New Mexico
Cannon Air Force Base
📍 Clovis, New Mexico
Home to Air Force Special Operations Command's 27th Special Operations Wing, specializing in close air support and precision strike missions.
BAH Rates
MHA: NM014 Rates as of 2026
E-1 with Dependents$1,062/mo
E-5 with Dependents$1,233/mo
E-5 without Dependents$963/mo
O-3 with Dependents$1,557/mo
O-3 without Dependents$1,149/mo
Housing
View full housing guide →- On-base: Privatized housing through Balfour Beatty Communities — single-family homes and townhomes; wait lists 1-6 months; newer homes built since the AFSOC transition; 3- and 4-bedroom floor plans available
- Off-base (Clovis): Most families live off-base; rentals $700-$1,300/month; BAH goes far in the low-cost eastern New Mexico market; Clovis has older established neighborhoods and some newer subdivisions
- Off-base (Portales): 20-25 min south, home of Eastern New Mexico University, college-town atmosphere, affordable housing with more character
- Top pick: North Clovis near Colonial Park — newer construction, 10-15 min to gate, good schools, family-friendly
- Note: The housing market is very affordable — you can buy a nice 3BR home for $150K-$250K; the wind blows constantly (20-30 mph is normal), so homes with good windbreaks and fences are worth prioritizing
Neighborhoods
View full neighborhoods guide →- North Clovis — 10-15 min commute, newer subdivisions near Colonial Park and the Clovis Civic Center, Clovis HS district, most popular with base families
- Central Clovis — 10-15 min, established neighborhoods with mature trees (a premium on the plains), historic homes near downtown, walkable to Main Street shops and restaurants
- Portales — 20-25 min south, college town feel with ENMU, affordable rent near campus, Roosevelt County schools, quieter pace
- Texico/Farwell — 15-20 min east on the Texas border, small rural communities, very quiet, good option for families wanting space and smaller schools
- Note: Eastern New Mexico is sparsely populated — Clovis (pop. ~38K) is the regional hub; don't expect big-city amenities but do expect friendly people and zero traffic
Schools
View full schools guide →🏫 Elementary Schools
Cameo Elementary⭐ 4/10
Clovis
James Bickley Elementary⭐ 4/10
Clovis
🏫 Middle Schools
Yucca Middle School⭐ 4/10
Clovis
Marshall Middle School⭐ 3/10
Clovis
🏫 High Schools
Clovis High School⭐ 4/10
Close to base
Gates & Commute
- Main Gate (US-60/84 / West entrance) — Primary entry, 24/7, 0-5 min peak waits (6:30-8:00 AM), access to main base area and flightline
- Portales Gate — South entry from Portales side, shorter waits, limited hours
- Tip: Cannon has essentially no traffic congestion — even 'peak' rush adds 2-3 minutes maximum
- Note: The base is spread out with a 13,000-ft runway — the AFSOC ramp is on the south side; allow time to cross the base
Internet Providers
- Plateau Telecommunications — Primary local provider with fiber in much of Clovis; speeds up to 1 Gbps; excellent local customer service
- Xfinity (Comcast) — Available in parts of Clovis; cable speeds up to 1.2 Gbps
- T-Mobile 5G Home Internet — Good coverage in Clovis; $50/month unlimited; works well for remote work
- Starlink — Popular for rural areas around Texico, Farwell, and the outskirts; excellent speeds for remote locations
- Top pick: Plateau fiber in Clovis — local company with great service and competitive pricing
Shopping & Dining
- On-base: AAFES Exchange and commissary — well-stocked (surprisingly good for base size); shoppette and Class Six
- Clovis: Walmart Supercenter, Albertsons, Lowe's, and the North Plains Mall with JCPenney and Hobby Lobby as anchors
- Groceries: On-base commissary; off-base Albertsons, Walmart, and La Super grocery for Hispanic ingredients; local farmers market (seasonal) at Hillcrest Park
- Dining: Leal's Mexican Restaurant (Clovis institution, green chile everything), K-Bob's Steakhouse, Something Different (local cafe/bakery), and Taqueria Jalisco for authentic Mexican
- Lubbock, TX (1.5 hrs south): Major regional shopping — South Plains Mall, Costco, Target, Best Buy, Whole Foods, and Texas Tech University area dining/entertainment
- Amarillo, TX (1.5 hrs northeast): Another major shopping destination with Westgate Mall, Cadillac Ranch, and the Big Texan Steak Ranch
Gyms & Recreation
- Cannon AFB Fitness Center — 24/7 with cardio, free weights, functional fitness area, indoor basketball, and group classes; solid facility for base size
- Outdoor Recreation (ODR) — Camping, fishing, and hunting gear; organized trips to the Rockies, Santa Fe, Taos, and Big Bend National Park; hunting licenses and guidance
- On-base: Bowling alley, community center, sports fields, library, and the AFSOC Heritage Center
- Oasis State Park (10 min north) — Small but pleasant state park with a fishing pond (stocked), hiking trails, and camping in the shade of cottonwood trees — a genuine oasis on the high plains
- Hunting and fishing: Eastern New Mexico has excellent pheasant, quail, mule deer, and pronghorn hunting; Ute Lake (45 min north) for walleye and bass fishing
- The Land of Enchantment: Cannon is 2.5-3 hrs from the southern Rocky Mountains — Ruidoso, Cloudcroft, and Ski Apache for weekend mountain escapes
Jobs & Spouse Employment
- On-base: AAFES, commissary, MWR, CDC — primary local employers; USAJobs for GS/WG positions supporting the 27th SOW mission
- Defense contractors: AFSOC support contractors — L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and multiple smaller SOF-support firms — need cleared IT, logistics, and aviation maintenance professionals
- Local economy: Agriculture (dairy, cattle, peanuts), healthcare (Plains Regional Medical Center), education, and railroad (BNSF Railway yard in Clovis)
- Remote work: Extremely popular for Cannon spouses — low cost of living + BAH maximizes remote income; fast internet widely available; Mountain time zone works for both West and Central time roles
- Lubbock (1.5 hrs): Texas Tech University, Covenant Health, and a growing tech and healthcare sector
- Employment Readiness: Airman & Family Readiness Center provides job search support and works with local employers on military spouse hiring
Local Attractions
- The High Plains of eastern New Mexico are a world unto themselves — big skies, 300+ sunny days a year, stunning sunsets, and the Milky Way visible from your backyard. Cannon requires a certain mindset: if you embrace the solitude and space, it's magical.
- Santa Fe (3 hrs west) — America's oldest capital city; world-class art galleries on Canyon Road, Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe Opera, and legendary New Mexican cuisine with Hatch green chile
- Taos (3.5 hrs northwest) — Taos Pueblo (UNESCO World Heritage site, continuously inhabited for 1,000+ years), Taos Ski Valley, the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, and a vibrant artist community
- White Sands National Park (4 hrs southwest) — 275 square miles of pure white gypsum dunes; sledding the dunes, stunning sunrise photography, and otherworldly landscapes
- Palo Duro Canyon (1.5 hrs east, near Amarillo) — The 'Grand Canyon of Texas' — 120-mile-long, 800-foot-deep canyon with hiking, mountain biking, and the outdoor musical drama 'Texas' each summer
- Ruidoso / Cloudcroft (2.5-3 hrs southwest) — The Sacramento Mountains; Ski Apache (southernmost major ski area in the US), Lincoln National Forest hiking, and the mountain town charm of Cloudcroft at 8,600 feet
Area Maps
Photo Gallery
base
Aircraft maintenance at Cannon AFB — home of the 27th SOW
base
AC-130 gunship — AFSOC's premier close air support platform at Cannon
neighborhood
Aerial view of Clovis, New Mexico — the host city for Cannon AFB
nature
Eastern New Mexico high plains — big sky country at sunset
downtown
Downtown Clovis and the historic Hotel Clovis on Main Street
restaurant
Leal's Mexican Restaurant — Clovis institution for Hatch green chile