Compare military bases / Fort Drum → Fort Lee
Drum → Lee
Compare Fort Drum and Fort Lee
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Drum to Fort Lee?
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 Lee
- $1,866
- Higher BAH at Fort Lee
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Drum
- $132/mo left over
- Fort Lee
- $326/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Watertown vs Petersburg
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 Lee Petersburg 23804 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $158,600 | $189,000 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $967/mo | $1,174 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,290/mo | $1,540 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,750/mo | $1,950 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,405/mo | $1,655 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$132/mo | +$326/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$85/mo | +$408/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$132/mo at Fort Drum vs +$326/mo at Fort Lee. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$85/mo vs +$408/mo.
Host-state comparison: New York vs. Virginia
| New York | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.54% | 5.77% |
| Property tax | 1.30% | 0.78% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 3.97% effective |
| Top state income tax | 10.9% | 5.75% |
| Median home value | $513,450 | $416,963 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,405 | $1,655 |
| Climate high/low | 55° / 35°F | 68° / 48°F |
| Annual precip | 37.1 in | 42.8 in |
| Nearby city | Watertown | Petersburg |
| Host state | New York | Virginia |
Click here for the full state comparison: New York → Virginia
PCS checklist for Fort Lee
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Lee uses MHA VA301 (ZIP 23801).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Lee is $1,655/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Virginia residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Lee.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Lee ($2,358 vs $1,665).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $189,000 in Petersburg vs $158,600 in Watertown (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,540 in 23804 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 5.75% in Virginia (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 5.77% in Virginia vs 8.54% in New York.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Drum to Fort Lee?
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 $2,358; without dependents: $1,422 vs $1,866.
What is local rent like near Fort Lee?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 23804 (Petersburg) is $1,540/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,950/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,655/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Drum to Fort Lee?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$132/mo at Fort Drum vs +$326/mo at Fort Lee. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$85/mo vs +$408/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 Lee?
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. Virginia: Top listed rate 5.75%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort Lee compare with Fort Drum?
Combined sales tax averages 5.77% in Virginia vs 8.54% in New York. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort Lee?
New Virginia residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in New York).
How different is the climate from Fort Drum to Fort Lee?
Annual normals at Watertown (NWS) are 55° / 35°F and 37.1 in of precipitation vs 68° / 48°F and 42.8 in at Richmond Intl (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 Lee (VA301). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Jefferson County $1,405; Prince George County $1,655.
- 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; 23804 (Petersburg) $1,540 / $1,950.
- 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 Petersburg city, Virginia ($189,000, $1,174/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Watertown (NWS) (USW00094790); Richmond Intl (NWS) (USW00013741).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for New York and Virginia 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 Virginia. 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 Virginia. 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%); Virginia motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.30%). 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 Virginia. 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 Virginia. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.