Dover Air Force Base Relocation Guide: PCSing to the First State
Home of the C-5M Super Galaxy, two miles south of Delaware's capital — and one of the most affordable, family-friendly assignments in the Air Force. Here's everything an inbound military family needs to know.
Orders to Dover AFB? Take a breath — this is one of the good ones. Dover Air Force Base sits just two miles south of Dover, Delaware's capital, in the geographic center of the Delmarva Peninsula. It's home to the 436th Airlift Wing, which flies the C-5M Super Galaxy — the largest aircraft in the Air Force fleet — and the Air Force Mortuary Affairs Operations (AFMAO), the military's sole port of entry for fallen service members returning home. The base is compact, the surrounding community is genuinely military-friendly, and Delaware's tax structure is quietly one of the best deals a military family will find anywhere in the country.
On-base vs. off-base housing
On-base housing at Dover is managed by Hunt Military Communities (the Eagle Heights community, roughly 980 homes — single-family houses and duplexes). Contact the Housing Office at (302) 677-3220 as soon as you have orders; waitlists move with PCS season, so early application matters. Base amenities include the commissary and Exchange, the 436th Medical Group (primary care, dental, and specialty services), a fitness center, pool, sports fields, and the Eagle's Rest Inn for temporary lodging during your move.
Off-base housing is where most families land, and the math usually works. Dover-area home prices and rents run well below the national average for military towns, and Delaware's lack of sales tax stretches every dollar of your household budget. Most military families settle within a 10–25 minute radius of the main gate.
BAH: what it is and how to think about it
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is the tax-free monthly housing stipend the military pays service members who don't live in government housing. Your rate depends on your pay grade, whether you have dependents, and the zip code of your duty station — not where you actually choose to live. Rates are recalculated every January 1, and they can move up or down with the local rental market.
The key strategic point for Dover: BAH is set to cover typical rental costs near the base, but the Dover-area market runs affordable enough that many families find they can rent below BAH and pocket the difference — or buy a home whose mortgage payment lands near their BAH. That's the Dover advantage in one sentence. (Verify current-year BAH rates at militarybenefits.info or with the base housing office before making plans — rates change annually.)
The best nearby towns for military families
- Dover (5–10 min to the gate) — the capital city, biggest inventory of rentals and homes, all the shopping and services, and the Caesar Rodney school district. The obvious default, and there's nothing wrong with it.
- Camden / Wyoming (10–15 min) — small-town feel directly west of Dover, popular with families who want quiet streets and a short commute. Caesar Rodney schools.
- Magnolia (10–15 min) — tiny, rural, affordable; for families who want land and don't mind driving to everything.
- Cheswold (10–15 min) — just north of the base along Route 13; convenient and unpretentious.
- Smyrna (20–25 min) — the "move-up" option: newer subdivisions, a real downtown, highly regarded Smyrna School District. The commute is an easy straight shot down Route 13/DE-1. Many senior NCOs and officers land here.
- Milford (25–30 min south) — splits the difference between the base and the beaches; worth considering if beach weekends matter to your family.
Schools near the base
Your address determines your assigned ("feeder") school, but Delaware's school choice program (see our School District Guide) lets you apply to any public school in the state. Near the base, the districts to know are Caesar Rodney (Dover, Camden), Capital (central Dover), Smyrna, and Lake Forest (Magnolia, Cheswold area). Register with your feeder school first, then file a choice application at SchoolChoiceDE.org if you want a different school — the annual window runs roughly November through January for the following school year, so PCS timing matters.
VA loan basics for the Dover area
The VA home loan is one of the best benefits you'll ever use: no down payment, no private mortgage insurance, and competitive rates. In the Dover market — where solid family homes still trade in the $300Ks–$400Ks — a VA loan with no money down is genuinely life-changing math. Key points:
- You'll need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE) — request it through the VA or have your lender pull it.
- Expect a VA funding fee (a percentage of the loan, which varies by down payment and whether it's your first use; it can be rolled into the loan). Service-connected disabled veterans are typically exempt.
- The home must pass a VA appraisal — it's part valuation, part minimum-property-standards check. In an older-housing market like Kent County, budget for possible repair conditions.
- Your entitlement can be reused — selling a VA-financed home generally restores it.
This is general information, not lending or legal advice. Work with a VA-approved lender experienced in the Dover market.
Things military families should know about Delaware
- No sales tax. None. Not on cars, not on furniture, not on anything. Furnishing a whole house tax-free is a bigger deal than it sounds.
- Low property taxes. Kent County's effective property tax rate is among the lowest in the nation — a fraction of what you'd pay in Virginia or Maryland. This is a major reason military families buy here.
- No estate tax. Delaware has no state estate tax.
- Military retirement pay is exempt from Delaware income tax up to certain limits — verify current exemption amounts with a tax professional, as these change.
- Driver's license & vehicle registration: Delaware gives new residents 60 days to transfer their license and registration. Active-duty military stationed in Delaware may qualify for exemptions — check with the Delaware DMV and your legal office.
- The beach is 45 minutes away. Rehoboth and Lewes are an easy day trip. Your family will use this constantly.
Inbound PCS checklist
- ☐ Contact the Housing Office (302) 677-3220 — apply for on-base housing or get the off-base referral list
- ☐ Book temporary lodging — Eagle's Rest Inn on base, or off-base hotels near the main gate
- ☐ Check current-year BAH rates for your grade/dependency status
- ☐ If buying: get your COE and connect with a VA-approved local lender
- ☐ Research school districts; note the school choice application window (Nov–Jan)
- ☐ Arrange household goods shipment through DPS; consider DPM (personally procured move) math
- ☐ Transfer driver's license and vehicle registration within 60 days of establishing residency
- ☐ Enroll in TRICARE for the region and transfer prescriptions; register with the 436th Medical Group or an off-base provider
- ☐ File your travel voucher promptly — and keep every receipt
- ☐ Visit the Military & Family Readiness Center on base for newcomer orientation
Base main line: (302) 677-3000 · Housing Office: (302) 677-3220 · Official site: dover.af.mil
Sources
- Dover AFB official site (dover.af.mil) — base location, units, lodging and contact information
- Air Force Times reporting on Eagle Heights/Hunt Military Communities housing at Dover AFB
- PCSing.com — Dover AFB base page (location, regional context)
- Delaware DMV — new-resident license/registration timelines
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs — VA home loan program basics
- MilitaryBenefits.info — BAH rate tables