Where to live

Where to live near Twentynine Palms

4 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

ClosestHomestead Valley70 min drive
Biggest nearbyTwentynine Palms27,355 people
Lowest median rentHomestead Valley$1,047 a month
Most E-5 BAH left overYucca Valley$810 over a 2-bedroom
4 towns, closest first

Towns around Twentynine Palms

The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($1,980) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.

Homestead Valley, CA

70 min drive · 21.2 road mi
Median rent
$1,047
2 bedrooms
-
3 bedrooms
-
Home value
$245,900
People
2,689
Homes rented
9%

E-5 BAH left over after the median rent: +$933 a month

Morongo Unified School District: 17 schools, 7,359 students, 21 students per teacher. District facts

Twentynine Palms, CA

82 min drive · 19.3 road mi
Median rent
$1,352
2 bedrooms
$1,199
3 bedrooms
$1,566
Home value
$268,200
People
27,355
Homes rented
62%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$781 a month

Morongo Unified School District: 17 schools, 7,359 students, 21 students per teacher. District facts

Joshua Tree, CA

103 min drive · 34.7 road mi
Median rent
$1,246
2 bedrooms
$1,628
3 bedrooms
$1,674
Home value
$334,200
People
6,234
Homes rented
34%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$352 a month

Morongo Unified School District: 17 schools, 7,359 students, 21 students per teacher. District facts

Yucca Valley, CA

112 min drive · 40.2 road mi
Median rent
$1,428
2 bedrooms
$1,170
3 bedrooms
$1,830
Home value
$363,400
People
21,770
Homes rented
37%

E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$810 a month

Morongo Unified School District: 17 schools, 7,359 students, 21 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.

Twentynine Palms base guide   Twentynine Palms BAH   Other bases

FAQ

Living near Twentynine Palms

What is the closest town to MCB Twentynine Palms?

Homestead Valley, CA is about 70 minutes from the main post area (21.2 road miles) without traffic.

What is the biggest town near MCB Twentynine Palms?

Twentynine Palms, CA, with about 27,355 people, 82 minutes from the main post area. Bigger towns usually mean more rentals, schools and jobs to choose from.

Which town near MCB Twentynine Palms has the lowest rent?

Homestead Valley, CA, where the Census median rent is $1,047 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 MCB Twentynine Palms?

For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $1,980 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 Yucca Valley, CA.

What school district serves Homestead Valley?

Morongo Unified School District, with 17 schools and 7,359 students (21 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.