Compare military bases / Fort Polk → Fort Leonard Wood
Polk → FLW
Compare Fort Polk and Fort Leonard Wood
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Polk to Fort Leonard Wood?
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 Polk
- $1,128
- Fort Leonard Wood
- $1,290
- Higher BAH at Fort Leonard Wood
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Polk
- $78/mo left over
- Fort Leonard Wood
- $250/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Leesville vs St. Robert
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Polk Leesville 71446 | Fort Leonard Wood St. Robert 65584 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $118,600 | $225,300 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $894/mo | $1,087 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,050/mo | $1,040 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,340/mo | $1,450 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,041/mo | $1,062 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$78/mo | +$250/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$122/mo | +$29/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$78/mo at Fort Polk vs +$250/mo at Fort Leonard Wood. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$122/mo vs +$29/mo.
Host-state comparison: Louisiana vs. Missouri
| Louisiana | Missouri | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 10.11% | 8.44% |
| Property tax | 0.55% | 0.89% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.10% effective | Yes — 2.55% effective |
| Top state income tax | 3.0% | 4.7% |
| Median home value | $215,842 | $267,791 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,041 | $1,062 |
| Climate high/low | 78° / 62°F | 67° / 45°F |
| Annual precip | 63.4 in | 36.5 in |
| Nearby city | Leesville | St. Robert |
| Host state | Louisiana | Missouri |
Click here for the full state comparison: Louisiana → Missouri
PCS checklist for Fort Leonard Wood
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Leonard Wood uses MHA MO163 (ZIP 65473).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Leonard Wood is $1,062/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Missouri residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Leonard Wood.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Leonard Wood ($1,479 vs $1,218).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $225,300 in St. Robert vs $118,600 in Leesville (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,040 in 65584 vs $1,050 in 71446.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 3.0% in Louisiana vs Top listed rate 4.7% in Missouri (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.44% in Missouri vs 10.11% in Louisiana.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Polk to Fort Leonard Wood?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,218 vs $1,479; without dependents: $1,128 vs $1,290.
What is local rent like near Fort Leonard Wood?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 65584 (St. Robert) is $1,040/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,450/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,062/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Polk to Fort Leonard Wood?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$78/mo at Fort Polk vs +$250/mo at Fort Leonard Wood. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$122/mo vs +$29/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 Polk to Fort Leonard Wood?
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. Louisiana: Top listed rate 3.0%. Missouri: Top listed rate 4.7%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
What do homes cost in Leesville vs St. Robert?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $118,600 in Leesville city, Louisiana vs $225,300 in St. Robert city, Missouri. Median gross rent in those cities is $894 vs $1,087. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How does sales tax near Fort Leonard Wood compare with Fort Polk?
Combined sales tax averages 8.44% in Missouri vs 10.11% in Louisiana. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How different is the climate from Fort Polk to Fort Leonard Wood?
Annual normals at Lake Charles Regional (NWS) are 78° / 62°F and 63.4 in of precipitation vs 67° / 45°F and 36.5 in at Springfield, MO (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 Polk (LA115); Fort Leonard Wood (MO163). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Vernon Parish $1,041; Pulaski County $1,062.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 71446 (Leesville) $1,050 / $1,340; 65584 (St. Robert) $1,040 / $1,450.
- 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 Leesville city, Louisiana ($118,600, $894/mo) and St. Robert city, Missouri ($225,300, $1,087/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Lake Charles Regional (NWS) (USW00012916); Springfield, MO (NWS) (USW00013996).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Louisiana and Missouri 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 Louisiana and Missouri. 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 Louisiana and Missouri. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Louisiana motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 4.45%); Missouri motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 4.22%). 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 Louisiana and Missouri. 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 Louisiana and Missouri. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.