Compare military bases / Fort Bliss → Fort McCoy
Bliss → McCoy
Compare Fort Bliss and Fort McCoy
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Bliss to Fort McCoy?
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 Bliss
- $1,437
- Fort McCoy
- $1,290
- Lower BAH at Fort McCoy
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Bliss
- $263/mo short
- Fort McCoy
- $210/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: El Paso vs Sparta
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Bliss El Paso 79906 | Fort McCoy Sparta 54656 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $184,500 | $180,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,073/mo | $861 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,700/mo | $1,080 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,330/mo | $1,430 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,191/mo | $1,036 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$263/mo | +$210/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$521/mo | −$35/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$263/mo at Fort Bliss vs +$210/mo at Fort McCoy. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$521/mo vs −$35/mo.
Host-state comparison: Texas vs. Wisconsin
| Texas | Wisconsin | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.20% | 5.72% |
| Property tax | 1.40% | 1.32% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 0.0% | 7.65% |
| Median home value | $304,099 | $338,665 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,191 | $1,036 |
| Climate high/low | 79° / 54°F | 59° / 39°F |
| Annual precip | 8.8 in | 35.2 in |
| Nearby city | El Paso | Sparta |
| Host state | Texas | Wisconsin |
PCS checklist for Fort McCoy
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort McCoy uses MHA WI318 (ZIP 54656).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort McCoy is $1,036/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Wisconsin residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort McCoy.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort McCoy ($1,395 vs $1,809).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $180,600 in Sparta vs $184,500 in El Paso (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,080 in 54656 vs $1,700 in 79906.
- Host-state wage tax is No personal income tax in Texas vs Top listed rate 7.65% in Wisconsin (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 5.72% in Wisconsin vs 8.2% in Texas.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Fort Bliss to Fort McCoy?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,809 vs $1,395; without dependents: $1,437 vs $1,290.
What is local rent like near Fort McCoy?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 54656 (Sparta) is $1,080/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,430/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,036/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Bliss to Fort McCoy?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$263/mo at Fort Bliss vs +$210/mo at Fort McCoy. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$521/mo vs −$35/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 Bliss to Fort McCoy?
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. Texas: No personal income tax. Wisconsin: Top listed rate 7.65%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort McCoy compare with Fort Bliss?
Combined sales tax averages 5.72% in Wisconsin vs 8.2% in Texas. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Fort Bliss to Fort McCoy?
Annual normals at El Paso Intl (NWS) are 79° / 54°F and 8.8 in of precipitation vs 59° / 39°F and 35.2 in at La Crosse Regional (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort McCoy?
New Wisconsin residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 30 days in Texas).
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 Bliss (TX279); Fort McCoy (WI318). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — El Paso County $1,191; Monroe County $1,036.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 79906 (El Paso) $1,700 / $2,330; 54656 (Sparta) $1,080 / $1,430.
- 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 El Paso city, Texas ($184,500, $1,073/mo) and Sparta city, Wisconsin ($180,600, $861/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — El Paso Intl (NWS) (USW00023044); La Crosse Regional (NWS) (USW00014920).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Texas and Wisconsin 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 Texas and Wisconsin. 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 Texas and Wisconsin. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Texas motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%); Wisconsin motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.00%). 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 Texas and Wisconsin. 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 Texas and Wisconsin. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.