Compare military bases / Fort Sill → Fort Carson
Sill → Carson
Compare Fort Sill and Fort Carson
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Fort Sill to Fort Carson?
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 Sill
- $1,092
- Fort Carson
- $1,860
- Higher BAH at Fort Carson
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Fort Sill
- $112/mo left over
- Fort Carson
- $50/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Lawton vs Colorado Springs
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Fort Sill Lawton 73507 | Fort Carson Colorado Springs 80911 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $142,100 | $452,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $967/mo | $1,648 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $980/mo | $1,810 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,360/mo | $2,520 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,001/mo | $1,735 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$112/mo | +$50/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$127/mo | −$162/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$112/mo at Fort Sill vs +$50/mo at Fort Carson. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$127/mo vs −$162/mo.
Host-state comparison: Oklahoma vs. Colorado
| Oklahoma | Colorado | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 9.06% | 7.89% |
| Property tax | 0.79% | 0.50% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 1.79% effective |
| Top state income tax | 4.5% | 4.4% |
| Median home value | $223,346 | $548,480 |
| Branch | Army | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,001 | $1,735 |
| Climate high/low | 69° / 42°F | 67° / 40°F |
| Annual precip | 22.0 in | 9.1 in |
| Nearby city | Lawton | Colorado Springs |
| Host state | Oklahoma | Colorado |
Click here for the full state comparison: Oklahoma → Colorado
PCS checklist for Fort Carson
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Carson uses MHA CO046 (ZIP 80913).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Carson is $1,735/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Colorado residents typically have 30 days for a license and 90 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Carson.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Fort Carson ($2,358 vs $1,233).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $452,600 in Colorado Springs vs $142,100 in Lawton (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,810 in 80911 vs $980 in 73507.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 4.5% in Oklahoma vs Flat 4.4% in Colorado (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 7.89% in Colorado vs 9.06% in Oklahoma.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Fort Sill to Fort Carson?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $1,233 vs $2,358; without dependents: $1,092 vs $1,860.
What do homes cost in Lawton vs Colorado Springs?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $142,100 in Lawton city, Oklahoma vs $452,600 in Colorado Springs city, Colorado. Median gross rent in those cities is $967 vs $1,648. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
What is local rent like near Fort Carson?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 80911 (Colorado Springs) is $1,810/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,520/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,735/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Fort Sill to Fort Carson?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$112/mo at Fort Sill vs +$50/mo at Fort Carson. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$127/mo vs −$162/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 Sill to Fort Carson?
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. Oklahoma: Top listed rate 4.5%. Colorado: Flat 4.4%. 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 Carson?
New Colorado residents typically have 30 days for a license and 90 days to title a car (30 and 30 days in Oklahoma).
How does sales tax near Fort Carson compare with Fort Sill?
Combined sales tax averages 7.89% in Colorado vs 9.06% in Oklahoma. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Related PCS
Fort Carson → Fort Sill · Joint Base Lewis-McChord → Fort Carson
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 Sill (OK237); Fort Carson (CO046). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Comanche County $1,001; El Paso County $1,735.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 73507 (Lawton) $980 / $1,360; 80911 (Colorado Springs) $1,810 / $2,520.
- 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 Lawton city, Oklahoma ($142,100, $967/mo) and Colorado Springs city, Colorado ($452,600, $1,648/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Lawton (NWS) (USW00013985); Colorado Springs Muni (NWS) (USW00023066).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Oklahoma and Colorado 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 Oklahoma and Colorado. 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 Oklahoma and Colorado. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Oklahoma motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 4.50%); Colorado motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 90 days; title tax 2.90%). 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 Oklahoma and Colorado. 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 Oklahoma and Colorado. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.