Where to Live Near Fort Hood: Neighborhoods by Gate (2026)

"Where should we live?" really means "How long will my drive be?" Fort Hood is huge, with more than a dozen access points, and the gate you use most will shape your commute more than anything else. Here's how I match neighborhoods to gates around Killeen, plus what homes have actually sold for in each town this year.

A quick note on the name: the post was renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023 and returned to the Fort Hood name in July 2025, so you'll still see both on maps and paperwork.

Start with your gate, not your unit

Before you shop, ask your sponsor or unit which gate most people use to get to your work area. Unit locations move, but the gate is what you'll drive to every morning. Then use the table below to narrow down the towns that keep that drive short.

Gate	Where it is	Best nearby areas to live
Bernie Beck Main Gate	T.J. Mills Blvd off I-14 (US 190), open 24/7	Central and north Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville, and Belton or Temple via I-14
Mayborn (East) Gate and Warrior Way	East side of post, near Fort Hood St and Rancier Ave	East Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville
Clear Creek Gate	Clear Creek Rd on the west side of Killeen, open 24/7; near the Clear Creek PX, commissary and Darnall Medical Center	West and south Killeen, Copperas Cove, Kempner
North and South Clarke Gates	Clarke Rd in southwest Killeen, open 24/7	South and west Killeen, Copperas Cove
West Fort Hood and Robert Gray Army Airfield	West side of post near Copperas Cove	Copperas Cove, Kempner, west Killeen
North Fort Hood	North of the main cantonment, reached by way of Gatesville	Gatesville and north Copperas Cove

Gate hours and lane closures change, especially during exercises and holidays. Main Gate and Clear Creek are the main 24/7 gates, and some others close in the evening or on weekends, so check current hours before you count on a gate for your commute.

Typical commute times

• Killeen: about 5 to 15 minutes to most gates, depending on which side of town you're on.
• Harker Heights: about 10 to 15 minutes to the Main Gate or the east side of post.
• Nolanville: about 10 to 15 minutes to the Main Gate.
• Copperas Cove: about 10 to 20 minutes to Clear Creek, the Clarke gates and West Fort Hood.
• Kempner: about 20 to 25 minutes to the west side of post.
• Belton: about 20 to 25 minutes to the Main Gate.
• Temple: about 30 to 35 minutes to the Main Gate.

These are typical times outside of the morning rush. I-14 and Clear Creek Road both back up near the gates at PT and duty hours, so I always suggest driving your commute once at rush hour before you commit.

What homes sold for in 2026

I pulled closed home sales from January 1 through November 8, 2026 in the Unlock MLS for the zip codes around Fort Hood, about 935 sales in all. This MLS leans toward newer homes, because many builders list here, so treat these numbers as a picture of newer neighborhoods more than of every home in town.

Town	Homes sold	Median price	Busiest neighborhoods
Killeen	320	$259,000	Turnbo Ranch, Victory Ranch, Mitchell Farms, Reynolds Crossing
Copperas Cove	134	$270,000	Creekside Hills, Clayton Ranch
Temple	210	$255,000	The Ridge at Knob Creek, Atascosa Estates, Pepper Creek Crossing
Belton	149	$332,000	Skyview, Three Creeks, Hubbard Branch
Harker Heights	68	$340,000	The Village at Nolan Heights, Skipcha Mountain Estates
Kempner	34	$390,000	Mostly larger lots and acreage
Nolanville	17	$400,000*	Bella Charca, Wildwood Estates, Warrior's Legacy

*Nolanville had only 17 sales in this data, so its median moves a lot with just a few homes. Many new homes there start well below that, in the $250Ks. Older resale homes in Killeen often sell for less than the figures above. For a fuller picture by city, see my monthly Killeen, Temple and Fort Hood market report.

What the numbers tell me

• Killeen is where most new homes are being built, with whole subdivisions like Turnbo Ranch, Victory Ranch and Mitchell Farms selling new homes in the mid-to-high $200Ks. If you want new construction close to the gates, it's the place to start. See my Killeen and Fort Hood guide.
• Copperas Cove is the go-to for the west side of post, with new homes in Creekside Hills and Clayton Ranch near $280,000. See my Copperas Cove guide.
• Harker Heights costs more, but you get established neighborhoods, Market Heights shopping and a short drive to the Main Gate. See my Harker Heights guide.
• Nolanville sits right between Harker Heights and Belton on I-14 and has a mix of newer subdivisions. See my Nolanville guide.
• Belton and Temple make sense for dual-career families, especially if one spouse works at the medical centers in Temple. See my Belton guide.

Match the price to your BAH

Once you've picked a side of post, compare these prices to your BAH. My Fort Hood BAH guide shows the rough home price that fits each pay grade with a VA loan. If you're just getting orders, start with my PCS guide for Fort Hood.

Trina Heinmiller
Team Lead | Southern Luxe Group | eXp Realty

Sales data is from the Unlock MLS for closed residential sales from January 1 to November 8, 2026 in zip codes 76502, 76504, 76513, 76522, 76528, 76539, 76541, 76542, 76543, 76544, 76548, 76549 and 76559. It does not include every sale in the area and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Commute times are estimates.