Military Relocation to Washington
Washington hosts Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), one of the four largest military installations in the United States and the only Army power-projection base west of the Rockies, alongside a real, genuine no-state-income-tax advantage for military pay and a specific, current 2026 BAH structure worth understanding directly.
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Learn moreJoint Base Lewis-McChord: a real, major installation between Tacoma and Olympia
JBLM formed in 2010 when Fort Lewis merged with McChord Air Force Base, spans more than 86,000 acres, and is the only Army power-projection base west of the Rockies -- more than 45,000 active-duty service members call it home, making it one of the four largest military installations in the United States. JBLM sits between Tacoma and Olympia, placing it within real, practical range of both Tacoma's more affordable Puget Sound housing market and the state capital.
2026 BAH rates and on-base housing, precisely
JBLM falls under the Tacoma, WA Military Housing Area for Basic Allowance for Housing purposes, with 2026 BAH rates ranging from $2,034 (E-1 through E-4 without dependents) to $3,501 (O-6 with dependents), effective January 1, 2026. On-base housing is privatized, operated by Lincoln Military Housing, offering more than 20 different neighborhoods with 2-4 bedroom homes sized to family and pay grade -- a real, current construction expansion is underway as well, with a Liberty Military Housing groundbreaking for 212 new homes (106 four-bedroom duplexes) in the Meriwether Landing neighborhood on Lewis North.
No state income tax is a real, genuine advantage for military pay specifically
Washington's lack of a state individual income tax applies to military pay the same as any other Washington resident's wage income -- a real, straightforward financial advantage for service members and their families relative to states that do tax military income, layered on top of standard federal Servicemembers Civil Relief Act protections this record does not detail further here.
Tacoma proximity connects JBLM families to real, disclosed regional trade-offs
JBLM's location between Tacoma and Olympia places military families within reach of Tacoma's genuinely more affordable Puget Sound housing market ($485,000-$507,000, per the housing-market topic) relative to Seattle proper, while still carrying real, practical commute exposure to the broader Puget Sound region's severe traffic congestion documented in the traffic-transportation topic.
Key takeaways
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord, between Tacoma and Olympia, is one of the four largest US military installations, hosting more than 45,000 active-duty service members and the only Army power-projection base west of the Rockies.
- 2026 BAH rates at JBLM (Tacoma Military Housing Area) range from $2,034 to $3,501 depending on rank and dependents, effective January 1, 2026, with privatized on-base housing across 20-plus neighborhoods and real, current new-construction expansion underway.
- Washington's no state income tax applies to military pay the same as any other wage income -- a real, genuine advantage for service members.
- JBLM's location connects military families to Tacoma's more affordable Puget Sound housing market while still carrying real regional traffic-congestion exposure.
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