Compare military bases / Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Joint Base Charleston
JBLM → JB Charleston
Compare Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Joint Base Charleston
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Joint Base Charleston?
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
- Joint Base Charleston
- $1,941
- Lower BAH at Joint Base Charleston
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- $261/mo left over
- Joint Base Charleston
- $251/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Tacoma vs Charleston
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 | Joint Base Charleston Charleston 29406 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $479,600 | $509,700 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,676/mo | $1,722 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,860/mo | $1,690 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,600/mo | $2,100 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,971/mo | $1,787 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$261/mo | +$251/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$44/mo | +$285/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$44/mo vs +$285/mo.
Host-state comparison: Washington vs. South Carolina
| Washington | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 9.51% | 7.49% |
| Property tax | 0.75% | 0.49% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 2.33% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 6.0% |
| Median home value | $609,756 | $307,843 |
| Branch | Joint | Joint |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,971 | $1,787 |
| Climate high/low | 64° / 46°F | 72° / 51°F |
| Annual precip | 36.9 in | 43.6 in |
| Nearby city | Tacoma | Charleston |
| Host state | Washington | South Carolina |
Click here for the full state comparison: Washington → South Carolina
PCS checklist for Joint Base Charleston
- Update DEERS. BAH at Joint Base Charleston uses MHA SC259 (ZIP 29404).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Joint Base Charleston is $1,787/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Joint Base Charleston.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Joint Base Charleston ($2,385 vs $2,556).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $509,700 in Charleston vs $479,600 in Tacoma (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,690 in 29406 vs $1,860 in 98444.
- Host-state wage tax is No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold in Washington vs Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 9.51% in Washington.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Joint Base Charleston?
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 $2,385; without dependents: $2,121 vs $1,941.
What is local rent like near Joint Base Charleston?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 29406 (Charleston) is $1,690/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,100/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,787/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Lewis-McChord to Joint Base Charleston?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord vs +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$44/mo vs +$285/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 Joint Base Charleston?
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. South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. 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 Joint Base Charleston?
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 does sales tax near Joint Base Charleston compare with Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 9.51% in Washington. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Joint Base Charleston?
New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Washington).
Related PCS
Joint Base Charleston → 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); Joint Base Charleston (SC259). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Pierce County $1,971; Charleston County $1,787.
- 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; 29406 (Charleston) $1,690 / $2,100.
- 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 Charleston city, South Carolina ($509,700, $1,722/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — McChord Field (NWS) (USW00024229); Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Washington and South Carolina 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 South Carolina. 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 South Carolina. 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%); South Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 45 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 Washington and South Carolina. 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 South Carolina. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.