Calculator
BAH calculator 2026
Look up the 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing by duty station ZIP code or location.
2026 BAH, San Diego, CA
$3,975
a month for an E-5 with dependents · $47,700 a year
- Military housing area
- CA038
- With dependents
- $3,975
- Without dependents
- $3,147
- Difference
- $828
Rates from the DTMO 2026 BAH rate files. BAH is tax-free and paid with your regular pay; rate protection keeps your rate from going down while you stay at the same duty station.
Independent estimate tool. Not affiliated with DoD, DFAS or VA. Your LES, finance office or VA decision letter is the official amount.
How the BAH calculator works
BAH depends on three things: the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, your pay grade and whether you have dependents[bah]. The calculator finds the military housing area (MHA) for your ZIP, then reads your rate from the same ASCII rate files DTMO publishes for download. Use the duty station ZIP, not your home of record or the ZIP where you choose to live.
- With dependents applies if you have a spouse, child or other approved dependent, no matter how many.
- Without dependents applies to single members who are authorized to live off base. Junior single enlisted members usually live in the barracks and do not draw BAH.
- Dual-military couples follow special rules in the Joint Travel Regulations on who draws which rate; your finance office applies them.
- Outside the 50 states and DC the housing allowance is OHA, not BAH, and the calculator will not find the ZIP.
BAH rate calculator: 2026 San Diego example
The calculator above starts on San Diego (MHA CA038). Here is every grade there, so you can see how the rate climbs with rank[bah]:
| Grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $3,666 | $2,763 |
| E-2 | $3,666 | $2,763 |
| E-3 | $3,666 | $2,763 |
| E-4 | $3,666 | $2,763 |
| E-5 | $3,975 | $3,147 |
| E-6 | $4,404 | $3,387 |
| E-7 | $4,446 | $3,678 |
| E-8 | $4,488 | $4,065 |
| E-9 | $4,671 | $4,188 |
| W-1 | $4,425 | $3,564 |
| W-2 | $4,464 | $4,062 |
| W-3 | $4,521 | $4,206 |
| W-4 | $4,731 | $4,410 |
| W-5 | $4,992 | $4,455 |
| O-1E | $4,449 | $3,972 |
| O-2E | $4,506 | $4,161 |
| O-3E | $4,770 | $4,398 |
| O-1 | $4,032 | $3,351 |
| O-2 | $4,401 | $3,873 |
| O-3 | $4,518 | $4,248 |
| O-4 | $5,082 | $4,440 |
| O-5 | $5,493 | $4,458 |
| O-6 | $5,541 | $4,494 |
| O-7 | $5,586 | $4,575 |
More San Diego detail is on the San Diego BAH page; for 40 major bases side by side, see BAH rates 2026.
BAH calculator 2026: how the rates are set
DTMO collects rent and utility costs in every housing area each year and ties each pay grade to a type of home, from an apartment for junior members to a single-family house for senior grades. The rate is that local cost minus a cost-sharing amount set at 5% of the national average for the grade[bah]. Rental prices usually change 2% to 5% a year, and BAH moves with them[bahfaq].
The highest 2026 rates for an E-5 with dependents are in San Francisco, CA ($5,127), New York City, NY ($5,070), Boston, MA ($4,791), Northern New Jersey, NJ ($4,749), Santa Clara County, CA ($4,659). The lowest are in Anniston/Fort Mcclellan, AL ($1,185), Youngstown, OH ($1,191), Monroe, LA ($1,194).
BAH military rules worth knowing
- Individual rate protection. Your BAH does not drop below last year’s amount if the rate for your area falls, as long as your BAH eligibility status stays the same. Increases apply automatically[bahfaq].
- Tax-free. BAH is excluded from federal income tax and from Social Security and Medicare[p3]. That is worth hundreds of dollars a month; the military pay estimator shows the exact tax advantage for your pay.
- Same for every branch. An Army BAH calculator, Navy BAH calculator or Air Force BAH calculator would all give the same number: BAH is set by DoD for every service, and the Coast Guard uses the same rates.
- Temporary changes. DTMO raised 2026 rates for Abilene, TX (Dyess AFB, MHA TX270) by about 24% from May 16 to December 31, 2026; the calculator uses those increased rates[abilene].
- GI Bill. Veterans in school get a housing allowance equal to the E-5 with-dependents BAH at the campus ZIP; see the GI Bill calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate BAH?
Find the military housing area for your duty station ZIP code, then read the rate for your pay grade and dependency status from the DTMO table. The BAH calculator on this page does both steps with the 2026 rate files.
Is the BAH calculator 2026 rate the same as my LES?
It should match if you use your permanent duty station ZIP and your grade. Differences usually mean rate protection from an earlier year, a mid-month move or promotion, or a partial-month rate.
Is there a separate Army BAH calculator?
No. BAH rates come from DoD and are identical for the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and Coast Guard.
When do 2027 BAH rates come out?
DoD usually releases next year’s BAH rates in mid-December; they take effect January 1. Rate protection means your current rate will not drop while you stay at the same station.