Compare military bases / Joint Base Langley-Eustis → Mountain Home Air Force Base
JBLE → Mountain Home
Compare Joint Base Langley-Eustis and Mountain Home Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Mountain Home 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 Langley-Eustis
- $1,779
- Mountain Home Air Force Base
- $1,524
- Lower BAH at Mountain Home Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Langley-Eustis
- $179/mo left over
- Mountain Home Air Force Base
- $136/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Hampton vs Mountain Home
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Joint Base Langley-Eustis Hampton 23670 | Mountain Home Air Force Base Mountain Home 83647 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $245,700 | $309,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,427/mo | $1,155 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,600/mo | $1,660 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,220/mo | $2,320 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,713/mo | $1,192 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$179/mo | −$136/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$54/mo | −$715/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$179/mo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis vs −$136/mo at Mountain Home Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$54/mo vs −$715/mo.
Host-state comparison: Virginia vs. Idaho
| Virginia | Idaho | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 5.77% | 6.03% |
| Property tax | 0.78% | 0.50% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 3.97% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 5.75% | 5.3% |
| Median home value | $416,963 | $483,379 |
| Branch | Joint | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,713 | $1,192 |
| Climate high/low | 70° / 53°F | 64° / 42°F |
| Annual precip | 49.2 in | 11.5 in |
| Nearby city | Hampton | Mountain Home |
| Host state | Virginia | Idaho |
PCS checklist for Mountain Home Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Mountain Home Air Force Base uses MHA ID086 (ZIP 83648).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Mountain Home Air Force Base is $1,192/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Idaho residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Mountain Home Air Force Base ($1,605 vs $2,274).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $309,400 in Mountain Home vs $245,700 in Hampton (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,660 in 83647 vs $1,600 in 23670.
- Joint Base Langley-Eustis is labeled Joint; Mountain Home Air Force Base is Air Force. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 5.75% in Virginia vs Top listed rate 5.3% in Idaho (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6.03% in Idaho vs 5.77% in Virginia.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Mountain Home 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: $2,274 vs $1,605; without dependents: $1,779 vs $1,524.
What is local rent like near Mountain Home Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 83647 (Mountain Home) is $1,660/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,320/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,192/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Mountain Home Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$179/mo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis vs −$136/mo at Mountain Home Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$54/mo vs −$715/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 Langley-Eustis to Mountain Home 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. Virginia: Top listed rate 5.75%. Idaho: Top listed rate 5.3%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Mountain Home 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 Langley-Eustis to Mountain Home Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Norfolk Intl (NWS) are 70° / 53°F and 49.2 in of precipitation vs 64° / 42°F and 11.5 in at Boise Air Terminal (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Mountain Home Air Force Base?
New Idaho residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (60 and 30 days in Virginia).
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 Langley-Eustis (VA297); Mountain Home Air Force Base (ID086). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Hampton city $1,713; Elmore County $1,192.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 23670 (Hampton) $1,600 / $2,220; 83647 (Mountain Home) $1,660 / $2,320.
- 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 Hampton city, Virginia ($245,700, $1,427/mo) and Mountain Home city, Idaho ($309,400, $1,155/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Norfolk Intl (NWS) (USW00013737); Boise Air Terminal (NWS) (USW00024131).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Virginia and Idaho 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 Virginia and Idaho. 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 Virginia and Idaho. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Virginia motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.30%); Idaho motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.00%). 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 Virginia and Idaho. 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 Virginia and Idaho. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.