Compare military bases / Fort Polk → Joint Base San Antonio
Polk → JBSA
Compare Fort Polk and Joint Base San Antonio
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Polk to Joint Base San Antonio?
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
- Joint Base San Antonio
- $1,500
- Higher BAH at Joint Base San Antonio
BAH minus HUD 2-bedroom rent for the ZIP nearest each base.
- Fort Polk
- +$78/mo
- Joint Base San Antonio
- +$90/mo
Housing just outside the gate: Leesville vs San Antonio
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 | Joint Base San Antonio San Antonio 78288 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $118,600 | $235,700 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $894/mo | $1,324 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,050/mo | $1,410 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,340/mo | $1,810 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,041/mo | $1,426 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$78/mo | +$90/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$122/mo | +$59/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$78/mo at Fort Polk vs +$90/mo at Joint Base San Antonio. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$122/mo vs +$59/mo.
Host-state comparison: Louisiana vs. Texas
| Louisiana | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 10.11% | 8.20% |
| Property tax | 0.55% | 1.40% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.10% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 3.0% | 0.0% |
| Median home value | $215,842 | $304,099 |
| Branch | Army | Joint |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,041 | $1,426 |
| Climate high/low | 78° / 62°F | 80° / 59°F |
| Annual precip | 63.4 in | 36.2 in |
| Nearby city | Leesville | San Antonio |
| Host state | Louisiana | Texas |
PCS checklist for Joint Base San Antonio
- Update DEERS. BAH at Joint Base San Antonio uses MHA TX285 (ZIP 78234).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Joint Base San Antonio is $1,426/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Texas residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Joint Base San Antonio.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Joint Base San Antonio ($1,869 vs $1,218).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $235,700 in San Antonio vs $118,600 in Leesville (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,410 in 78288 vs $1,050 in 71446.
- Fort Polk is labeled Army; Joint Base San Antonio is Joint. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 3.0% in Louisiana vs No personal income tax in Texas (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.2% in Texas vs 10.11% in Louisiana.
Common questions
Can I PCS from Fort Polk to Joint Base San Antonio?
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 BAH change from Fort Polk to Joint Base San Antonio?
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 $1,869; without dependents: $1,128 vs $1,500.
What is local rent like near Joint Base San Antonio?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 78288 (San Antonio) is $1,410/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,810/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,426/mo.
What do homes cost in Leesville vs San Antonio?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $118,600 in Leesville city, Louisiana vs $235,700 in San Antonio city, Texas. Median gross rent in those cities is $894 vs $1,324. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Polk to Joint Base San Antonio?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$78/mo at Fort Polk vs +$90/mo at Joint Base San Antonio. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$122/mo vs +$59/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 Joint Base San Antonio?
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%. Texas: No personal income tax. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
Related PCS
Joint Base San Antonio → Fort Polk · Joint Base San Antonio → Fort Hood
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 in the snapshot above BAH 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); Joint Base San Antonio (TX285). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Vernon Parish $1,041; Bexar County $1,426.
- 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; 78288 (San Antonio) $1,410 / $1,810.
- 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 San Antonio city, Texas ($235,700, $1,324/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Lake Charles Regional (NWS) (USW00012916); San Antonio Intl (NWS) (USW00013958).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Louisiana and Texas 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 Texas. 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 Texas. 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%); Texas motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%). 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 Texas. 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 Texas. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.