Compare military bases / Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Edwards Air Force Base
JBLM → Edwards
Compare Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Edwards Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Edwards 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
- Edwards Air Force Base
- $2,148
- Higher BAH at Edwards Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- $261/mo left over
- Edwards Air Force Base
- $72/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Tacoma vs Edwards AFB
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 | Edwards Air Force Base Edwards AFB 93523 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $479,600 | $-666,666,666 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,676/mo | $2,457 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,860/mo | $2,220 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,600/mo | $3,090 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,971/mo | $1,483 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$261/mo | −$72/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$44/mo | −$432/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs −$72/mo at Edwards Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$44/mo vs −$432/mo.
Host-state comparison: Washington vs. California
| Washington | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 9.51% | 8.99% |
| Property tax | 0.75% | 0.70% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 0.65% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 13.3% |
| Median home value | $609,756 | $778,217 |
| Branch | Joint | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,971 | $1,483 |
| Climate high/low | 64° / 46°F | 78° / 54°F |
| Annual precip | 36.9 in | 6.4 in |
| Nearby city | Tacoma | Edwards |
| Host state | Washington | California |
Click here for the full state comparison: Washington → California
PCS checklist for Edwards Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Edwards Air Force Base uses MHA CA457 (ZIP 93524).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Edwards Air Force Base is $1,483/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Edwards Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Edwards Air Force Base ($2,658 vs $2,556).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $-666,666,666 in Edwards AFB vs $479,600 in Tacoma (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,220 in 93523 vs $1,860 in 98444.
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord is labeled Joint; Edwards 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 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.99% in California vs 9.51% in Washington.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Edwards 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 $2,658; without dependents: $2,121 vs $2,148.
What do homes cost in Tacoma vs Edwards AFB?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $479,600 in Tacoma city, Washington vs $-666,666,666 in Edwards AFB CDP, California. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,676 vs $2,457. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Edwards Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 93523 (Edwards AFB) is $2,220/mo for a 2-bedroom and $3,090/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,483/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Edwards Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs −$72/mo at Edwards Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$44/mo vs −$432/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 Edwards 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. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Edwards 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 Lewis-McChord to Edwards Air Force Base?
Annual normals at McChord Field (NWS) are 64° / 46°F and 36.9 in of precipitation vs 78° / 54°F and 6.4 in at Edwards AFB (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
Related PCS
Edwards 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); Edwards Air Force Base (CA457). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Pierce County $1,971; Kern County $1,483.
- 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; 93523 (Edwards AFB) $2,220 / $3,090.
- 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, $1,676/mo) and Edwards AFB CDP, California ($-666,666,666, $2,457/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — McChord Field (NWS) (USW00024229); Edwards AFB (NWS) (USW00023155).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Washington and California 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 California. 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 California. 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%); California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%). 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 California. 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 California. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.