Compare military bases / Fort Hamilton → Fort Rucker
Hamilton → Rucker
Compare Fort Hamilton and Fort Rucker
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Hamilton to Fort Rucker?
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 Hamilton
- $4,980
- Fort Rucker
- $1,251
- Lower BAH at Fort Rucker
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Hamilton
- $2,070/mo left over
- Fort Rucker
- $441/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: New York vs Daleville
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Hamilton New York 11202 | Fort Rucker Daleville 36322 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $777,600 | $126,000 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,821/mo | $864 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,910/mo | $810 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,640/mo | $1,110 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,910/mo | $776 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$2,070/mo | +$441/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$1,430/mo | +$462/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$2,070/mo at Fort Hamilton vs +$441/mo at Fort Rucker. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$1,430/mo vs +$462/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 | $2,910 | $776 |
| Climate high/low | 64° / 50°F | 78° / 54°F |
| Annual precip | 45.3 in | 51.2 in |
| Nearby city | Brooklyn | Daleville |
| Host state | New York | Alabama |
Click here for the full state comparison: New York → Alabama
PCS checklist for Fort Rucker
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Rucker uses MHA AL002 (ZIP 36362).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Rucker is $776/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Alabama residents typically have 30 days for a license and 20 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Rucker.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Rucker ($1,572 vs $5,070).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $126,000 in Daleville vs $777,600 in New York (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $810 in 36322 vs $2,910 in 11202.
- 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 down from Fort Hamilton to Fort Rucker?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $5,070 vs $1,572; without dependents: $4,980 vs $1,251.
What is local rent like near Fort Rucker?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 36322 (Daleville) is $810/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,110/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $776/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Hamilton to Fort Rucker?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$2,070/mo at Fort Hamilton vs +$441/mo at Fort Rucker. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$1,430/mo vs +$462/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 Hamilton to Fort Rucker?
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 New York vs Daleville?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $777,600 in New York city, New York vs $126,000 in Daleville city, Alabama. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,821 vs $864. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How does sales tax near Fort Rucker compare with Fort Hamilton?
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 Hamilton to Fort Rucker?
Annual normals at LaGuardia (NWS) are 64° / 50°F and 45.3 in of precipitation vs 78° / 54°F and 51.2 in at Montgomery Regional (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 Hamilton (NY219); Fort Rucker (AL002). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Kings County $2,910; Dale County $776.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 11202 (New York) $2,910 / $3,640; 36322 (Daleville) $810 / $1,110.
- 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 New York city, New York ($777,600, $1,821/mo) and Daleville city, Alabama ($126,000, $864/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — LaGuardia (NWS) (USW00014732); Montgomery Regional (NWS) (USW00013895).
- 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.