Home › Benefits › BAH rates 2026
Direct answer: 2026 BAH depends on your pay grade, duty station ZIP and whether you have dependents. Examples per month: an E-5 with dependents gets $1,815 at Fort Campbell, $2,268 in Nashville and $3,975 in San Diego. Rates rose 4.2% on average and are tax-free; rate protection stops cuts.
By the numbers: The basic allowance for housing rates will increase by an average of 4.2 percent Source: Department of War: 2026 BAH rates release (Dec. 11, 2025)
“BAH is not intended to cover all of a service member’s housing costs.” — DTMO: Basic Allowance for Housing
Updated 2026-10-17
It depends on the duty station: $1,815 a month at Fort Campbell (KY/TN), $1,806 at Fort Bragg, $2,268 in Nashville, $3,975 in San Diego and $3,663 in Honolulu. Across all 338 DTMO rate areas it runs from $1,185 to $5,127. Enter any ZIP in the calculator.
4.2% on average, effective Jan. 1, 2026 (Department of War, Dec. 11, 2025), about $29.9 billion for roughly 1 million members. It varies by area: our median for the E-5 with-dependents rate was +3.5%, and that rate went down in 60 of 338 areas.
Not while you stay at the same duty station with the same status. Rate protection pays the larger of the new Jan. 1 rate or what you got on Dec. 31. It ends if you PCS, are reduced in grade, or change dependency status. A promotion doesn't end it.
No. BAH has only 2 rates per grade and area: with dependents (1 or more) and without dependents. A spouse and 4 kids gets the same BAH as 1 child.
No. BAH is an allowance, not pay, so it isn't taxed (militarypay.defense.gov). It's still counted in some places, like income on many loan applications.
Where you're stationed: the ZIP of your permanent duty station. You can live anywhere, but BAH is still figured from the assigned location.
BAH rates are released once a year, usually in mid-December, and take effect Jan. 1. As of Oct. 17, 2026, the 2027 rates haven't been published. We'll add them when DTMO posts the file.
As of Oct. 17, 2026 · 2026 BAH (effective Jan. 1, 2026; DTMO file updated May 2026) · 2027 rates not out yet
2026 BAH is set by your pay grade, duty station ZIP and whether you have at least 1 dependent; it's tax-free and rose 4.2% on average. An E-5 with dependents gets $1,815 a month at Fort Campbell and $3,975 in San Diego. Rate protection means a lower 2026 rate doesn't cut your pay if you haven't moved.
The math:
Sources: DTMO BAH files · DoW Dec. 11, 2025 release · DTMO BAH page
A best fit for the situation described, not financial advice or a buy/sell recommendation. Partner links never change a pick.
| DTMO housing area | E-4 single | E-5 w/ dep | E-6 w/ dep | O-3 w/ dep | E-5 vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Campbell, KY | $1,470 | $1,815 | $2,100 | $2,496 | +0.2% |
| Fort Bragg/Pope, NC | $1,341 | $1,806 | $2,049 | $2,175 | +1.2% |
| Camp Lejeune, NC | $1,323 | $1,584 | $1,944 | $2,085 | +1.5% |
| Camp Pendleton, CA | $2,739 | $3,963 | $4,398 | $4,659 | +1.1% |
| San Diego, CA | $2,763 | $3,975 | $4,404 | $4,518 | -0.3% |
| Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA | $1,707 | $2,430 | $2,559 | $2,694 | +4.5% |
| Fort Hood, TX | $1,374 | $1,695 | $1,920 | $2,340 | +7.2% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $1,689 | $2,358 | $2,433 | $2,595 | +0.8% |
| San Antonio, TX | $1,359 | $1,869 | $2,094 | $2,127 | -3.4% |
| Tacoma, WA | $2,034 | $2,556 | $2,919 | $3,123 | +1.9% |
| Honolulu County, HI | $2,598 | $3,663 | $3,912 | $4,428 | +4.3% |
| Anchorage, AK | $1,707 | $2,874 | $2,892 | $3,360 | +5.2% |
| Washington, DC Metro Area | $2,409 | $3,132 | $3,759 | $4,020 | +6.1% |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,623 | $2,181 | $2,241 | $2,364 | -2.0% |
| Fort Benning, GA | $1,362 | $1,716 | $1,977 | $2,058 | +3.1% |
| Fort Stewart, GA | $1,791 | $2,310 | $2,439 | $2,598 | +6.8% |
| Fort Drum/Watertown, NY | $1,356 | $1,665 | $1,893 | $2,469 | +5.3% |
| Fort Riley, KS | $1,050 | $1,314 | $1,782 | $1,953 | +3.5% |
| Fort Sill/Lawton, OK | $969 | $1,233 | $1,494 | $1,758 | -1.2% |
| El Paso, TX | $1,302 | $1,809 | $2,148 | $2,202 | +2.0% |
| Beaufort/Parris Island, SC | $1,875 | $2,403 | $2,811 | $2,856 | -1.8% |
| Quantico/Woodbridge, VA | $2,109 | $2,955 | $3,174 | $3,327 | -1.0% |
| Abilene/Dyess AFB, TX | $1,380 | $1,872 | $2,820 | $2,859 | +26.1% |
| Nashville, TN | $1,722 | $2,268 | $2,673 | $2,784 | +0.1% |
"Single" = without dependents. Names are DTMO's Military Housing Area names (DTMO still lists some bases by their older names). Abilene/Dyess includes the May 16, 2026 temporary increase. The vs-2025 column is our arithmetic from DTMO's 2025 and 2026 files. Every ZIP and grade works in the calculator above. Source: DTMO BAH files.
Sources: DTMO BAH page · militarypay.defense.gov · DoW Dec. 11, 2025 release · DTMO cost-sharing amounts.
Not while you stay put. DTMO: members get the BAH rate published Jan. 1 or the amount they received on Dec. 31, whichever is larger, as long as their BAH status doesn't change. Rate protection ends if you:
A promotion does not end it: if the new grade's published rate is lower than what you were getting, you keep the higher amount (BAH Primer). That matters for 2026: in our count, 2,437 of 16,224 published rates (grade x area x dependency) went down from 2025, including the E-5 with-dependents rate in 60 of 338 areas. Sources: DTMO BAH page · DoW BAH Primer · DTMO BAH files.
The Department of War says 2026 rates rose 4.2% on average, about $29.9 billion for roughly 1 million service members, based on rent and utility data for 299 military housing areas (including Alaska and Hawaii), effective Jan. 1, 2026. Our own unweighted count across DTMO's 338 rate areas: the E-5 with-dependents rate had a median change of +3.5%. 2026's highest E-5 with-dependents rate is $5,127 (San Francisco, CA); the lowest is $1,185 (Anniston/Fort McClellan, AL). Sources: DoW Dec. 11, 2025 release · DTMO BAH files.
| Grade | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $115 | $93 |
| E-2 | $115 | $93 |
| E-3 | $115 | $93 |
| E-4 | $115 | $93 |
| E-5 | $126 | $110 |
| E-6 | $141 | $114 |
| E-7 | $144 | $120 |
| E-8 | $151 | $134 |
| E-9 | $160 | $139 |
| W-1 | $123 | $92 |
| W-2 | $146 | $123 |
| W-3 | $154 | $136 |
| W-4 | $161 | $147 |
| W-5 | $166 | $148 |
| O-1E | $151 | $129 |
| O-2E | $153 | $135 |
| O-3E | $163 | $147 |
| O-1 | $118 | $104 |
| O-2 | $134 | $118 |
| O-3 | $151 | $138 |
| O-4 | $176 | $157 |
| O-5 | $193 | $164 |
| O-6 | $201 | $175 |
| O-7 | $212 | $187 |
Monthly. 5% of the national mean BAH for each grade (37 U.S.C. 403), already built into every rate above. DoW's release says $93 to $212; DTMO's table lists $92 for a W-1 without dependents. Sources: DTMO cost-sharing amounts · DoW Dec. 11, 2025 release.
These don't depend on location. Partial BAH is for members in government quarters without dependents; BAH RC/T is for reservists on active duty under 30 days and some members in transit; BAH-DIFF is for members in single-type quarters who get BAH only because they pay child support (not paid if the monthly support is less than BAH-DIFF).
| Grade | Partial | RC/T without | RC/T with | BAH-DIFF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-7+ | $50.70 | $2,466.30 | $3,035.10 | $465.60 |
| O-6 | $39.60 | $2,261.70 | $2,731.80 | $395.70 |
| O-5 | $33.00 | $2,178.00 | $2,633.40 | $382.50 |
| O-4 | $26.70 | $2,017.80 | $2,320.80 | $255.00 |
| O-3 | $22.20 | $1,618.20 | $1,920.30 | $254.70 |
| O-2 | $17.70 | $1,281.90 | $1,638.30 | $300.60 |
| O-1 | $13.20 | $1,100.70 | $1,466.70 | $324.60 |
| O-3E | $22.20 | $1,746.60 | $2,063.70 | $266.10 |
| O-2E | $17.70 | $1,485.30 | $1,862.40 | $318.60 |
| O-1E | $13.20 | $1,291.80 | $1,721.40 | $374.10 |
| W-5 | $25.20 | $2,051.40 | $2,241.30 | $159.00 |
| W-4 | $25.20 | $1,821.30 | $2,054.70 | $196.20 |
| W-3 | $20.70 | $1,531.20 | $1,883.40 | $295.50 |
| W-2 | $15.90 | $1,359.00 | $1,730.70 | $312.30 |
| W-1 | $13.80 | $1,139.40 | $1,497.90 | $302.70 |
| E-9 | $18.60 | $1,494.90 | $1,971.60 | $399.30 |
| E-8 | $15.30 | $1,374.30 | $1,818.30 | $374.40 |
| E-7 | $12.00 | $1,265.70 | $1,687.20 | $433.20 |
| E-6 | $9.90 | $1,169.70 | $1,559.10 | $419.10 |
| E-5 | $8.70 | $1,052.70 | $1,403.70 | $380.10 |
| E-4 | $8.10 | $915.60 | $1,219.50 | $338.70 |
| E-3 | $7.80 | $850.50 | $1,133.70 | $277.80 |
| E-2 | $7.20 | $811.50 | $1,080.60 | $371.10 |
| E-1 | $6.90 | $811.50 | $1,080.60 | $439.20 |
Monthly, effective Jan. 1, 2026. RC/T rates move with average housing costs, BAH-DIFF with the basic pay raise, and partial rates are constant. Sources: DTMO non-locality rates · DTMO BAH page.
| Grade | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-4 | 2-bedroom (midpoint of apartment and townhouse) | 1-bedroom apartment |
| E-5 | 2-bedroom townhouse | 1-bedroom apartment (67% toward the O-1 anchor) |
| E-6 | 3-bedroom townhouse | 2-bedroom apartment (7%) |
| E-7 | 3-bedroom townhouse (36%) | 2-bedroom apartment (53%) |
| E-8 | 3-bedroom townhouse (75%) | 2-bedroom townhouse (20%) |
| E-9 | 3-bedroom house (16%) | 2-bedroom townhouse (51%) |
| O-1 | 2-bedroom townhouse (11%) | 2-bedroom apartment |
| O-3 | 3-bedroom townhouse (98%) | 2-bedroom townhouse (64%) |
| O-4 | 3-bedroom house (58%) | 3-bedroom townhouse (40%) |
| O-5 | 4-bedroom house | 3-bedroom townhouse (63%) |
| O-6 | 4-bedroom house (1%) | 3-bedroom house |
DoW prices 6 housing profiles in each area (median rent plus utilities); grades between profiles get a set percentage of the gap (in parentheses). Source: DoW BAH Primer.
Cross-check: on Oct. 17, 2026 we looked up 5 ZIP/grade pairs in DTMO's own BAH calculator (37042 E-5, 92101 O-3, 28307 E-4, 96818 O-7, 22134 W-2); all matched the DTMO file this page uses.
Facts and arithmetic only. VaultRubric isn't DoW or DFAS. Your finance office and LES decide what you're paid; this page shows DTMO's published rates.
It depends on the duty station: $1,815 a month at Fort Campbell (KY/TN), $1,806 at Fort Bragg, $2,268 in Nashville, $3,975 in San Diego and $3,663 in Honolulu. Across all 338 DTMO rate areas it runs from $1,185 to $5,127. Enter any ZIP in the calculator.
4.2% on average, effective Jan. 1, 2026 (Department of War, Dec. 11, 2025), about $29.9 billion for roughly 1 million members. It varies by area: our median for the E-5 with-dependents rate was +3.5%, and that rate went down in 60 of 338 areas.
Not while you stay at the same duty station with the same status. Rate protection pays the larger of the new Jan. 1 rate or what you got on Dec. 31. It ends if you PCS, are reduced in grade, or change dependency status. A promotion doesn't end it.
No. BAH has only 2 rates per grade and area: with dependents (1 or more) and without dependents. A spouse and 4 kids gets the same BAH as 1 child.
No. BAH is an allowance, not pay, so it isn't taxed (militarypay.defense.gov). It's still counted in some places, like income on many loan applications.
Where you're stationed: the ZIP of your permanent duty station. You can live anywhere, but BAH is still figured from the assigned location.
BAH rates are released once a year, usually in mid-December, and take effect Jan. 1. As of Oct. 17, 2026, the 2027 rates haven't been published. We'll add them when DTMO posts the file.
Estimates, not financial advice. Taxes, insurance, PMI and fees vary by lender, county and city; confirm with your lender, dealer and state agency before acting.