Compare military bases / Fort Carson → Fort Bliss
Carson → Bliss
Compare Fort Carson and Fort Bliss
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Carson to Fort Bliss?
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 Carson
- $1,860
- Fort Bliss
- $1,437
- Lower BAH at Fort Bliss
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Carson
- $50/mo left over
- Fort Bliss
- $263/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Colorado Springs vs El Paso
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Carson Colorado Springs 80911 | Fort Bliss El Paso 79906 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $452,600 | $184,500 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,648/mo | $1,073 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,810/mo | $1,700 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,520/mo | $2,330 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,735/mo | $1,191 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$50/mo | −$263/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$162/mo | −$521/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$50/mo at Fort Carson vs −$263/mo at Fort Bliss. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$162/mo vs −$521/mo.
Host-state comparison: Colorado vs. Texas
| Colorado | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 7.89% | 8.20% |
| Property tax | 0.50% | 1.40% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 1.79% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 4.4% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $548,480 | $304,099 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,735 | $1,191 |
| Climate high/low | 67° / 40°F | 79° / 54°F |
| Annual precip | 9.1 in | 8.8 in |
| Nearby city | Colorado Springs | El Paso |
| Host state | Colorado | Texas |
PCS checklist for Fort Bliss
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Bliss uses MHA TX279 (ZIP 79916).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Bliss is $1,191/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 Bliss.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Bliss ($1,809 vs $2,358).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $184,500 in El Paso vs $452,600 in Colorado Springs (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,700 in 79906 vs $1,810 in 80911.
- Host-state wage tax is Flat 4.4% in Colorado 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 7.89% in Colorado.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Fort Carson to Fort Bliss?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,358 vs $1,809; without dependents: $1,860 vs $1,437.
What is local rent like near Fort Bliss?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 79906 (El Paso) is $1,700/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,330/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,191/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Carson to Fort Bliss?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$50/mo at Fort Carson vs −$263/mo at Fort Bliss. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$162/mo vs −$521/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 Carson to Fort Bliss?
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. Colorado: Flat 4.4%. 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 Bliss?
New Texas residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (30 and 90 days in Colorado).
What do homes cost in Colorado Springs vs El Paso?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $452,600 in Colorado Springs city, Colorado vs $184,500 in El Paso city, Texas. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,648 vs $1,073. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How different is the climate from Fort Carson to Fort Bliss?
Annual normals at Colorado Springs Muni (NWS) are 67° / 40°F and 9.1 in of precipitation vs 79° / 54°F and 8.8 in at El Paso Intl (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
Related PCS
Fort Bliss → Fort Carson · Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Fort Carson · Fort Hood → Fort Bliss
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 Carson (CO046); Fort Bliss (TX279). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — El Paso County $1,735; El Paso County $1,191.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 80911 (Colorado Springs) $1,810 / $2,520; 79906 (El Paso) $1,700 / $2,330.
- 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 Colorado Springs city, Colorado ($452,600, $1,648/mo) and El Paso city, Texas ($184,500, $1,073/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Colorado Springs Muni (NWS) (USW00023066); El Paso Intl (NWS) (USW00023044).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Colorado 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 Colorado 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 Colorado and Texas. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Colorado motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 90 days; title tax 2.90%); 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 Colorado 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 Colorado and Texas. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.