Compare military bases / Fort Drum → Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Drum → JBLM
Compare Fort Drum and Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Drum to Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
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
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- $2,121
- Higher BAH at Joint Base Lewis-McChord
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Drum
- $132/mo left over
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- $261/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Watertown vs Tacoma
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 | Joint Base Lewis-McChord Tacoma 98444 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $158,600 | $479,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $967/mo | $1,676 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,290/mo | $1,860 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,750/mo | $2,600 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,405/mo | $1,971 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$132/mo | +$261/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$85/mo | −$44/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$132/mo at Fort Drum vs +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$85/mo vs −$44/mo.
Host-state comparison: New York vs. Washington
| New York | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.54% | 9.51% |
| Property tax | 1.30% | 0.75% |
| Personal property tax | No | No |
| Top state income tax | 10.9% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $513,450 | $609,756 |
| Branch | Army | Joint |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,405 | $1,971 |
| Climate high/low | 55° / 35°F | 64° / 46°F |
| Annual precip | 37.1 in | 36.9 in |
| Nearby city | Watertown | Tacoma |
| Host state | New York | Washington |
Click here for the full state comparison: New York → Washington
PCS checklist for Joint Base Lewis-McChord
- Update DEERS. BAH at Joint Base Lewis-McChord uses MHA WA311 (ZIP 98433).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Joint Base Lewis-McChord is $1,971/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Washington residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Joint Base Lewis-McChord ($2,556 vs $1,665).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $479,600 in Tacoma vs $158,600 in Watertown (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,860 in 98444 vs $1,290 in 13601.
- Fort Drum is labeled Army; Joint Base Lewis-McChord is Joint. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax in New York vs No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold in Washington (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 9.51% in Washington vs 8.54% in New York.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Drum to Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
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 $2,556; without dependents: $1,422 vs $2,121.
What do homes cost in Watertown vs Tacoma?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $158,600 in Watertown city, New York vs $479,600 in Tacoma city, Washington. Median gross rent in those cities is $967 vs $1,676. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 98444 (Tacoma) is $1,860/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,600/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,971/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Drum to Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$132/mo at Fort Drum vs +$261/mo at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$85/mo vs −$44/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 Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
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. Washington: No wage income tax; 7% capital gains over threshold. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Can I PCS from Fort Drum to Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
This pair is listed because the installations share a tenant service (Army). Your actual orders depend on your MOS/AFSC/rating and the gaining unit.
How does sales tax near Joint Base Lewis-McChord compare with Fort Drum?
Combined sales tax averages 9.51% in Washington vs 8.54% in New York. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Related PCS
Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Fort Drum · Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Fort Carson · Fort Bragg → Joint Base Lewis-McChord
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); Joint Base Lewis-McChord (WA311). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Jefferson County $1,405; Pierce County $1,971.
- 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; 98444 (Tacoma) $1,860 / $2,600.
- 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 Tacoma city, Washington ($479,600, $1,676/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Watertown (NWS) (USW00094790); McChord Field (NWS) (USW00024229).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for New York and Washington 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 Washington. 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 Washington. 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%); Washington motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.50%). 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 Washington. 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 Washington. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.