Compare military bases / Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Columbus Air Force Base
JBLM → Columbus AFB
Compare Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Columbus Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Columbus 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 Lewis-McChord
- $2,121
- Columbus Air Force Base
- $1,158
- Lower BAH at Columbus Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- $261/mo left over
- Columbus Air Force Base
- $128/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Tacoma vs Columbus
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Joint Base Lewis-McChord Tacoma 98444 | Columbus Air Force Base Columbus 39705 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $479,600 | $125,700 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,676/mo | $897 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,860/mo | $1,030 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,600/mo | $1,410 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,971/mo | $872 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$261/mo | +$128/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$44/mo | −$12/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs +$128/mo at Columbus Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$44/mo vs −$12/mo.
Host-state comparison: Washington vs. Mississippi
| Washington | Mississippi | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 9.51% | 7.06% |
| Property tax | 0.75% | 0.58% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 3.42% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 4.0% |
| Median home value | $609,756 | $196,428 |
| Branch | Joint | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,971 | $872 |
| Climate high/low | 64° / 46°F | 76° / 54°F |
| Annual precip | 36.9 in | 57.4 in |
| Nearby city | Tacoma | Columbus |
| Host state | Washington | Mississippi |
Click here for the full state comparison: Washington → Mississippi
PCS checklist for Columbus Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Columbus Air Force Base uses MHA MS169 (ZIP 39710).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Columbus Air Force Base is $872/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Mississippi residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Columbus Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Columbus Air Force Base ($1,398 vs $2,556).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $125,700 in Columbus vs $479,600 in Tacoma (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,030 in 39705 vs $1,860 in 98444.
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord is labeled Joint; Columbus Air Force Base is Air Force. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold in Washington 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 9.51% in Washington.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Columbus 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: $2,556 vs $1,398; without dependents: $2,121 vs $1,158.
What is local rent like near Columbus Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 39705 (Columbus) is $1,030/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,410/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $872/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Columbus Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs +$128/mo at Columbus Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$44/mo vs −$12/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 Lewis-McChord to Columbus 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. Washington: No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold. Mississippi: Top listed rate 4.0%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Columbus Air Force Base compare with Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
Combined sales tax averages 7.06% in Mississippi vs 9.51% in Washington. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Columbus 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.
What do homes cost in Tacoma vs Columbus?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $479,600 in Tacoma city, Washington vs $125,700 in Columbus city, Mississippi. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,676 vs $897. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Related PCS
Columbus Air Force Base → Joint Base Lewis-McChord · Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Fort Carson · Fort Bragg → Joint Base Lewis-McChord
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 Lewis-McChord (WA311); Columbus Air Force Base (MS169). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Pierce County $1,971; Lowndes County $872.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 98444 (Tacoma) $1,860 / $2,600; 39705 (Columbus) $1,030 / $1,410.
- 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 Tacoma city, Washington ($479,600, $1,676/mo) and Columbus city, Mississippi ($125,700, $897/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — McChord Field (NWS) (USW00024229); Jackson Intl (NWS) (USW00003940).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Washington 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 Washington 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 Washington and Mississippi. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Washington motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.50%); 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 Washington 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 Washington and Mississippi. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.