Compare military bases / Nellis Air Force Base → Luke Air Force Base
PCS · NV → AZ
Compare Nellis Air Force Base and Luke Air Force Base
E-5 BAH with dependents is $2,289 a month at Luke Air Force Base and $2,070 at Nellis Air Force Base (2026 DTMO rates), $219 apart. Measured against HUD's 3-bedroom rent for the ZIP outside each gate ($2,210 in 89156, $2,450 in 85311), that leaves $140/mo short at Nellis Air Force Base and $161/mo short at Luke Air Force Base. Buying off-base, the Census median home value is $427,900 in Las Vegas and $387,500 in Glendale. Nevada has no state income tax on wages and Arizona lists a top income-tax rate of 2.5%, though tax on military pay follows legal residence, not the duty station.
Moving the other way (Luke Air Force Base to Nellis Air Force Base)? The same numbers apply—swap the columns.
Deadlines and checklists on this page are for arriving in Luke Air Force Base; for Nellis Air Force Base, see the Nellis Air Force Base page.
Data: Nellis Air Force Base: DTMO 2026 BAH for MHA NV212, HUD rents for ZIP 89156, Census ACS for Las Vegas city, NOAA normals at Las Vegas Air Terminal, NV; Luke Air Force Base: DTMO 2026 BAH for MHA AZ013, HUD rents for ZIP 85311, Census ACS for Glendale city, NOAA normals at Litchfield Park, AZ. Jump to sources · Methodology
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Nellis Air Force Base to Luke 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.
- Nellis Air Force Base
- $1,737
- Luke Air Force Base
- $1,740
- Higher BAH at Luke Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Nellis Air Force Base
- $157/mo left over
- Luke Air Force Base
- $100/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Las Vegas vs Glendale
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Nellis Air Force Base Las Vegas 89156 | Luke Air Force Base Glendale 85311 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $427,900 | $387,500 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,563/mo | $1,528 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,580/mo | $1,840 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,210/mo | $2,450 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,735/mo | $1,839 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$157/mo | −$100/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$140/mo | −$161/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$157/mo at Nellis Air Force Base vs −$100/mo at Luke Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$140/mo vs −$161/mo.
Host-state comparison: Nevada vs. Arizona
| Nevada | Arizona | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.24% | 8.52% |
| Property tax | 0.50% | 0.48% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.12% effective | Yes — 1.68% effective |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 2.5% |
| Median home value | $449,421 | $425,807 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,735 | $1,839 |
| Climate high/low | 80° / 58°F | 86° / 60°F |
| Annual precip | 4.0 in | 8.2 in |
| Nearby city | Las Vegas | Glendale |
| Host state | Nevada | Arizona |
PCS checklist for Luke Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Luke Air Force Base uses MHA AZ013 (ZIP 85309).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Luke Air Force Base is $1,839/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Arizona residents typically have 10 days for a license and 15 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Luke Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Luke Air Force Base ($2,289 vs $2,070).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $387,500 in Glendale vs $427,900 in Las Vegas (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,840 in 85311 vs $1,580 in 89156.
- Host-state wage tax is No personal income tax in Nevada vs Flat 2.5% in Arizona (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.52% in Arizona vs 8.24% in Nevada.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Nellis Air Force Base to Luke 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: $2,070 vs $2,289; without dependents: $1,737 vs $1,740.
What is local rent like near Luke Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 85311 (Glendale) is $1,840/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,450/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,839/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Nellis Air Force Base to Luke Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$157/mo at Nellis Air Force Base vs −$100/mo at Luke Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$140/mo vs −$161/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 Nellis Air Force Base to Luke Air 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. Nevada: No personal income tax. Arizona: Flat 2.5%. 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 Luke Air Force Base?
New Arizona residents typically have 10 days for a license and 15 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Nevada).
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 Nellis Air Force Base (NV212); Luke Air Force Base (AZ013). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Clark County $1,735; Maricopa County $1,839.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 89156 (Las Vegas) $1,580 / $2,210; 85311 (Glendale) $1,840 / $2,450.
- 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 Las Vegas city, Nevada ($427,900, $1,563/mo) and Glendale city, Arizona ($387,500, $1,528/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Las Vegas Air Terminal, NV (USW00053123); Litchfield Park, AZ (USC00024977).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Nevada and Arizona 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 Nevada and Arizona. 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 Nevada and Arizona. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Nevada motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.85%); Arizona motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 15 days; title tax 5.60%). 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 Nevada and Arizona. 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 Nevada and Arizona. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.
Data last updated: September 2026. How the data is compiled