Compare military bases / Shaw Air Force Base → Hurlburt Field
Shaw → Hurlburt
Compare Shaw Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Shaw Air Force Base to Hurlburt Field?
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.
- Shaw Air Force Base
- $1,290
- Hurlburt Field
- $2,157
- Higher BAH at Hurlburt Field
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Shaw Air Force Base
- $20/mo short
- Hurlburt Field
- $447/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Sumter vs Mary Esther
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Shaw Air Force Base Sumter 29150 | Hurlburt Field Mary Esther 32569 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $199,100 | $298,900 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,076/mo | $1,699 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,310/mo | $1,710 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,570/mo | $2,350 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,276/mo | $1,785 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$20/mo | +$447/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$67/mo | +$83/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$20/mo at Shaw Air Force Base vs +$447/mo at Hurlburt Field. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$67/mo vs +$83/mo.
Host-state comparison: South Carolina vs. Florida
| South Carolina | Florida | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 6.98% |
| Property tax | 0.49% | 0.78% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.33% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 6.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $307,843 | $378,667 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,276 | $1,785 |
| Climate high/low | 76° / 53°F | 84° / 71°F |
| Annual precip | 45.2 in | 67.4 in |
| Nearby city | Sumter | Mary Esther |
| Host state | South Carolina | Florida |
Click here for the full state comparison: South Carolina → Florida
PCS checklist for Hurlburt Field
- Update DEERS. BAH at Hurlburt Field uses MHA FL056 (ZIP 32544).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Hurlburt Field is $1,785/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Florida residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Hurlburt Field.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Hurlburt Field ($2,433 vs $1,503).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $298,900 in Mary Esther vs $199,100 in Sumter (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,710 in 32569 vs $1,310 in 29150.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina vs No personal income tax in Florida (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6.98% in Florida vs 7.49% in South Carolina.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Shaw Air Force Base to Hurlburt Field?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,503 vs $2,433; without dependents: $1,290 vs $2,157.
What is local rent like near Hurlburt Field?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 32569 (Mary Esther) is $1,710/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,350/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,785/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Shaw Air Force Base to Hurlburt Field?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$20/mo at Shaw Air Force Base vs +$447/mo at Hurlburt Field. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$67/mo vs +$83/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 Shaw Air Force Base to Hurlburt Field?
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%. Florida: No personal income tax. 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 Hurlburt Field?
New Florida residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 45 days in South Carolina).
What do homes cost in Sumter vs Mary Esther?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $199,100 in Sumter city, South Carolina vs $298,900 in Mary Esther city, Florida. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,076 vs $1,699. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How does sales tax near Hurlburt Field compare with Shaw Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 6.98% in Florida vs 7.49% in South Carolina. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
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 Shaw Air Force Base (SC263); Hurlburt Field (FL056). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Sumter County $1,276; Okaloosa County $1,785.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 29150 (Sumter) $1,310 / $1,570; 32569 (Mary Esther) $1,710 / $2,350.
- 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 Sumter city, South Carolina ($199,100, $1,076/mo) and Mary Esther city, Florida ($298,900, $1,699/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Columbia Metro (NWS) (USW00013883); Pensacola Intl (NWS) (USW00012839).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for South Carolina and Florida 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 Florida. 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 Florida. 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%); Florida motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 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 South Carolina and Florida. 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 Florida. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.