Compare military bases / Fort Drum → Redstone Arsenal
Drum → Redstone
Compare Fort Drum and Redstone Arsenal
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Drum to Redstone Arsenal?
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
- Redstone Arsenal
- $1,443
- Higher BAH at Redstone Arsenal
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Drum
- $132/mo left over
- Redstone Arsenal
- $103/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Watertown vs Huntsville
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 | Redstone Arsenal Huntsville 35807 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $158,600 | $293,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $967/mo | $1,171 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,290/mo | $1,340 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,750/mo | $1,730 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,405/mo | $1,310 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$132/mo | +$103/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$85/mo | +$67/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$132/mo at Fort Drum vs +$103/mo at Redstone Arsenal. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$85/mo vs +$67/mo.
Host-state comparison: New York vs. Alabama
| New York | Alabama | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.54% | 9.46% |
| Property tax | 1.30% | 0.37% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 0.70% effective |
| Top state income tax | 10.9% | 5.0% |
| Median home value | $513,450 | $238,703 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,405 | $1,310 |
| Climate high/low | 55° / 35°F | 73° / 54°F |
| Annual precip | 37.1 in | 50.4 in |
| Nearby city | Watertown | Huntsville |
| Host state | New York | Alabama |
Click here for the full state comparison: New York → Alabama
PCS checklist for Redstone Arsenal
- Update DEERS. BAH at Redstone Arsenal uses MHA AL003 (ZIP 35898).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Redstone Arsenal is $1,310/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Alabama residents typically have 30 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Redstone Arsenal.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Redstone Arsenal ($1,797 vs $1,665).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $293,600 in Huntsville vs $158,600 in Watertown (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,340 in 35807 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 5.0% in Alabama (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 9.46% in Alabama vs 8.54% in New York.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Drum to Redstone Arsenal?
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 $1,797; without dependents: $1,422 vs $1,443.
What is local rent like near Redstone Arsenal?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 35807 (Huntsville) is $1,340/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,730/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,310/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Drum to Redstone Arsenal?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$132/mo at Fort Drum vs +$103/mo at Redstone Arsenal. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$85/mo vs +$67/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 Redstone Arsenal?
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. Alabama: Top listed rate 5.0%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
What do homes cost in Watertown vs Huntsville?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $158,600 in Watertown city, New York vs $293,600 in Huntsville city, Alabama. Median gross rent in those cities is $967 vs $1,171. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How does sales tax near Redstone Arsenal compare with Fort Drum?
Combined sales tax averages 9.46% in Alabama vs 8.54% in New York. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Fort Drum to Redstone Arsenal?
Annual normals at Watertown (NWS) are 55° / 35°F and 37.1 in of precipitation vs 73° / 54°F and 50.4 in at Huntsville 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); Redstone Arsenal (AL003). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Jefferson County $1,405; Madison County $1,310.
- 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; 35807 (Huntsville) $1,340 / $1,730.
- 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 Huntsville city, Alabama ($293,600, $1,171/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Watertown (NWS) (USW00094790); Huntsville Intl (NWS) (USW00013874).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for New York and Alabama 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 Alabama. 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 Alabama. 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%); Alabama motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 20 days; title tax 4.00%). 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 Alabama. 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 Alabama. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.