Compare military bases / Vandenberg Space Force Base → Mountain Home Air Force Base
Vandenberg → Mountain Home
Compare Vandenberg Space Force Base and Mountain Home Air Force Base
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Mountain Home 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.
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- $2,778
- Mountain Home Air Force Base
- $1,524
- Lower BAH at Mountain Home Air Force Base
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- $48/mo left over
- Mountain Home Air Force Base
- $136/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Lompoc vs Mountain Home
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 | Mountain Home Air Force Base Mountain Home 83647 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $472,900 | $309,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,589/mo | $1,155 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,730/mo | $1,660 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,610/mo | $2,320 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $3,124/mo | $1,192 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$48/mo | −$136/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$277/mo | −$715/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$48/mo at Vandenberg Space Force Base vs −$136/mo at Mountain Home Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$277/mo vs −$715/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. Idaho
| California | Idaho | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 6.03% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 0.50% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 5.3% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $483,379 |
| Branch | Space Force | Air Force |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $3,124 | $1,192 |
| Climate high/low | 70° / 48°F | 64° / 42°F |
| Annual precip | 13.3 in | 11.5 in |
| Nearby city | Lompoc | Mountain Home |
| Host state | California | Idaho |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → Idaho
PCS checklist for Mountain Home Air Force Base
- Update DEERS. BAH at Mountain Home Air Force Base uses MHA ID086 (ZIP 83648).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Mountain Home Air Force Base is $1,192/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Idaho residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Mountain Home Air Force Base.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Mountain Home Air Force Base ($1,605 vs $3,333).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $309,400 in Mountain Home vs $472,900 in Lompoc (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,660 in 83647 vs $2,730 in 93436.
- Vandenberg Space Force Base is labeled Space Force; Mountain Home Air Force Base is Air Force. 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 5.3% in Idaho (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6.03% in Idaho vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Mountain Home 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: $3,333 vs $1,605; without dependents: $2,778 vs $1,524.
What is local rent like near Mountain Home Air Force Base?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 83647 (Mountain Home) is $1,660/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,320/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,192/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Vandenberg Space Force Base to Mountain Home Air Force Base?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$48/mo at Vandenberg Space Force Base vs −$136/mo at Mountain Home Air Force Base. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$277/mo vs −$715/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 Mountain Home 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. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). Idaho: Top listed rate 5.3%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Mountain Home Air Force Base compare with Vandenberg Space Force Base?
Combined sales tax averages 6.03% in Idaho 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 Mountain Home Air Force Base?
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 Mountain Home Air Force Base?
New Idaho residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
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 Vandenberg Space Force Base (CA026); Mountain Home Air Force Base (ID086). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Santa Barbara County $3,124; Elmore County $1,192.
- 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; 83647 (Mountain Home) $1,660 / $2,320.
- 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 Mountain Home city, Idaho ($309,400, $1,155/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Santa Maria Public (NWS) (USW00023273); Boise Air Terminal (NWS) (USW00024131).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and Idaho 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 Idaho. 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 Idaho. 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%); Idaho 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 California and Idaho. 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 Idaho. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.