Compare military bases / Vandenberg Space Force Base → Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Vandenberg → JBMDL
Compare Vandenberg Space Force Base and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
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.
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- $2,778
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
- $2,421
- Lower BAH at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- $48/mo left over
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
- $851/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Lompoc vs Wrightstown
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Vandenberg Space Force Base Lompoc 93436 | Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Wrightstown 08562 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $472,900 | $256,300 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,589/mo | $1,270 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,730/mo | $1,570 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,610/mo | $1,890 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $3,124/mo | $1,810 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$48/mo | +$851/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$277/mo | +$933/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$48/mo at Vandenberg Space Force Base vs +$851/mo at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$277/mo vs +$933/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. New Jersey
| California | New Jersey | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 6.60% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 1.88% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 10.75% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $576,610 |
| Branch | Space Force | Joint |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $3,124 | $1,810 |
| Climate high/low | 70° / 48°F | 68° / 51°F |
| Annual precip | 13.3 in | 41.8 in |
| Nearby city | Lompoc | Wrightstown |
| Host state | California | New Jersey |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → New Jersey
PCS checklist for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
- Update DEERS. BAH at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst uses MHA NJ204 (ZIP 08641).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is $1,810/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New New Jersey residents typically have 30 days for a license and 60 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst ($2,823 vs $3,333).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $256,300 in Wrightstown vs $472,900 in Lompoc (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,570 in 08562 vs $2,730 in 93436.
- Vandenberg Space Force Base is labeled Space Force; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is Joint. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs Top listed rate 10.75% in New Jersey (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6.6% in New Jersey vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $3,333 vs $2,823; without dependents: $2,778 vs $2,421.
What is local rent like near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 08562 (Wrightstown) is $1,570/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,890/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,810/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$48/mo at Vandenberg Space Force Base vs +$851/mo at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$277/mo vs +$933/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 Vandenberg Space Force Base to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
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. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). New Jersey: Top listed rate 10.75%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst compare with Vandenberg Space Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 6.6% in New Jersey vs 8.99% in California. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Can I PCS from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
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 long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
New New Jersey residents typically have 30 days for a license and 60 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
Related PCS
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst → Vandenberg Space Force Base
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 Vandenberg Space Force Base (CA026); Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ204). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Santa Barbara County $3,124; Burlington County $1,810.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 93436 (Lompoc) $2,730 / $3,610; 08562 (Wrightstown) $1,570 / $1,890.
- 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 Lompoc city, California ($472,900, $1,589/mo) and Wrightstown borough, New Jersey ($256,300, $1,270/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Santa Maria Public (NWS) (USW00023273); Ronald Reagan Washington National (NWS) (USW00013743).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and New Jersey 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 California and New Jersey. 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 California and New Jersey. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%); New Jersey motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 60 days; title tax 6.62%). 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 California and New Jersey. 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 California and New Jersey. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.