Fort Polk
Verified profile · 2026-10-22Leesville, LA · ~9,000 assigned
Formerly Fort Johnson (2023–2025) — some sources may still reference the prior name.
Installation overview
BAH Cost Index
0.72
Median Home Price
$175,000
Average Commute
5–40 min
VA Loan Activity
Moderate
What this installation is
Home of the Joint Readiness Training Center, the Army's premier rotational combat-training venue, plus a permanent brigade — a remote western Louisiana post where deployments to the training center shape the rhythm of local life more than the nearby towns do.
Editorial guidanceWritten for context, not sourced from official DoD mission statements — see methodology.
BAH & cost of living
Typical monthly BAH at Fort Polk
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E4 | $1,206 | $1,026 |
| E6 | $1,833 | $1,374 |
| O3 | $1,938 | $1,611 |
VerifiedReal 2026 DFAS with-dependents rate. Without-dependents figures are estimated — see the full BAH Calculator.
Full calculatorHousing market snapshot
Median home price
$175,000
Average commute
5–40 min
VA loan activity
ModerateRun your own numbers before assuming buying makes sense here — commute and price data above are the inputs, not the verdict.
Compare buying vs. rentingWhere families live
Sort by what matters to you — price, commute, or our recommended order.
VerifiedReviewed by the panel credited at the top of this page — commute and price ranges are directional, not guaranteed for any specific address.
Leesville
Family-Friendly- Commute
- 5–15 min
- Median price
- $160,000
- Walkability
- Car-Dependent
- Home styles
- Single-family
Best fit: The closest town to post, with the most rental and shopping options in the immediate area
Rosepine
Family-Friendly- Commute
- 15–25 min
- Median price
- $185,000
- Walkability
- Car-Dependent
- Home styles
- Single-family
Best fit: A quieter small-town option with larger lots just southeast of Leesville
DeRidder
Family-Friendly- Commute
- 35–45 min
- Median price
- $175,000
- Walkability
- Car-Dependent
- Home styles
- Single-family
Best fit: The nearest larger town to the south, with more dining and services at a real commute trade-off
Schools families ask about most
Individual school profiles for this installation haven’t been built yet.
Who's building here
No builder profiles for this installation yet.
Your relocation, step by step
Orders in hand, plan the move
- Confirm report date and entitlements with your losing unit's admin section
- Decide buy, rent, or wait-and-see for your destination
- Start a PCS folder: orders, LES, dependents' records
Common mistake: Waiting on the housing decision until move week — the best rentals and quick-close new builds get taken early.
Lock the logistics
- Schedule your HHG shipment (or start a PPM/DITY estimate)
- Line up financing pre-approval if buying
- Start the lease or purchase process at your destination
Common mistake: Booking movers at the last minute during peak PCS season (May–August), when good dates disappear fast.
Final details
- Confirm final walkthrough / turnover for on-post housing if applicable
- Transfer or schedule utility disconnect/connect dates
- Update your address with DEERS, banks, and insurance
Common mistake: Forgetting to schedule utility connection at the new home in advance — showing up to a house with no power is common and avoidable.
Get settled
- In-process at your gaining unit and register at the newcomers office
- Enroll kids in school and register vehicles if required by the state
- Confirm your BAH rate actually reflects your new duty station and dependency status
Common mistake: Not double-checking that BAH updated correctly on the first LES at the new station — pay errors are common right after a PCS.
Financing this move
Purchase information first, refinancing later — the order a relocating family actually needs it.
Eligibility
VA Loan Eligibility & Entitlement
Who qualifies, how entitlement is calculated, and how to pull your Certificate of Eligibility.
Read moreBuying here
Already have a VA loan?
The VA IRRRL Refinance
A streamlined refinance for veterans who already have a VA loan — when it helps and when it doesn't.
Read moreLooking for loan assumption or SCRA protections? Those live in the full VA Loan Center.
What a local would tell you
Traffic, weather, utilities, and the things that don't show up in a listing.
Weather
Hurricane Laura caused serious damage across Vernon Parish in 2020 — hurricane and ice-storm preparedness, and a realistic look at a home's roof and tree cover, matter more here than the inland location suggests.
Cost of Living
Housing is inexpensive, but amenities are limited — many families make regular drives to Alexandria or Lake Charles (each roughly an hour) for major shopping and specialty care.
Recreation
Toledo Bend Reservoir and the Kisatchie National Forest are close for fishing, hunting, and camping — outdoor recreation is the main off-duty draw.
Veteran Resources
Bayne-Jones Army Community Hospital serves care on post; the Alexandria VA Health Care System is the closest full VA facility.
Live data — coming soonThese notes are written editorially today. Live traffic, weather, and flood-zone data feeds are a planned future integration — see the README’s architecture notes.
Worth reading before you move
SCRA Protections During a PCS
Lease termination rights and interest rate caps every service member should know.
6 min read · Reviewed by Legal review panel
Leaving the Military: A Housing Timeline for Separation
You're not PCSing to a new duty station — here's what to plan for instead, and when.
9 min read · Reviewed by Transition & VA lending panel
Shipping Your Pet and Vehicle During a PCS
What the military covers, what you pay for, and the quarantine paperwork that trips people up.
7 min read · Reviewed by PCS relocation panel
Dual-Military PCS: Getting Stationed Together
Join-spouse programs improve your odds of co-location — they don't guarantee it.
7 min read · Reviewed by PCS relocation panel
What to do next
Not a funnel — pick whichever actually moves you forward.
Two partners, only if you need them
Homebird
A PCS often means selling at your losing base and buying — or renting — at your gaining one, on a fixed timeline. Homebird runs the whole thing as one coordinated move: sourcing your listing agent and purchasing agent, a right-fit lender, movers, insurance, and getting your new place actually livable — utilities, internet, and home security — whether or not you have an employer relocation benefit.
- 1.Sell your current home — Listing agent sourced and managed for you.
- 2.Buy or rent at your next base — A purchasing agent who knows the area.
- 3.Move in and get connected — Movers, insurance, utilities, internet, and home security — coordinated on your timeline, not pieced together after you arrive.
Opens www.homebird.com in a new tab.
Salute Mortgage
Salute Mortgage is our financing partner for VA-eligible buyers — including as the right-fit lender inside a Homebird-coordinated move. Check eligibility, run the numbers, and talk to a licensed loan officer when you're ready, not before.
- 1.Confirm eligibility — Pull your Certificate of Eligibility.
- 2.Run the numbers — Compare VA financing against conventional.
- 3.Talk to a loan officer — Only when you're ready to move forward.
Opens salutemortgage.com in a new tab.
Salute Mortgage LLC — Company NMLS #2601951. Licensed in Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement; not all customers will qualify; rates and programs are subject to change without notice. Equal Housing Opportunity. NMLS Consumer Access.