If you have orders for a PCS to Edwards Air Force Base, welcome to the Antelope Valley. PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station, the military term for moving from one duty station to another. Edwards is one of the most storied installations in the Air Force, and it draws a close community of service members, federal civilians, contractors, and families. This guide covers what you need to know before you arrive: where to live, housing pay, schools, healthcare, and daily life in the high desert.

What and Where Is Edwards Air Force Base?

Edwards Air Force Base sits on Rogers Dry Lake in the western Mojave Desert, in Kern County, California, about 100 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The base covers roughly 301,000 acres — the largest Air Force installation by land — and the airfield includes what is recognized as the world's longest runway.

Edwards is home to the Air Force Test Center (AFTC) and the 412th Test Wing, the host wing for the installation. According to the 412th Test Wing's official fact sheet, the wing plans, conducts, analyzes, and reports on all flight and ground testing of aircraft, weapons systems, software, and components for the U.S. Air Force. Its mission is to test and evaluate advanced aerospace systems to accelerate war-winning capabilities to the warfighter. The wing maintains an average of 90 aircraft across more than 30 different designs and performs upward of 7,400 missions per year. The U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS) is also part of the wing.

Also on the installation is NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center, NASA's primary center for high-risk atmospheric flight research. Armstrong's work spans advanced aeronautics, supersonic research, hypersonics, and emerging technologies.

Where to Live When PCSing to Edwards AFB

Most families settle in on-base housing or one of the surrounding Antelope Valley communities. Ask your sponsor and the housing office about on-base options and wait times early in your process.

Approximate one-way drive times to Edwards AFB. Times vary with traffic and the gate you use.

Rosamond

Rosamond sits just south of the main gate, roughly 15 minutes away. It is the closest off-base community, with affordable housing and a large base-employee population. For families who want a short commute and no-frills desert living, Rosamond is often the first pick.

Mojave

Mojave is about 25 minutes west of Edwards. Home of the Mojave Air and Space Port, the world's first licensed commercial spaceport, it is a quiet small-town choice with lower home prices and easy access to State Route 14.

California City

California City, about 30 minutes from the gate, is a large planned community that remains lightly developed in many areas. Housing is affordable, the community has grown alongside Edwards, and the setting is open and quiet.

Lancaster

Lancaster is roughly 30 minutes east and one of the two major Antelope Valley cities. It offers a full range of shopping, restaurants, medical care, and entertainment, along with a mix of established neighborhoods and newer construction. For city amenities without a dramatically longer drive, Lancaster is a strong option.

Palmdale

Palmdale, about 35 minutes from Edwards, is the largest city in the Antelope Valley and sits near Plant 42, a major aerospace manufacturing site. It has the widest selection of neighborhoods and direct freeway access toward Los Angeles. Many military and federal civilian families land here for the combination of convenience and community.

Tehachapi

Tehachapi, about 40 minutes north in the mountains, trades desert heat for pine trees and cooler temperatures. Home prices can be lower, and the mountain setting is a genuine change of pace. Families who want that environment find the longer commute worthwhile.

Edwards AFB BAH and the Cost of Living

If you live off base, the military helps cover housing costs through BAH — Basic Allowance for Housing. BAH is a monthly, tax-free payment that depends on your rank, whether you have dependents, and your duty station's Military Housing Area (MHA). Edwards AFB falls within its own Edwards AFB MHA.

Because rates change each year and vary by rank and dependent status, we do not publish a rate table here. Use the official DoD BAH Rate Lookup at travel.dod.mil to find your exact figure. Always confirm before signing a lease or making an offer.

For a sense of buying costs, the typical home value in Lancaster was about $467,539 in May 2026, according to Zillow. That is a typical value, not a median sale price. As of the week of June 18, 2026, Freddie Mac reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.47 percent. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on how long you expect to be at Edwards, so run the numbers for your own situation.

For more on your VA loan — the home loan backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs — see what are the benefits of a VA loan and how does a 0 down VA loan work.

Schools Near Edwards AFB

The schools your children attend depend on where you live.

Families on base or in the Rosamond and North Edwards area are served by Muroc Joint Unified School District. According to the district, Muroc JUSD covers the communities of North Edwards and Edwards AFB, plus the Boron area, across 578 square miles of Kern and San Bernardino counties. The district operates Branch Elementary, West Boron Elementary, Desert Junior/Senior High, and Boron Junior/Senior High.