Compare military bases / Minot Air Force Base → Grand Forks Air Force Base
Minot → Grand Forks
Compare Minot Air Force Base and Grand Forks Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Minot Air Force Base to Grand Forks 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.
- Minot Air Force Base
- $1,260
- Grand Forks Air Force Base
- $1,299
- Higher BAH at Grand Forks Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Minot Air Force Base
- $100/mo left over
- Grand Forks Air Force Base
- $171/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Minot vs Grand Forks
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Minot Air Force Base Minot 58703 | Grand Forks Air Force Base Grand Forks 58202 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $257,100 | $249,900 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $973/mo | $980 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,160/mo | $1,470 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,610/mo | $2,040 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,165/mo | $1,089 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$100/mo | −$171/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$62/mo | −$309/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$100/mo at Minot Air Force Base vs −$171/mo at Grand Forks Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$62/mo vs −$309/mo.
PCS checklist for Grand Forks Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Grand Forks Air Force Base uses MHA ND190 (ZIP 58204).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Grand Forks Air Force Base is $1,089/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New North Dakota residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Grand Forks Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Grand Forks Air Force Base ($1,731 vs $1,548).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $249,900 in Grand Forks vs $257,100 in Minot (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,470 in 58202 vs $1,160 in 58703.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Minot Air Force Base to Grand Forks 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: $1,548 vs $1,731; without dependents: $1,260 vs $1,299.
What is local rent like near Grand Forks Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 58202 (Grand Forks) is $1,470/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,040/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,089/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Minot Air Force Base to Grand Forks Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$100/mo at Minot Air Force Base vs −$171/mo at Grand Forks Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$62/mo vs −$309/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 Minot vs Grand Forks?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $257,100 in Minot city, North Dakota vs $249,900 in Grand Forks city, North Dakota. Median gross rent in those cities is $973 vs $980. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Related PCS
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 Minot Air Force Base (ND191); Grand Forks Air Force Base (ND190). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Ward County $1,165; Grand Forks County $1,089.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 58703 (Minot) $1,160 / $1,610; 58202 (Grand Forks) $1,470 / $2,040.
- 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 Minot city, North Dakota ($257,100, $973/mo) and Grand Forks city, North Dakota ($249,900, $980/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Minot Intl (NWS) (USW00024013); Grand Forks Intl (NWS) (USW00014916).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for North Dakota 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 North Dakota. 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 North Dakota. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. North Dakota motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.00%). 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 North Dakota. 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 North Dakota. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.