Compare military bases / Fort Benning → Fort Stewart
PCS · GA → GA
Compare Fort Benning and Fort Stewart
E-5 BAH with dependents is $2,310 a month at Fort Stewart and $1,716 at Fort Benning (2026 DTMO rates), $594 apart. Measured against HUD's 3-bedroom rent for the ZIP outside each gate ($1,320 in 31903, $1,870 in 31313), that leaves $396/mo to spare at Fort Benning and $440/mo to spare at Fort Stewart. Buying off-base, the Census median home value is $193,900 in Columbus and $196,400 in Hinesville. Both are in Georgia, so host-state taxes and DMV deadlines do not change with this move.
Moving the other way (Fort Stewart to Fort Benning)? The same numbers apply—swap the columns.
Deadlines and checklists on this page are for arriving in Fort Stewart; for Fort Benning, see the Fort Benning page.
Data: Fort Benning: DTMO 2026 BAH for MHA GA075, HUD rents for ZIP 31903, Census ACS for Columbus city, NOAA normals at Columbus Metro Airport, GA; Fort Stewart: DTMO 2026 BAH for MHA GA080, HUD rents for ZIP 31313, Census ACS for Hinesville city, NOAA normals at Fort Stewart, GA. Jump to sources · Methodology
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Benning to Fort Stewart?
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 Stewart
- $1,947
- Higher BAH at Fort Stewart
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Benning
- $482/mo left over
- Fort Stewart
- $537/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Columbus vs Hinesville
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 Stewart Hinesville 31313 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $193,900 | $196,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,106/mo | $1,212 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,000/mo | $1,410 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,320/mo | $1,870 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,088/mo | $1,406 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$482/mo | +$537/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$396/mo | +$440/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$482/mo at Fort Benning vs +$537/mo at Fort Stewart. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$396/mo vs +$440/mo.
PCS checklist for Fort Stewart
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Stewart uses MHA GA080 (ZIP 31314).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Stewart is $1,406/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Georgia residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Stewart.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Stewart ($2,310 vs $1,716).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $196,400 in Hinesville vs $193,900 in Columbus (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,410 in 31313 vs $1,000 in 31903.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Benning to Fort Stewart?
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 $2,310; without dependents: $1,482 vs $1,947.
What is local rent like near Fort Stewart?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 31313 (Hinesville) is $1,410/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,870/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,406/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Benning to Fort Stewart?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$482/mo at Fort Benning vs +$537/mo at Fort Stewart. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$396/mo vs +$440/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
What do homes cost in Columbus vs Hinesville?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $193,900 in Columbus, Georgia vs $196,400 in Hinesville, Georgia. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,106 vs $1,212. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
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 Stewart (GA080). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Chattahoochee County $1,088; Liberty County $1,406.
- 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; 31313 (Hinesville) $1,410 / $1,870.
- 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 Hinesville city, Georgia ($196,400, $1,212/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Columbus Metro Airport, GA (USW00093842); Fort Stewart, GA (USC00093538).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Georgia 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. 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. 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%). 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. 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. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.
Data last updated: September 2026. How the data is compiled