Compare military bases / MCAS Beaufort → MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
MCAS Beaufort → 29 Palms
Compare MCAS Beaufort and MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from MCAS Beaufort to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
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.
- MCAS Beaufort
- $2,103
- MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
- $1,782
- Lower BAH at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- MCAS Beaufort
- $463/mo left over
- MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
- $298/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Beaufort vs Twentynine Palms
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| MCAS Beaufort Beaufort 29902 | MCAGCC Twentynine Palms Twentynine Palms 92277 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $345,400 | $268,200 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,212/mo | $1,352 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,640/mo | $2,080 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,980/mo | $2,780 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,816/mo | $2,201 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$463/mo | −$298/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$423/mo | −$800/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$463/mo at MCAS Beaufort vs −$298/mo at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$423/mo vs −$800/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Carolina vs. California
| South Carolina | California | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 8.99% |
| Property tax | 0.49% | 0.70% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.33% effective | Yes — 0.65% effective |
| Top state income tax | 6.0% | 13.3% |
| Median home value | $307,843 | $778,217 |
| Branch | Marine Corps | Marine Corps |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,816 | $2,201 |
| Climate high/low | 72° / 51°F | 80° / 60°F |
| Annual precip | 43.6 in | 4.2 in |
| Nearby city | Beaufort | Twentynine Palms |
| Host state | South Carolina | California |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Carolina → California
PCS checklist for MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
- Update DEERS. BAH at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms uses MHA CA032 (ZIP 92278).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near MCAGCC Twentynine Palms is $2,201/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: MCAGCC Twentynine Palms.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms ($1,980 vs $2,403).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $268,200 in Twentynine Palms vs $345,400 in Beaufort (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,080 in 92277 vs $1,640 in 29902.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina 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 7.49% in South Carolina.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from MCAS Beaufort to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,403 vs $1,980; without dependents: $2,103 vs $1,782.
What is local rent like near MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 92277 (Twentynine Palms) is $2,080/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,780/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $2,201/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from MCAS Beaufort to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$463/mo at MCAS Beaufort vs −$298/mo at MCAGCC Twentynine Palms. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$423/mo vs −$800/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 MCAS Beaufort to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
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. South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. 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.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
New California residents typically have 10 days for a license and 20 days to title a car (90 and 45 days in South Carolina).
How does sales tax near MCAGCC Twentynine Palms compare with MCAS Beaufort?
Combined sales tax averages 8.99% in California vs 7.49% in South Carolina. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from MCAS Beaufort to MCAGCC Twentynine Palms?
Annual normals at Charleston Intl (NWS) are 72° / 51°F and 43.6 in of precipitation vs 80° / 60°F and 4.2 in at Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
Related PCS
MCAGCC Twentynine Palms → MCAS Beaufort · Camp Pendleton → MCAGCC Twentynine Palms
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 MCAS Beaufort (SC258); MCAGCC Twentynine Palms (CA032). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Beaufort County $1,816; San Bernardino County $2,201.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 29902 (Beaufort) $1,640 / $1,980; 92277 (Twentynine Palms) $2,080 / $2,780.
- 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 Beaufort city, South Carolina ($345,400, $1,212/mo) and Twentynine Palms city, California ($268,200, $1,352/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881); Las Vegas McCarran (NWS) (USW00023169).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Carolina 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina and California. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. South Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 45 days; title tax 6.00%); 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina and California. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.