Compare military bases / Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst → Fort Polk
JBMDL → Polk
Compare Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst and Fort Polk
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Fort Polk?
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 McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
- $2,421
- Fort Polk
- $1,128
- Lower BAH at Fort Polk
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst
- $851/mo left over
- Fort Polk
- $78/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: Wrightstown vs Leesville
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Wrightstown 08562 | Fort Polk Leesville 71446 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $256,300 | $118,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,270/mo | $894 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $1,570/mo | $1,050 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $1,890/mo | $1,340 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,810/mo | $1,041 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$851/mo | +$78/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$933/mo | −$122/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$851/mo at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst vs +$78/mo at Fort Polk. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$933/mo vs −$122/mo.
Host-state comparison: New Jersey vs. Louisiana
| New Jersey | Louisiana | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 6.60% | 10.11% |
| Property tax | 1.88% | 0.55% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 0.10% effective |
| Top state income tax | 10.75% | 3.0% |
| Median home value | $576,610 | $215,842 |
| Branch | Joint | Army |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,810 | $1,041 |
| Climate high/low | 68° / 51°F | 78° / 62°F |
| Annual precip | 41.8 in | 63.4 in |
| Nearby city | Wrightstown | Leesville |
| Host state | New Jersey | Louisiana |
Click here for the full state comparison: New Jersey → Louisiana
PCS checklist for Fort Polk
- Update DEERS. BAH at Fort Polk uses MHA LA115 (ZIP 71459).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Fort Polk is $1,041/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Louisiana residents typically have 30 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Fort Polk.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Fort Polk ($1,218 vs $2,823).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $118,600 in Leesville vs $256,300 in Wrightstown (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,050 in 71446 vs $1,570 in 08562.
- Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst is labeled Joint; Fort Polk is Army. The pair is valid because of shared tenants.
- Host-state wage tax is Top listed rate 10.75% in New Jersey vs Top listed rate 3.0% in Louisiana (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 10.11% in Louisiana vs 6.6% in New Jersey.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Fort Polk?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,823 vs $1,218; without dependents: $2,421 vs $1,128.
What is local rent like near Fort Polk?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 71446 (Leesville) is $1,050/mo for a 2-bedroom and $1,340/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,041/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Fort Polk?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$851/mo at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst vs +$78/mo at Fort Polk. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$933/mo vs −$122/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 McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Fort Polk?
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. New Jersey: Top listed rate 10.75%. Louisiana: Top listed rate 3.0%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Fort Polk compare with Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst?
Combined sales tax averages 10.11% in Louisiana vs 6.6% in New Jersey. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
Can I PCS from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst to Fort Polk?
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.
What do homes cost in Wrightstown vs Leesville?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $256,300 in Wrightstown borough, New Jersey vs $118,600 in Leesville city, Louisiana. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,270 vs $894. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
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 McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (NJ204); Fort Polk (LA115). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Burlington County $1,810; Vernon Parish $1,041.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 08562 (Wrightstown) $1,570 / $1,890; 71446 (Leesville) $1,050 / $1,340.
- 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 Wrightstown borough, New Jersey ($256,300, $1,270/mo) and Leesville city, Louisiana ($118,600, $894/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Ronald Reagan Washington National (NWS) (USW00013743); Lake Charles Regional (NWS) (USW00012916).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for New Jersey and Louisiana 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 New Jersey and Louisiana. 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 New Jersey and Louisiana. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. New Jersey motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 60 days; title tax 6.62%); Louisiana motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 30 days; title tax 4.45%). 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 New Jersey and Louisiana. 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 New Jersey and Louisiana. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.