Compare military bases / Fort Benning → Fort Knox
Benning → Knox
Compare Fort Benning and Fort Knox
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Benning to Fort Knox?
This calculator uses 2026 DTMO (Defense Travel Management Office) rates for selected pay grade and dependent status.
Monthly BAH at E-5 pay grade without dependents.
- Fort Benning
- $1,482
- Fort Knox
- $1,443
- Lower BAH at Fort Knox
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Benning
- $482/mo left over
- Fort Knox
- $383/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Columbus vs Fort Knox
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Benning Columbus 31903 | Fort Knox Fort Knox 40122 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $193,900 | $-666,666,666 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,106/mo | $1,502 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,000/mo | $1,060 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,320/mo | $1,470 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,088/mo | $1,056 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$482/mo | +$383/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$396/mo | +$177/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$482/mo at Fort Benning vs +$383/mo at Fort Knox. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$396/mo vs +$177/mo.
Host-state comparison: Georgia vs. Kentucky
| Georgia | Kentucky | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.49% | 6.00% |
| Property tax | 0.79% | 0.74% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 1.44% effective |
| Top state income tax | 5.19% | 3.5% |
| Median home value | $335,116 | $235,735 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,088 | $1,056 |
| Climate high/low | 70° / 49°F | 70° / 48°F |
| Annual precip | 51.9 in | 50.1 in |
| Nearby city | Columbus | Fort Knox |
| Host state | Georgia | Kentucky |
Click here for the full state comparison: Georgia → Kentucky
PCS checklist for Fort Knox
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Knox uses MHA KY110 (ZIP 40121).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Knox is $1,056/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Kentucky residents typically have 30 days for a license and 15 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Knox.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Knox ($1,647 vs $1,716).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $-666,666,666 in Fort Knox vs $193,900 in Columbus (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,060 in 40122 vs $1,000 in 31903.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 5.19% in Georgia vs Top listed rate 3.5% in Kentucky (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6% in Kentucky vs 7.49% in Georgia.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Fort Benning to Fort Knox?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,716 vs $1,647; without dependents: $1,482 vs $1,443.
What do homes cost in Columbus vs Fort Knox?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $193,900 in Columbus city, Georgia vs $-666,666,666 in Fort Knox CDP, Kentucky. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,106 vs $1,502. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Fort Knox?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 40122 (Fort Knox) is $1,060/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,470/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,056/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Benning to Fort Knox?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$482/mo at Fort Benning vs +$383/mo at Fort Knox. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$396/mo vs +$177/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
Does my state income tax change if I PCS from Fort Benning to Fort Knox?
Usually not just because the duty station changes. Military pay generally follows legal residence under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; spouses may have similar protection. Georgia: Top listed rate 5.19%. Kentucky: Top listed rate 3.5%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort Knox compare with Fort Benning?
Combined sales tax averages 6% in Kentucky vs 7.49% in Georgia. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort Knox?
New Kentucky residents typically have 30 days for a license and 15 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Georgia).
Related PCS
Your PCS
Only destinations that share a service with the origin are listed.
Sources
Housing figures below are for the installation (MHA, HUD rent, climate). Host-state tax rates are statewide averages — not a tax return. County add-ons can differ, and wage tax on military pay follows legal residence, not the duty station.
- BAH (with and without dependents). DTMO CY2026 BAH tables for Fort Benning (GA075); Fort Knox (KY110). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Chattahoochee County $1,088; Hardin County $1,056.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 31903 (Columbus) $1,000 / $1,320; 40122 (Fort Knox) $1,060 / $1,470.
- Off-base city home value and rent. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year 2020–2024 tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes) and B25064 (median gross rent) for Columbus city, Georgia ($193,900, $1,106/mo) and Fort Knox CDP, Kentucky ($-666,666,666, $1,502/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Columbus Metro (NWS) (USW00013891); Bowling Green (NWS) (USW00093808).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Georgia and Kentucky from the Tax Foundation 2026 individual income-tax tables. On this page they describe the host state, not automatically the tax on a military LES (legal residence can stay put). BAH is untaxed.
- Combined sales tax near the installation. Tax Foundation January 2026 state-and-local sales-tax averages for Georgia and Kentucky. Used as an off-base shopping stand-in; city and county add-ons vary.
- Effective property tax if you buy off-base. Tax Foundation 2026 property taxes by state for Georgia and Kentucky. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Georgia motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 7.00%); Kentucky motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 15 days; title tax 6.00%). These are host-state motor-vehicle rules, not BAH.
- Vehicle personal-property tax on the host-state snapshot. WalletHub 2026 vehicle property-tax table for Georgia and Kentucky. This is a statewide car-tax flag, not real-estate tax and not BAH.
- Statewide median home value on the host-state snapshot. Experian / Zillow March 2026 state medians for Georgia and Kentucky. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.