10 towns within about an hour of the main post area: drive time, rent, home values and the school district for each.
The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($3,735) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$2,053 a month
Bayonne City School District: 13 schools, 10,697 students, 12.8 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,979 a month
Linden City School District: 11 schools, 6,461 students, 12.4 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$2,147 a month
Elizabeth City School District: 37 schools, 28,334 students, 13.2 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,553 a month
Carteret Borough School District: 6 schools, 4,009 students, 12.7 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,908 a month
New York City Department Of Education. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median rent: +$2,348 a month
Woodbridge Township School District: 24 schools, 14,044 students, 11.6 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,803 a month
Jersey City School District: 39 schools, 26,293 students, 12.3 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,495 a month
Woodbridge Township School District: 24 schools, 14,044 students, 11.6 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$2,309 a month
Newark City School District: 64 schools, 42,791 students, 15 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$2,065 a month
Keansburg Borough School District: 4 schools, 1,565 students, 12 students per teacher. District facts
Updated October 12, 2026. How we get our numbers.
USCG Sector New York base guide USCG Sector New York BAH Other bases
Bayonne, NJ is about 23 minutes from the main post area (10.2 road miles) without traffic.
New York, NY, with about 8,483,844 people, 29 minutes from the main post area. Bigger towns usually mean more rentals, schools and jobs to choose from.
Sewaren, NJ, where the Census median rent is $1,387 a month (rent plus utilities, 2020-2024 average). New leases usually cost more than the median, so check current listings too.
For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $3,735 a month. That is at or above the Census median 2-bedroom rent in 9 of the 9 towns here with a Census figure for that size, with the most left over in Newark, NJ.
Bayonne City School District, with 13 schools and 10,697 students (12.8 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.