Alaska and Mississippi. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.