Compare military bases / Joint Base Langley-Eustis → Fort Drum
JBLE → Drum
Compare Joint Base Langley-Eustis and Fort Drum
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Fort Drum?
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.
- Joint Base Langley-Eustis
- $1,779
- Fort Drum
- $1,422
- Lower BAH at Fort Drum
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base Langley-Eustis
- $179/mo left over
- Fort Drum
- $132/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Hampton vs Watertown
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Joint Base Langley-Eustis Hampton 23670 | Fort Drum Watertown 13601 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $245,700 | $158,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,427/mo | $967 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,600/mo | $1,290 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $2,220/mo | $1,750 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,713/mo | $1,405 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$179/mo | +$132/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$54/mo | −$85/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$179/mo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis vs +$132/mo at Fort Drum. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$54/mo vs −$85/mo.
Host-state comparison: Virginia vs. New York
| Virginia | New York | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 5.77% | 8.54% |
| Property tax | 0.78% | 1.30% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 3.97% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 5.75% | 10.9% |
| Median home value | $416,963 | $513,450 |
| Branch | Joint | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,713 | $1,405 |
| Climate high/low | 70° / 53°F | 55° / 35°F |
| Annual precip | 49.2 in | 37.1 in |
| Nearby city | Hampton | Watertown |
| Host state | Virginia | New York |
Click here for the full state comparison: Virginia → New York
PCS checklist for Fort Drum
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Drum uses MHA NY225 (ZIP 13602).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Drum is $1,405/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New New York residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Drum.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Drum ($1,665 vs $2,274).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $158,600 in Watertown vs $245,700 in Hampton (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,290 in 13601 vs $1,600 in 23670.
- Joint Base Langley-Eustis is labeled Joint; Fort Drum is Army. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 5.75% in Virginia vs 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax in New York (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.54% in New York vs 5.77% in Virginia.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Fort Drum?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,274 vs $1,665; without dependents: $1,779 vs $1,422.
What is local rent like near Fort Drum?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 13601 (Watertown) is $1,290/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,750/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,405/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Fort Drum?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$179/mo at Joint Base Langley-Eustis vs +$132/mo at Fort Drum. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$54/mo vs −$85/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 Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Fort Drum?
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. Virginia: Top listed rate 5.75%. New York: 4%–10.9% state; NYC adds local tax. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort Drum compare with Joint Base Langley-Eustis?
Combined sales tax averages 8.54% in New York vs 5.77% in Virginia. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Can I PCS from Joint Base Langley-Eustis to Fort Drum?
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 long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Fort Drum?
New New York residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (60 and 30 days in Virginia).
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 Joint Base Langley-Eustis (VA297); Fort Drum (NY225). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Hampton city $1,713; Jefferson County $1,405.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 23670 (Hampton) $1,600 / $2,220; 13601 (Watertown) $1,290 / $1,750.
- 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 Hampton city, Virginia ($245,700, $1,427/mo) and Watertown city, New York ($158,600, $967/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Norfolk Intl (NWS) (USW00013737); Watertown (NWS) (USW00094790).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Virginia and New York 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 Virginia and New York. 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 Virginia and New York. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Virginia motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.30%); New York motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 8.00%). 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 Virginia and New York. 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 Virginia and New York. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.