Compare military bases / Fort Bragg → Fort Hood
PCS · NC → TX
Compare Fort Bragg and Fort Hood
E-5 BAH with dependents is $1,806 a month at Fort Bragg and $1,695 at Fort Hood (2026 DTMO rates), $111 apart. Measured against HUD's 3-bedroom rent for the ZIP outside each gate ($1,670 in 28309, $1,720 in 76540), that leaves $136/mo to spare at Fort Bragg and $25/mo short at Fort Hood. Buying off-base, the Census median home value is $188,000 in Fayetteville and $215,400 in Killeen. North Carolina lists a top income-tax rate of 3.99% and Texas has no state income tax on wages, though tax on military pay follows legal residence, not the duty station.
Moving the other way (Fort Hood to Fort Bragg)? The same numbers apply—swap the columns.
Deadlines and checklists on this page are for arriving in Fort Hood; for Fort Bragg, see the Fort Bragg page.
Data: Fort Bragg: DTMO 2026 BAH for MHA NC182, HUD rents for ZIP 28309, Census ACS for Fayetteville city, NOAA normals at Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC; Fort Hood: DTMO 2026 BAH for MHA TX286, HUD rents for ZIP 76540, Census ACS for Killeen city, NOAA normals at Gatesville, TX. Jump to sources · Methodology
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Bragg to Fort Hood?
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 Bragg
- $1,527
- Fort Hood
- $1,530
- Higher BAH at Fort Hood
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Bragg
- $277/mo left over
- Fort Hood
- $290/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Fayetteville vs Killeen
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Bragg Fayetteville 28309 | Fort Hood Killeen 76540 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $188,000 | $215,400 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,250/mo | $1,208 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,250/mo | $1,240 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,670/mo | $1,720 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,251/mo | $1,233 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$277/mo | +$290/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$136/mo | −$25/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$277/mo at Fort Bragg vs +$290/mo at Fort Hood. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$136/mo vs −$25/mo.
Host-state comparison: North Carolina vs. Texas
| North Carolina | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.00% | 8.20% |
| Property tax | 0.66% | 1.40% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 1.10% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 3.99% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $339,594 | $304,099 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,251 | $1,233 |
| Climate high/low | 74° / 52°F | 78° / 55°F |
| Annual precip | 44.6 in | 37.0 in |
| Nearby city | Fayetteville | Killeen |
| Host state | North Carolina | Texas |
PCS checklist for Fort Hood
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Hood uses MHA TX286 (ZIP 76544).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Hood is $1,233/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Texas residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Hood.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Hood ($1,695 vs $1,806).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $215,400 in Killeen vs $188,000 in Fayetteville (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,240 in 76540 vs $1,250 in 28309.
- Host-state wage tax is Flat 3.99% in North Carolina vs No personal income tax in Texas (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.2% in Texas vs 7% in North Carolina.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Fort Bragg to Fort Hood?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,806 vs $1,695; without dependents: $1,527 vs $1,530.
What is local rent like near Fort Hood?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 76540 (Killeen) is $1,240/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,720/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,233/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Bragg to Fort Hood?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$277/mo at Fort Bragg vs +$290/mo at Fort Hood. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$136/mo vs −$25/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 Bragg to Fort Hood?
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. North Carolina: Flat 3.99%. Texas: No personal income tax. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort Hood?
New Texas residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (60 and 60 days in North Carolina).
How does sales tax near Fort Hood compare with Fort Bragg?
Combined sales tax averages 8.2% in Texas vs 7% in North Carolina. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What do homes cost in Fayetteville vs Killeen?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $188,000 in Fayetteville, North Carolina vs $215,400 in Killeen, Texas. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,250 vs $1,208. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Related PCS
Fort Bragg · Fort Hood · Fort Bragg → Joint Base Lewis-McChord · Fort Hood → Fort Bliss · Joint Base San Antonio → Fort Hood · Fort Campbell → Fort Bragg
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 Bragg (NC182); Fort Hood (TX286). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Cumberland County $1,251; Bell County $1,233.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 28309 (Fayetteville) $1,250 / $1,670; 76540 (Killeen) $1,240 / $1,720.
- 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 Fayetteville city, North Carolina ($188,000, $1,250/mo) and Killeen city, Texas ($215,400, $1,208/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC (USW00093740); Gatesville, TX (USC00413485).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for North Carolina and Texas 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 North Carolina and Texas. 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 North Carolina and Texas. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. North Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 60 days; title tax 3.00%); Texas motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%). 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 North Carolina and Texas. 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 North Carolina and Texas. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.
Data last updated: September 2026. How the data is compiled