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