PCS to JBLM? A Newcomer's Guide to Housing Nearby

Getting orders to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and trying to house-hunt from another state -- or another country -- is genuinely one of the harder moves a family can make. I understand it up close: my own son serves, and PCS moves have touched nearly everyone close to me. Here's the starting point I usually walk families through.

Start with commute, not just distance

JBLM has multiple gates, and depending on which one you'll use regularly, "close to base" can mean very different commute times. Lakewood and DuPont tend to offer the most direct access for many gates, while Steilacoom and University Place trade a few extra minutes for more of a residential, off-base feel. It's worth mapping your specific gate before falling in love with a neighborhood.

Know your BAH, and how far it stretches locally

Basic Allowance for Housing varies by rank and dependency status, and it goes further in some of these neighborhoods than others. Part of my job is helping you understand realistically what that number gets you in each area, so you're not surprised once you're actually here.

Renting vs. buying while you have orders

This is one of the most common questions I get, and the honest answer is: it depends on your timeline and orders. Some families buy even with a set PCS window, because military-friendly loan programs and this area's rental demand can make it work well. Others prefer to rent the first tour and buy once they're more settled. I'm happy to walk through the real math with you either way -- there's no one-size-fits-all answer here.

You can do most of this before you ever set foot here

Video walkthroughs, virtual tours, and a Realtor who's used to working with deployed or geographically-separated service members make it very possible to have housing lined up before your report date. That's the steady hand I try to bring to every military family I work with -- searching for "home" without ever having set foot inside it is hard, and I don't take that lightly.

You can also browse my JBLM area guide for a broader look at the surrounding neighborhoods.