Compare military bases / Fort Leonard Wood → Fort Jackson
FLW → Jackson
Compare Fort Leonard Wood and Fort Jackson
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Leonard Wood to Fort Jackson?
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 Leonard Wood
- $1,290
- Fort Jackson
- $1,647
- Higher BAH at Fort Jackson
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Leonard Wood
- $250/mo left over
- Fort Jackson
- $157/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: St. Robert vs Columbia
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Leonard Wood St. Robert 65584 | Fort Jackson Columbia 29206 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $225,300 | $264,300 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,087/mo | $1,204 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,040/mo | $1,490 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,450/mo | $1,900 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,062/mo | $1,276 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$250/mo | +$157/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$29/mo | −$22/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$250/mo at Fort Leonard Wood vs +$157/mo at Fort Jackson. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$29/mo vs −$22/mo.
Host-state comparison: Missouri vs. South Carolina
| Missouri | South Carolina | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.44% | 7.49% |
| Property tax | 0.89% | 0.49% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 2.55% effective | Yes — 2.33% effective |
| Top state income tax | 4.7% | 6.0% |
| Median home value | $267,791 | $307,843 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,062 | $1,276 |
| Climate high/low | 67° / 45°F | 76° / 53°F |
| Annual precip | 36.5 in | 45.2 in |
| Nearby city | St. Robert | Columbia |
| Host state | Missouri | South Carolina |
Click here for the full state comparison: Missouri → South Carolina
PCS checklist for Fort Jackson
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Jackson uses MHA SC260 (ZIP 29207).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Jackson is $1,276/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Jackson.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Jackson ($1,878 vs $1,479).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $264,300 in Columbia vs $225,300 in St. Robert (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,490 in 29206 vs $1,040 in 65584.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 4.7% in Missouri vs Top listed rate 6.0% in South Carolina (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 8.44% in Missouri.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Leonard Wood to Fort Jackson?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,479 vs $1,878; without dependents: $1,290 vs $1,647.
What is local rent like near Fort Jackson?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 29206 (Columbia) is $1,490/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,900/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,276/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Leonard Wood to Fort Jackson?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$250/mo at Fort Leonard Wood vs +$157/mo at Fort Jackson. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$29/mo vs −$22/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 Leonard Wood to Fort Jackson?
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. Missouri: Top listed rate 4.7%. South Carolina: Top listed rate 6.0%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort Jackson?
New South Carolina residents typically have 90 days for a license and 45 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Missouri).
How does sales tax near Fort Jackson compare with Fort Leonard Wood?
Combined sales tax averages 7.49% in South Carolina vs 8.44% in Missouri. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Fort Leonard Wood to Fort Jackson?
Annual normals at Springfield, MO (NWS) are 67° / 45°F and 36.5 in of precipitation vs 76° / 53°F and 45.2 in at Columbia Metro (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 Leonard Wood (MO163); Fort Jackson (SC260). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Pulaski County $1,062; Richland County $1,276.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 65584 (St. Robert) $1,040 / $1,450; 29206 (Columbia) $1,490 / $1,900.
- 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 St. Robert city, Missouri ($225,300, $1,087/mo) and Columbia city, South Carolina ($264,300, $1,204/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Springfield, MO (NWS) (USW00013996); Columbia Metro (NWS) (USW00013883).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Missouri and South Carolina 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 Missouri and South Carolina. 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 Missouri and South Carolina. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Missouri motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 4.22%); South Carolina motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 45 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 Missouri and South Carolina. 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 Missouri and South Carolina. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.