Where to live

Where to live near Fort Irwin

3 towns within about an hour of the main post area: drive time, rent, home values and the school district for each.

Town centers and the main post area. Dot size is population.

Quick answers

ClosestFort Irwin6 min drive

Lowest median rentBarstow$1,091 a month

Most E-5 BAH left overBarstow$954 over a 2-bedroom

3 towns, closest first

Towns around Fort Irwin

The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($2,001) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.

Fort Irwin, CA

6 min drive · 2 road mi

Median rent: $1,818
2 bedrooms: $1,639
3 bedrooms: $1,916
Home value: -
People: 8,419
Homes rented: 99%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$362 a month

Silver Valley Unified School District: 9 schools, 2,030 students, 17.8 students per teacher. District facts

Barstow, CA

58 min drive · 41.5 road mi

Median rent: $1,091
2 bedrooms: $1,047
3 bedrooms: $1,311
Home value: $245,000
People: 25,100
Homes rented: 56%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$954 a month

Barstow Unified School District: 14 schools, 6,318 students, 24.5 students per teacher. District facts

Lenwood, CA

62 min drive · 44.9 road mi

Median rent: $1,176
2 bedrooms: $1,172
3 bedrooms: $1,205
Home value: $194,300
People: 3,383
Homes rented: 38%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$829 a month

Barstow Unified School District: 14 schools, 6,318 students, 24.5 students per teacher. District facts

Where these numbers come from

Towns: every town, city and census place of 1,000 or more people within about an hour's drive, from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Drive time: from each town's center to the main post area on OpenStreetMap roads, without traffic, so rush hour runs longer.
Rent, home value, renters: Census American Community Survey 2020-2024 medians. They include long-time renters and utilities, so new leases usually cost more. Use them to compare towns, and the HUD rent on the BAH page for today's level.
Schools: the public district that covers each town's center, with size from the NCES Common Core of Data (2023-24). Confirm the school for a specific address with the district.

Updated October 12, 2026. How we get our numbers.

Fort Irwin base guide Fort Irwin BAH Other bases

FAQ

Living near Fort Irwin

What is the closest town to Fort Irwin / NTC?

Fort Irwin, CA is about 6 minutes from the main post area (2 road miles) without traffic.

Which town near Fort Irwin / NTC has the lowest rent?

Barstow, CA, where the Census median rent is $1,091 a month (rent plus utilities, 2020-2024 average). New leases usually cost more than the median, so check current listings too.

Does BAH cover rent near Fort Irwin / NTC?

For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $2,001 a month. That is at or above the Census median 2-bedroom rent in 3 of the 3 towns here with a Census figure for that size, with the most left over in Barstow, CA.

What school district serves Fort Irwin?

Silver Valley Unified School District, with 9 schools and 2,030 students (17.8 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.