Compare military bases / Sheppard Air Force Base → Fairchild Air Force Base
Sheppard → Fairchild
Compare Sheppard Air Force Base and Fairchild Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Sheppard Air Force Base to Fairchild 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.
- Sheppard Air Force Base
- $1,182
- Fairchild Air Force Base
- $1,665
- Higher BAH at Fairchild Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Sheppard Air Force Base
- $82/mo left over
- Fairchild Air Force Base
- $65/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Wichita Falls vs Spokane
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Sheppard Air Force Base Wichita Falls 76306 | Fairchild Air Force Base Spokane 99224 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $156,800 | $363,500 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,022/mo | $1,215 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,100/mo | $1,600 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,500/mo | $2,180 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,136/mo | $1,531 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$82/mo | +$65/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$9/mo | +$4/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$82/mo at Sheppard Air Force Base vs +$65/mo at Fairchild Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$9/mo vs +$4/mo.
Host-state comparison: Texas vs. Washington
| Texas | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.20% | 9.51% |
| Property tax | 1.40% | 0.75% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $304,099 | $609,756 |
| Branch | Air Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,136 | $1,531 |
| Climate high/low | 78° / 54°F | 58° / 39°F |
| Annual precip | 25.2 in | 16.4 in |
| Nearby city | Wichita Falls | Spokane |
| Host state | Texas | Washington |
Click here for the full state comparison: Texas → Washington
PCS checklist for Fairchild Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fairchild Air Force Base uses MHA WA310 (ZIP 99011).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fairchild Air Force Base is $1,531/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Washington residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fairchild Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fairchild Air Force Base ($2,184 vs $1,491).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $363,500 in Spokane vs $156,800 in Wichita Falls (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,600 in 99224 vs $1,100 in 76306.
- Combined sales tax averages 9.51% in Washington vs 8.2% in Texas.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Sheppard Air Force Base to Fairchild 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: $1,491 vs $2,184; without dependents: $1,182 vs $1,665.
What is local rent like near Fairchild Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 99224 (Spokane) is $1,600/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,180/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,531/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Sheppard Air Force Base to Fairchild Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$82/mo at Sheppard Air Force Base vs +$65/mo at Fairchild Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$9/mo vs +$4/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 Wichita Falls vs Spokane?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $156,800 in Wichita Falls city, Texas vs $363,500 in Spokane city, Washington. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,022 vs $1,215. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fairchild Air Force Base?
New Washington residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 30 days in Texas).
How does sales tax near Fairchild Air Force Base compare with Sheppard Air Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 9.51% in Washington vs 8.2% in Texas. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Sheppard Air Force Base to Fairchild Air Force Base?
Annual normals at Abilene Regional (NWS) are 78° / 54°F and 25.2 in of precipitation vs 58° / 39°F and 16.4 in at Spokane Intl (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
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 Sheppard Air Force Base (TX288); Fairchild Air Force Base (WA310). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Wichita County $1,136; Spokane County $1,531.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 76306 (Wichita Falls) $1,100 / $1,500; 99224 (Spokane) $1,600 / $2,180.
- 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 Wichita Falls city, Texas ($156,800, $1,022/mo) and Spokane city, Washington ($363,500, $1,215/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Abilene Regional (NWS) (USW00013962); Spokane Intl (NWS) (USW00024157).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Texas and Washington 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 Texas and Washington. 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 Texas and Washington. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Texas motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%); Washington motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.50%). 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 Texas and Washington. 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 Texas and Washington. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.