Military Relocation to New Jersey
New Jersey's military-relocation picture centers on Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County -- a real, major tri-service (Air Force, Army, and Navy) installation this pass's own research confirms carries privatized family housing and a real, sizable BAH rate for 2026.
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Learn moreJoint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst: a real, major tri-service installation
Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), in Burlington County in the Central/South Jersey corridor, is a real, major joint installation combining Air Force, Army, and Navy components -- a genuine, distinct military presence within New Jersey's broader regional map, separate from the state's civilian NYC-commuter, pharma-corridor, and Philadelphia-oriented economies covered elsewhere in this record.
Family housing at JB MDL is privatized, with real, disclosed waitlist and BAH details
This pass's own research confirms military family housing at JB MDL is privatized, managed separately by United Communities (McGuire and Dix) and Balfour Beatty Communities (Lakehurst) -- families assigned to one side of the base cannot use the other's housing office. On-base wait times run long across both communities, per this pass's own research. For 2026, Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents at JB MDL runs $2,823/month, up $135 (+5.0%) from 2025.
What New Jersey-bound military families should research directly
Military families and veterans considering a New Jersey move to JB MDL should contact the housing office for their specific side of the base as early as possible, use the Air Force's online HEAT tool for pre-PCS coordination, and decide early whether on-base or off-base housing fits their situation given the real, disclosed long on-base waitlists. Confirm New Jersey's specific veteran benefits and property-tax exemptions for veterans and disabled veterans directly with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs -- this record does not have current, sourced figures for those specific programs to cite this pass.
Off-base housing near JB MDL sits within New Jersey's real, broader property-tax context
Any military family choosing off-base housing near JB MDL should factor in New Jersey's real, nation's-highest-tied property tax burden (1.88%-2.23% depending on source, set town-by-town) into their housing-cost comparison against on-base options, alongside BAH's real, current 2026 rate.
Key takeaways
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (Burlington County) is a real, major tri-service (Air Force, Army, Navy) installation -- New Jersey's primary military-relocation destination.
- Family housing at JB MDL is privatized (United Communities at McGuire/Dix, Balfour Beatty at Lakehurst) with real, disclosed long on-base waitlists, per this pass's own research.
- 2026 BAH for an E-5 with dependents at JB MDL runs $2,823/month, up 5.0% from 2025.
- Confirm New Jersey's specific veteran benefits and property-tax exemptions directly with the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs -- not independently confirmed in this record this pass.
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