So it’s not surprising that they generally prefer to rent rather than own a home. But affordability has become a problem in some areas around military bases where rents have climbed in recent years.
Research published by real estate website Trulia on Wednesday depicts sizable variation in rental housing affordability across regions.
The least affordable areas identified were Fayetteville, Ark., and the Florida Keys, where fewer than one in 10 Trulia rental listings were affordable for those with dependents in the four lowest military pay grades. In the area surrounding the Marine Corps base in Quantico, Va. -- home to about 8,200 military personnel -- only 11.7 percent of rentals were similarly affordable to personnel with dependents.
The report examined military housing areas -- groups of federally defined ZIP codes near some form of military installation -- across the country, comparing rent prices with housing stipends provided by the federal government. The majority of the least affordable areas were large cities or in coastal regions and other areas tied to tourism.
Members of the military receive a housing stipend based on their pay grades, adjusted for local rent and utility costs. Personnel with children receive higher housing allowances (an average of about 31 percent more than those without dependents), although families with one child receive the same as those with multiple children. Typically, about three-quarters of housing stipends pay for rent costs, with the remainder going to utilities, so Trulia calculated the share of all rentals in an area not exceeding 75 percent of the housing allowance.
This table shows affordability for military personnel in the four lowest pay grades, who collectively make up just over half of enlisted personnel:
| Military Housing Area | Listings With Rent Less Than 75% of Housing Stipend | Stipend Surplus Over Median Rent | Pay Grade E01-E04 Housing Stipend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD | 26.2% | 6.5% | $1,452 |
| Abilene/Dyess Air Force Base, TX | 40.5% | 19.0% | $1,071 |
| Akron, OH | 58.4% | 48.4% | $1,113 |
| Albany, GA | 56.1% | 42.2% | $885 |
| Albuquerque/Kirtland Air Force Base, NM | 29.7% | 9.9% | $1,209 |
| Allentown/Bethlehem, PA | 53.0% | 39.9% | $1,539 |
| Anchorage, AK | 31.7% | 13.8% | $1,707 |
| Ann Arbor, MI | 34.6% | 15.7% | $1,533 |
| Annapolis, MD | 32.2% | 16.6% | $2,040 |
| Asheville, NC | 28.5% | 6.6% | $1,386 |
| Atlanta, GA | 37.7% | 15.0% | $1,374 |
| Atlantic City, NJ | 35.8% | 20.2% | $1,563 |
| Austin, TX | 18.1% | -2.3% | $1,515 |
| Ballston Spa/Albany, NY | 51.3% | 33.4% | $1,668 |
| Baltimore, MD | 59.6% | 44.2% | $2,019 |
| Bangor, ME | 39.3% | 21.8% | $1,035 |
| Baton Rouge, LA | 29.0% | 4.5% | $1,254 |
| Battle Creek/Kalamazoo, MI | 47.9% | 30.2% | $1,074 |
| Beale Air Force Base, CA | 36.3% | 8.2% | $1,509 |
| Beaufort/Parris Island, SC | 18.1% | -4.4% | $1,290 |
| Beaumont, TX | 65.5% | 54.8% | $1,347 |
| Birmingham, AL | 49.3% | 33.3% | $1,233 |
| Bloomington, IN | 35.9% | 14.6% | $1,089 |
| Boise, ID | 14.3% | -6.8% | $927 |
| Boston, MA | 37.0% | 21.0% | $2,904 |
| Boulder, CO | 16.7% | -7.0% | $1,698 |
| Bremerton, WA | 33.6% | 10.8% | $1,413 |
| Brownsville, TX | 38.6% | 18.2% | $1,182 |
| Brunswick, ME | 57.5% | 44.8% | $1,158 |
| Buffalo, NY | 67.4% | 67.0% | $1,461 |
| Burlington, VT | 36.5% | 18.4% | $1,776 |
| Camp Lejeune, NC | 48.6% | 31.3% | $1,149 |
| Camp Pendleton, CA | 22.4% | 0.8% | $2,016 |
| Cannon Air Force Base/Clovis, NM | 44.5% | 22.8% | $1,044 |
| Cape Cod, MA | 15.7% | -9.1% | $1,545 |
| Carlisle Barracks, PA | 58.3% | 45.2% | $1,305 |
| Champaign/Urbana, IL | 33.1% | 14.0% | $969 |
| Charleston, SC | 30.1% | 9.7% | $1,536 |
| Charleston, WV | 46.5% | 29.9% | $1,104 |
| Charlotte, NC | 41.0% | 21.6% | $1,404 |
| Charlottesville, VA | 43.3% | 24.8% | $1,623 |
| Chattanooga, TN | 47.3% | 30.8% | $1,308 |
| Cheyenne, WY | 22.2% | -4.7% | $948 |
| Chicago, IL | 33.0% | 7.3% | $1,878 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 71.6% | 68.0% | $1,470 |
| Cleveland, OH | 58.1% | 42.1% | $1,350 |
| College Station, TX | 25.1% | -16.2% | $1,089 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 27.8% | 3.8% | $1,344 |
| Columbia/Fort Jackson, SC | 46.8% | 31.4% | $1,314 |
| Columbia/Jefferson City, MO | 36.4% | 17.0% | $930 |
| Columbus, OH | 33.2% | 12.5% | $1,119 |
| Coos Bay, OR | 45.7% | 29.0% | $1,032 |
| Corpus Christi, TX | 30.1% | 12.3% | $1,572 |
| Corvallis, OR | 26.1% | -3.0% | $1,116 |
| County Cost Group 530 | 53.0% | 42.6% | $927 |
| County Cost Group 540 | 62.4% | 51.7% | $948 |
| County Cost Group 550 | 67.0% | 61.0% | $966 |
| County Cost Group 560 | 64.1% | 51.4% | $984 |
| County Cost Group 570 | 58.0% | 43.1% | $1,002 |
| County Cost Group 580 | 64.6% | 51.1% | $1,020 |
| County Cost Group 590 | 63.6% | 49.8% | $1,041 |
| County Cost Group 600 | 57.1% | 42.1% | $1,059 |
| County Cost Group 610 | 63.8% | 53.9% | $1,077 |
| County Cost Group 620 | 56.1% | 43.1% | $1,095 |
| County Cost Group 630 | 50.2% | 35.3% | $1,116 |
| County Cost Group 640 | 59.1% | 42.6% | $1,134 |
| County Cost Group 650 | 53.8% | 39.3% | $1,149 |
| County Cost Group 660 | 56.5% | 37.3% | $1,167 |
| County Cost Group 670 | 49.9% | 32.7% | $1,188 |
| County Cost Group 680 | 49.1% | 30.4% | $1,206 |
| County Cost Group 690 | 43.1% | 22.4% | $1,224 |
| County Cost Group 700 | 45.2% | 27.4% | $1,242 |
| County Cost Group 710 | 43.8% | 26.9% | $1,263 |
| County Cost Group 720 | 42.9% | 22.0% | $1,281 |
| County Cost Group 730 | 39.1% | 18.1% | $1,299 |
| County Cost Group 740 | 39.0% | 17.1% | $1,317 |
| County Cost Group 750 | 32.0% | 7.0% | $1,338 |
| Dahlgren/Fort Ap Hill, VA | 35.9% | 18.7% | $1,602 |
| Dallas, TX | 40.4% | 21.1% | $1,695 |
| Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, AZ | 32.0% | 13.7% | $1,137 |
| Denver, CO | 28.1% | 6.4% | $1,809 |
| Des Moines, IA | 33.2% | 17.4% | $1,233 |
| Detroit, MI | 62.5% | 52.3% | $1,470 |
| Duluth, MN | 54.8% | 37.1% | $1,302 |
| Durham/Chapel Hill, NC | 34.2% | 14.3% | $1,371 |
| Eastern Panhandle, WV | 21.2% | -0.5% | $1,095 |
| Edwards Air Force Base/Palmdale, CA | 20.1% | -5.8% | $1,272 |
| Eglin Air Force Base, FL | 33.4% | 10.8% | $1,335 |
| El Paso, TX | 30.8% | 19.4% | $1,194 |
| Erie, PA | 54.2% | 38.0% | $1,104 |
| Essex Co, MA | 57.7% | 42.6% | $2,139 |
| Eugene, OR | 50.9% | 35.4% | $1,320 |
| Everett, WA | 31.4% | 10.0% | $1,755 |
| Fairbanks, AK | 30.5% | 8.4% | $1,488 |
| Fargo, ND | 31.7% | 2.2% | $1,017 |
| Fayetteville, AR | 9.2% | -18.6% | $855 |
| Fitchburg, MA | 57.1% | 47.0% | $1,764 |
| Florida Keys, FL | 9.3% | -17.3% | $2,232 |
| Fort Benning, GA | 60.5% | 49.8% | $1,266 |
| Fort Bragg/Pope, NC | 42.5% | 23.2% | $1,170 |
| Fort Campbell, KY | 59.1% | 42.1% | $1,350 |
| Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, AR | 37.2% | 19.1% | $774 |
| Fort Collins, CO | 27.3% | 2.6% | $1,431 |
| Fort Detrick, MD | 18.7% | 6.5% | $1,650 |
| Fort Drum/Watertown, NY | 50.5% | 38.0% | $1,380 |
| Fort G. G. Meade, MD | 25.4% | 12.9% | $2,139 |
| Fort Gordon, GA | 50.7% | 33.6% | $1,236 |
| Fort Hood, TX | 50.0% | 32.2% | $1,134 |
| Fort Huachuca, AZ | 18.4% | 0.9% | $858 |
| Fort Leavenworth, KS | 23.5% | -0.9% | $1,041 |
| Fort Leonard Wood, MO | 38.5% | 17.0% | $936 |
| Fort Monmouth/Earle Nws, NJ | 42.1% | 23.5% | $2,223 |
| Fort Pierce, FL | 22.4% | 1.8% | $1,374 |
| Fort Riley, KS | 35.9% | 11.5% | $1,059 |
| Fort Sill/Lawton, OK | 47.3% | 28.9% | $960 |
| Fort Wayne, IN | 57.4% | 43.0% | $951 |
| Fort Worth, TX | 48.2% | 29.5% | $1,548 |
| Fresno, CA | 47.5% | 27.7% | $1,398 |
| Ft Myers Bch, FL | 27.6% | 6.3% | $1,488 |
| Gainesville, FL | 48.2% | 31.7% | $1,251 |
| Grand Rapids, MI | 18.6% | -3.3% | $957 |
| Greensboro, NC | 37.3% | 19.0% | $1,041 |
| Greenville, SC | 43.5% | 25.1% | $1,251 |
| Gulfport, MS | 36.6% | 22.0% | $1,098 |
| Hampden County, MA | 59.4% | 49.4% | $1,569 |
| Hampton/Newport News, VA | 32.1% | 15.3% | $1,383 |
| Hanscom Air Force Base, MA | 72.9% | 65.2% | $2,643 |
| Hartford, CT | 60.6% | 44.0% | $1,800 |
| Hattiesburg, MS | 65.3% | 51.6% | $1,137 |
| Honolulu County, HI | 39.9% | 18.8% | $2,613 |
| Houston, TX | 30.9% | 12.5% | $1,575 |
| Humboldt County, CA | 34.1% | 10.1% | $1,098 |
| Huntington, WV | 58.4% | 52.4% | $1,059 |
| Huntsville, AL | 53.6% | 37.4% | $1,230 |
| Indian Head Navordsta, MD | 30.3% | 16.4% | $2,037 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 43.0% | 21.5% | $1,197 |
| Jacksonville, FL | 41.1% | 24.2% | $1,428 |
| Jb Mcguire-Dix-Lakehurst, NJ | 32.5% | 19.6% | $1,794 |
| Johnson City/Kingsport, TN | 46.5% | 25.6% | $942 |
| Johnstown, PA | 63.3% | 45.6% | $837 |
| Kansas City, MO | 57.2% | 44.7% | $1,302 |
| Knoxville, TN | 50.2% | 33.8% | $1,137 |
| Lafayette, LA | 30.6% | 2.0% | $1,224 |
| Lake Charles, LA | 52.9% | 38.0% | $1,380 |
| Lansing, MI | 66.5% | 49.0% | $1,155 |
| Lemoore Nas, CA | 29.4% | 3.4% | $1,086 |
| Lexington, KY | 27.3% | 7.6% | $1,071 |
| Lexington, VA | 44.4% | 30.5% | $1,044 |
| Lincoln, NE | 39.3% | 14.3% | $1,026 |
| Little Rock, AR | 57.2% | 41.3% | $1,272 |
| Long Island, NY | 52.4% | 35.7% | $2,985 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 28.3% | 1.6% | $2,337 |
| Louisville, KY | 63.1% | 51.9% | $1,329 |
| Lubbock, TX | 18.4% | -4.9% | $951 |
| Madison, WI | 45.4% | 24.5% | $1,401 |
| Manchester/Concord, NH | 65.0% | 51.5% | $1,818 |
| Marin/Sonoma, CA | 21.6% | -6.4% | $2,433 |
| Marquette, MI | 35.0% | 14.5% | $999 |
| Maui County, HI | 16.1% | -9.5% | $2,082 |
| Memphis, TN | 56.8% | 46.0% | $1,314 |
| Miami/Fort Lauderdale, FL | 34.9% | 14.5% | $2,232 |
| Milwaukee, WI | 57.8% | 48.1% | $1,407 |
| Minneapolis/St Paul, MN | 29.1% | 10.7% | $1,494 |
| Minot Air Force Base, ND | 51.5% | 38.4% | $1,308 |
| Mobile, AL | 45.1% | 24.0% | $1,209 |
| Monterey, CA | 16.9% | -14.1% | $1,890 |
| Montgomery, AL | 49.0% | 32.1% | $1,182 |
| Moody Air Force Base, GA | 44.7% | 32.4% | $1,059 |
| Morehead/Cherry Pt Mcas, NC | 33.4% | 17.2% | $1,113 |
| Morgantown, WV | 40.5% | 23.0% | $1,107 |
| Myrtle Beach, SC | 29.2% | 17.9% | $1,179 |
| Nashville, TN | 32.7% | 16.8% | $1,635 |
| Nellis Air Force Base/Las Vegas, NV | 26.6% | 7.2% | $1,281 |
| New Haven/Fairfield, CT | 79.5% | 100.0% | $3,000 |
| New London, CT | 34.0% | 18.0% | $1,416 |
| New Orleans, LA | 28.7% | 2.7% | $1,335 |
| New York City, NY | 50.6% | 34.1% | $3,486 |
| Newport, RI | 30.4% | 14.2% | $1,599 |
| Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA | 34.3% | 19.1% | $1,518 |
| Northern New Jersey | 42.1% | 20.0% | $2,220 |
| Ns Great Lakes, IL | 22.8% | 0.1% | $1,377 |
| Oakland, CA | 45.0% | 25.9% | $3,135 |
| Ocala, FL | 40.1% | 16.1% | $1,329 |
| Ocean City, MD | 42.4% | 26.8% | $1,281 |
| Ogden/Hill Air Force Base, UT | 30.4% | 8.3% | $1,029 |
| Oklahoma City, OK | 41.5% | 24.5% | $1,245 |
| Omaha/Offutt Air Force Base, NE | 38.6% | 15.4% | $1,212 |
| Orlando, FL | 26.4% | 7.1% | $1,392 |
| Oxford, MD | 23.3% | 9.2% | $1,584 |
| Panama City, FL | 42.6% | 25.5% | $1,443 |
| Patrick Air Force Base, FL | 38.1% | 21.8% | $1,461 |
| Patuxent River, MD | 17.5% | 3.2% | $1,548 |
| Pensacola, FL | 34.7% | 16.1% | $1,170 |
| Peoria, IL | 53.7% | 36.0% | $1,071 |
| Perth Amboy, NJ | 23.2% | 10.7% | $1,992 |
| Philadelphia, PA/Camden, NJ | 60.5% | 49.8% | $1,917 |
| Phoenix, AZ | 31.4% | 12.4% | $1,377 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 61.0% | 57.9% | $1,530 |
| Plymouth, MA | 30.3% | 13.6% | $1,704 |
| Portland, ME | 28.9% | 10.2% | $1,653 |
| Portland, OR | 26.0% | 8.6% | $1,683 |
| Portsmouth, NH/Kittery, ME | 38.1% | 22.3% | $1,590 |
| Providence, RI | 54.4% | 34.5% | $1,614 |
| Provo, UT | 32.6% | 8.2% | $1,077 |
| Quantico/Woodbridge, VA | 11.7% | -1.2% | $1,680 |
| Raleigh, NC | 27.3% | 5.6% | $1,368 |
| Rapid City/Ellsworth Air Force Base, SD | 28.6% | 7.7% | $1,023 |
| Reno/Carson City, NV | 27.7% | -9.7% | $1,170 |
| Richmond/Fort Lee, VA | 34.1% | 12.2% | $1,290 |
| Riverside, CA | 26.0% | 6.8% | $1,815 |
| Roanoke, VA | 43.8% | 23.7% | $1,107 |
| Robins Air Force Base, GA | 43.7% | 28.2% | $1,122 |
| Rochester, NY | 66.7% | 58.5% | $1,359 |
| Rock Island, IL | 77.4% | 68.8% | $1,350 |
| Rome/Griffiss Air Force Base, NY | 60.9% | 55.2% | $1,164 |
| Sacramento, CA | 39.5% | 21.9% | $1,701 |
| Saginaw, MI | 79.4% | 67.0% | $1,002 |
| Salem, OR | 33.0% | 10.5% | $1,077 |
| Salt Lake City, UT | 34.9% | 6.2% | $1,221 |
| San Antonio, TX | 39.1% | 21.2% | $1,515 |
| San Bernardino, CA | 44.9% | 29.9% | $1,689 |
| San Diego, CA | 31.8% | 9.7% | $2,232 |
| San Francisco, CA | 24.5% | 2.6% | $4,002 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | 14.6% | -11.7% | $1,590 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | 29.0% | 4.8% | $3,351 |
| Santa Fe/Los Alamos, NM | 19.7% | -13.0% | $1,296 |
| Savannah, GA | 38.8% | 21.0% | $1,452 |
| Scott Air Force Base, IL | 51.3% | 36.7% | $1,128 |
| Seattle, WA | 29.3% | 9.1% | $2,073 |
| Shreveport/Barksdale Air Force Base, LA | 48.0% | 28.4% | $1,278 |
| Sioux Falls, SD | 34.4% | 17.9% | $1,014 |
| Spokane, WA | 39.4% | 19.0% | $1,065 |
| Springfield, MO | 49.7% | 31.7% | $876 |
| Springfield/Decatur, IL | 42.4% | 23.4% | $987 |
| St. Louis, MO | 52.8% | 39.3% | $1,254 |
| Staten Island, NY | 67.4% | 56.0% | $2,340 |
| Stockton, CA | 26.1% | -0.8% | $1,284 |
| Syracuse, NY | 36.1% | 14.9% | $1,143 |
| Tacoma, WA | 29.9% | 11.1% | $1,500 |
| Tallahassee, FL | 51.0% | 36.7% | $1,230 |
| Tampa, FL | 41.0% | 23.5% | $1,605 |
| Terre Haute, IN | 73.2% | 63.5% | $981 |
| Toledo, OH | 64.2% | 50.0% | $1,125 |
| Topeka, KS | 58.7% | 44.2% | $1,002 |
| Trenton, NJ | 40.3% | 21.8% | $1,980 |
| Tulsa, OK | 30.3% | 8.5% | $1,080 |
| Twenty Nine Palms MCB, CA | 16.4% | -5.1% | $807 |
| Vallejo/Travis Air Force Base, CA | 28.2% | 11.7% | $2,010 |
| Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA | 19.1% | -3.4% | $1,545 |
| Ventura, CA | 13.9% | -12.4% | $2,145 |
| Volusia County, FL | 36.8% | 14.0% | $1,368 |
| Waco, TX | 32.2% | 16.0% | $1,044 |
| Warrenton, VA | 21.1% | 3.8% | $2,070 |
| Washington, D.C. Metro Area | 27.0% | 9.5% | $2,184 |
| West Palm Beach, FL | 34.7% | 15.9% | $1,848 |
| West Point, NY | 63.5% | 53.7% | $2,382 |
| Westchester County, NY | 53.2% | 38.6% | $2,772 |
| Whidbey Island, WA | 12.0% | -11.2% | $1,110 |
| White Sands Mr/Las Cruces, NM | 23.6% | 7.0% | $963 |
| Wichita Fls/Sheppard Air Force Base, TX | 39.8% | 21.7% | $1,053 |
| Wichita/Mcconnell Air Force Base, KS | 38.3% | 20.4% | $993 |
| Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, PA | 61.1% | 45.8% | $1,239 |
| Willow Grove, PA | 47.1% | 28.4% | $1,920 |
| Wilmington, NC | 24.6% | 7.2% | $1,233 |
| Worcester, MA | 61.5% | 45.0% | $1,668 |
| Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH | 62.6% | 49.6% | $1,122 |
| Yakima, WA | 45.1% | 32.1% | $1,050 |
| Youngstown, OH | 66.8% | 54.4% | $888 |
Source: Trulia; Affordability and housing stipend shown for personnel with dependents in pay grades E01-E04
For larger families, cost burdens can be much greater. These families require units with more bedrooms, and the Trulia data reflects listings with a median of approximately two bedrooms per unit. Limited availability of rentals with more than two bedrooms also presents a concern, particularly in urban areas, as the vast majority of rental units have no more than two bedrooms.
The same challenges are faced by families across many of the nation’s largest cities. On average, about 52 percent of households in the 25 most populated cities spend more than the standard 30 percent of income on gross rent costs (which include utilities), according to Census estimates. About a quarter of households even report spending half or more of income on housing expenses.
Teachers, public safety personnel and other local government employees often struggle to afford housing costs in areas where prices have skyrocketed.
The most affordable areas for military families in the Trulia analysis tended to be smaller cities or rural areas. More than three-quarters of rental listings were considered affordable in the Rock Island, Ill., and Saginaw, Mich., military housing areas, for example. The New Haven-Fairfield, Conn., area was deemed the most affordable area, due in large part to the high $3,000 monthly housing stipend for that region.
Trulia also assessed housing affordability for single military personnel without dependents by analyzing listings data on studio and one-bedroom units. Affordability was generally found to be much better than it was for those with dependents -- likely more of a result of the overall lack of affordable family housing than differences in housing stipend amounts.
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