Official DoD rates2026 rates · last verified 2026-10-31
BAH calculator 2026
Basic Allowance for Housing for any U.S. duty station: enter the ZIP of your permanent duty station, your pay grade and whether you have dependents.
How BAH works
The rate depends on three things: the ZIP code of your permanent duty station (not your home address), your pay grade and whether you have dependents.
Each ZIP belongs to one Military Housing Area. ZIPs outside the named areas fall into county cost groups.
BAH is paid monthly and is not taxable income.
Outside the 50 states, members receive OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance) instead; ZIPs there have no BAH rate.
O-1E, O-2E and O-3E are officers with more than four years of active enlisted or warrant officer service; they get a higher rate than other O-1s to O-3s.
On your permanent duty station. The ZIP code of the duty station decides the Military Housing Area and the rate, wherever you choose to live.
When do the 2027 BAH rates come out?
DoD publishes the new rates in December, and they take effect on 1 January. Until then, the 2026 rates on this page apply.
What happens if the rate for my area goes down?
Individual rate protection: a member already assigned to the area keeps the higher rate as long as their status (duty station, grade, dependency) stays the same. A new arrival gets the new rate.
Is BAH taxable?
No. BAH is a tax-free allowance: it is not counted as taxable income.
What do O-1E, O-2E and O-3E mean?
Officers in grades O-1 to O-3 with more than four years of active enlisted or warrant officer service. Their BAH is higher than for other officers in the same grades.
Does BAH apply overseas?
No. Outside the 50 states members receive OHA (Overseas Housing Allowance); the BAH file lists those ZIPs without a rate.