Compare military bases / Mountain Home Air Force Base → Peterson Space Force Base
Mountain Home → Peterson
Compare Mountain Home Air Force Base and Peterson Space Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Mountain Home Air Force Base to Peterson Space 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.
- Mountain Home Air Force Base
- $1,524
- Peterson Space Force Base
- $1,860
- Higher BAH at Peterson Space Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Mountain Home Air Force Base
- $136/mo short
- Peterson Space Force Base
- $210/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Mountain Home vs Colorado Springs
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Mountain Home Air Force Base Mountain Home 83647 | Peterson Space Force Base Colorado Springs 80916 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $309,400 | $452,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,155/mo | $1,648 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,660/mo | $1,650 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,320/mo | $2,290 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,192/mo | $1,735 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$136/mo | +$210/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$715/mo | +$68/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$136/mo at Mountain Home Air Force Base vs +$210/mo at Peterson Space Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$715/mo vs +$68/mo.
Host-state comparison: Idaho vs. Colorado
| Idaho | Colorado | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.03% | 7.89% |
| Property tax | 0.50% | 0.50% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 1.79% effective |
| Top state income tax | 5.3% | 4.4% |
| Median home value | $483,379 | $548,480 |
| Branch | Air Force | Space Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,192 | $1,735 |
| Climate high/low | 64° / 42°F | 67° / 40°F |
| Annual precip | 11.5 in | 9.1 in |
| Nearby city | Mountain Home | Colorado Springs |
| Host state | Idaho | Colorado |
PCS checklist for Peterson Space Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Peterson Space Force Base uses MHA CO046 (ZIP 80914).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Peterson Space Force Base is $1,735/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Colorado residents typically have 30 days for a license and 90 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Peterson Space Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Peterson Space Force Base ($2,358 vs $1,605).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $452,600 in Colorado Springs vs $309,400 in Mountain Home (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,650 in 80916 vs $1,660 in 83647.
- Mountain Home Air Force Base is labeled Air Force; Peterson Space Force Base is Space Force. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 5.3% in Idaho vs Flat 4.4% in Colorado (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.89% in Colorado vs 6.03% in Idaho.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Mountain Home Air Force Base to Peterson Space 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: $1,605 vs $2,358; without dependents: $1,524 vs $1,860.
What is local rent like near Peterson Space Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 80916 (Colorado Springs) is $1,650/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,290/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,735/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Mountain Home Air Force Base to Peterson Space Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$136/mo at Mountain Home Air Force Base vs +$210/mo at Peterson Space Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$715/mo vs +$68/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 Mountain Home Air Force Base to Peterson Space 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. Idaho: Top listed rate 5.3%. Colorado: Flat 4.4%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Mountain Home Air Force Base to Peterson Space 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 does sales tax near Peterson Space Force Base compare with Mountain Home Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 7.89% in Colorado vs 6.03% in Idaho. 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 Peterson Space Force Base?
New Colorado residents typically have 30 days for a license and 90 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Idaho).
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 Mountain Home Air Force Base (ID086); Peterson Space Force Base (CO046). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Elmore County $1,192; El Paso County $1,735.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 83647 (Mountain Home) $1,660 / $2,320; 80916 (Colorado Springs) $1,650 / $2,290.
- 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 Mountain Home city, Idaho ($309,400, $1,155/mo) and Colorado Springs city, Colorado ($452,600, $1,648/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Boise Air Terminal (NWS) (USW00024131); Colorado Springs Muni (NWS) (USW00023066).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Idaho and Colorado 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 Idaho and Colorado. 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 Idaho and Colorado. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Idaho motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.00%); Colorado motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 90 days; title tax 2.90%). 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 Idaho and Colorado. 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 Idaho and Colorado. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.