Compare military bases / Laughlin Air Force Base → MacDill Air Force Base
Laughlin → MacDill
Compare Laughlin Air Force Base and MacDill Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Laughlin Air Force Base to MacDill 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.
- Laughlin Air Force Base
- $1,209
- MacDill Air Force Base
- $2,187
- Higher BAH at MacDill Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Laughlin Air Force Base
- $149/mo left over
- MacDill Air Force Base
- $113/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Del Rio vs Tampa
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Laughlin Air Force Base Del Rio 78841 | MacDill Air Force Base Tampa 33616 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $160,400 | $420,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $895/mo | $1,701 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,060/mo | $2,300 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,440/mo | $2,940 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,064/mo | $1,977 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$149/mo | −$113/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$30/mo | −$231/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$149/mo at Laughlin Air Force Base vs −$113/mo at MacDill Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$30/mo vs −$231/mo.
Host-state comparison: Texas vs. Florida
| Texas | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.20% | 6.98% |
| Property tax | 1.40% | 0.78% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $304,099 | $378,667 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,064 | $1,977 |
| Climate high/low | 85° / 63°F | 83° / 66°F |
| Annual precip | 19.8 in | 49.5 in |
| Nearby city | Del Rio | Tampa |
| Host state | Texas | Florida |
PCS checklist for MacDill Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at MacDill Air Force Base uses MHA FL066 (ZIP 33621).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near MacDill Air Force Base is $1,977/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Florida residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: MacDill Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at MacDill Air Force Base ($2,709 vs $1,470).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $420,400 in Tampa vs $160,400 in Del Rio (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,300 in 33616 vs $1,060 in 78841.
- Combined sales tax averages 6.98% in Florida vs 8.2% in Texas.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Laughlin Air Force Base to MacDill 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: $1,470 vs $2,709; without dependents: $1,209 vs $2,187.
What is local rent like near MacDill Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 33616 (Tampa) is $2,300/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,940/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,977/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Laughlin Air Force Base to MacDill Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$149/mo at Laughlin Air Force Base vs −$113/mo at MacDill Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$30/mo vs −$231/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
What do homes cost in Del Rio vs Tampa?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $160,400 in Del Rio city, Texas vs $420,400 in Tampa city, Florida. Median gross rent in those cities is $895 vs $1,701. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to MacDill Air Force Base?
New Florida residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 30 days in Texas).
How does sales tax near MacDill Air Force Base compare with Laughlin Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 6.98% in Florida vs 8.2% in Texas. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Laughlin Air Force Base to MacDill Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Del Rio Intl (NWS) are 85° / 63°F and 19.8 in of precipitation vs 83° / 66°F and 49.5 in at Tampa Intl (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
Related PCS
MacDill Air Force Base → Laughlin Air Force Base · Eglin Air Force Base → MacDill Air Force Base
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 Laughlin Air Force Base (TX278); MacDill Air Force Base (FL066). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Val Verde County $1,064; Hillsborough County $1,977.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 78841 (Del Rio) $1,060 / $1,440; 33616 (Tampa) $2,300 / $2,940.
- 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 Del Rio city, Texas ($160,400, $895/mo) and Tampa city, Florida ($420,400, $1,701/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Del Rio Intl (NWS) (USW00022010); Tampa Intl (NWS) (USW00012842).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Texas and Florida 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 Texas and Florida. 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 Texas and Florida. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Texas motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%); Florida 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 Texas and Florida. 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 Texas and Florida. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.