Compare military bases / Fort Campbell → Fort Drum
Campbell → Drum
Compare Fort Campbell and Fort Drum
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Campbell to Fort Drum?
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 Campbell
- $1,593
- Fort Drum
- $1,422
- Lower BAH at Fort Drum
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Campbell
- $17/mo short
- Fort Drum
- $132/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Clarksville vs Watertown
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Campbell Clarksville 42223 | Fort Drum Watertown 13601 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $263,600 | $158,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,307/mo | $967 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,610/mo | $1,290 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,240/mo | $1,750 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,346/mo | $1,405 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$17/mo | +$132/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$425/mo | −$85/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$17/mo at Fort Campbell vs +$132/mo at Fort Drum. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$425/mo vs −$85/mo.
Host-state comparison: Kentucky vs. New York
| Kentucky | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.00% | 8.54% |
| Property tax | 0.74% | 1.30% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 1.44% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 3.5% | 10.9% |
| Median home value | $235,735 | $513,450 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,346 | $1,405 |
| Climate high/low | 70° / 48°F | 55° / 35°F |
| Annual precip | 50.1 in | 37.1 in |
| Nearby city | Clarksville | Watertown |
| Host state | Kentucky | New York |
Click here for the full state comparison: Kentucky → New York
PCS checklist for Fort Drum
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Drum uses MHA NY225 (ZIP 13602).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Drum is $1,405/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New New York residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Drum.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Drum ($1,665 vs $1,815).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $158,600 in Watertown vs $263,600 in Clarksville (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,290 in 13601 vs $1,610 in 42223.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 3.5% in Kentucky vs 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax in New York (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.54% in New York vs 6% in Kentucky.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Fort Campbell to Fort Drum?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,815 vs $1,665; without dependents: $1,593 vs $1,422.
What is local rent like near Fort Drum?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 13601 (Watertown) is $1,290/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,750/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,405/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Campbell to Fort Drum?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$17/mo at Fort Campbell vs +$132/mo at Fort Drum. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$425/mo vs −$85/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 Campbell to Fort Drum?
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. Kentucky: Top listed rate 3.5%. New York: 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort Drum compare with Fort Campbell?
Combined sales tax averages 8.54% in New York vs 6% in Kentucky. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What do homes cost in Clarksville vs Watertown?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $263,600 in Clarksville city, Kentucky vs $158,600 in Watertown city, New York. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,307 vs $967. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How different is the climate from Fort Campbell to Fort Drum?
Annual normals at Bowling Green (NWS) are 70° / 48°F and 50.1 in of precipitation vs 55° / 35°F and 37.1 in at Watertown (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
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 Campbell (KY106); Fort Drum (NY225). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Christian County $1,346; Jefferson County $1,405.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 42223 (Clarksville) $1,610 / $2,240; 13601 (Watertown) $1,290 / $1,750.
- 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 Clarksville city, Kentucky ($263,600, $1,307/mo) and Watertown city, New York ($158,600, $967/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Bowling Green (NWS) (USW00093808); Watertown (NWS) (USW00094790).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Kentucky and New York 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 Kentucky and New York. 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 Kentucky and New York. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Kentucky motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 15 days; title tax 6.00%); New York motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 8.00%). 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 Kentucky and New York. 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 Kentucky and New York. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.