Compare military bases / Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay → Joint Base Charleston
Kings Bay → JB Charleston
Compare Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay and Joint Base Charleston
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay 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.
- Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
- $1,806
- Joint Base Charleston
- $1,941
- Higher BAH at Joint Base Charleston
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay
- $646/mo left over
- Joint Base Charleston
- $251/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Kingsland vs Charleston
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay Kingsland 31548 | Joint Base Charleston Charleston 29406 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $251,400 | $509,700 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,275/mo | $1,722 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,160/mo | $1,690 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,610/mo | $2,100 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,225/mo | $1,787 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$646/mo | +$251/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$523/mo | +$285/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$646/mo at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay vs +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$523/mo vs +$285/mo.
Host-state comparison: Georgia vs. South Carolina
| Georgia | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 7.49% |
| Property tax | 0.79% | 0.49% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 2.33% effective |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 6.0% |
| Median home value | $335,116 | $307,843 |
| Branch | Navy | Joint |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,225 | $1,787 |
| Climate high/low | 72° / 52°F | 72° / 51°F |
| Annual precip | 55.0 in | 43.6 in |
| Nearby city | Kingsland | Charleston |
| Host state | Georgia | South Carolina |
Click here for the full state comparison: Georgia → 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 higher at Joint Base Charleston ($2,385 vs $2,133).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $509,700 in Charleston vs $251,400 in Kingsland (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,690 in 29406 vs $1,160 in 31548.
- Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay is labeled Navy; Joint Base Charleston is Joint. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 5.19% in Georgia vs Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay 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: $2,133 vs $2,385; without dependents: $1,806 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 Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay to Joint Base Charleston?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$646/mo at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay vs +$251/mo at Joint Base Charleston. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$523/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 Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay 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. Georgia: Top listed rate 5.19%. South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
What do homes cost in Kingsland vs Charleston?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $251,400 in Kingsland city, Georgia vs $509,700 in Charleston city, South Carolina. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,275 vs $1,722. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Can I PCS from Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay to Joint Base Charleston?
This pair is listed because the installations share a tenant service (Navy). Your actual orders depend on your MOS/AFSC/rating and the gaining unit.
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 Georgia).
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 Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay (GA074); Joint Base Charleston (SC259). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Camden County $1,225; 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: 31548 (Kingsland) $1,160 / $1,610; 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 Kingsland city, Georgia ($251,400, $1,275/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 — Jacksonville Intl (NWS) (USW00013882); Charleston Intl (NWS) (USW00013881).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia and South Carolina. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Georgia motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 7.00%); 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 Georgia 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 Georgia and South Carolina. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.