Introduction
The 2026 Army BAH Calculator shows how much housing money you get each month. BAH stands for Basic Allowance for Housing. Service members are not taxed on it.1 It helps you cover rent or a mortgage when the government does not provide your quarters.2
Your BAH depends on three things: your duty station, your pay grade, and whether you have dependents.1 Pick your post, pick your rank, and choose with or without dependents. The tool then gives you your monthly rate, your yearly total, and your daily rate for partial months.
You also see how your rate compares to last year, where it ranks against other Military Housing Areas, and a step-by-step breakdown of the math. A chart shows the published rates for the last five years.
The rates come from the 2026 BAH tables published by the Defense Travel Management Office.4 Check your official 2026 BAH rate with your finance office before you sign a lease or set your budget.
How to use our 2026 Army BAH Calculator
Enter your duty station, your pay grade, and whether you have dependents. The calculator shows your 2026 monthly BAH, your yearly total, a daily rate, and how your rate compares to last year.
Duty Station Location: Type your duty station's 5-digit ZIP code, or part of its Military Housing Area name or code, like "42223," "Fort Campbell," or "KY106." Pick your match from the list. BAH is paid by Military Housing Area, so nearby posts can share one rate.
Pay Grade / Rank: Type your grade or rank title, like "E-5," "Sergeant," "CW3," or "Captain," then choose it from the list. Each pay grade has its own housing rate. Prior-enlisted officers should pick O-1E, O-2E, or O-3E.
Dependency Status: Choose "With Dependents" if you have a spouse, child, or other dependent in DEERS. Choose "Without Dependents" if you have none. The number of dependents does not change your BAH amount.
Select Calculate to see your results, a step-by-step breakdown, and a 5-year rate history chart. Select Reset to go back to the starting example. Confirm your official BAH with your finance office.
What Is Army BAH?
BAH stands for Basic Allowance for Housing. It is money paid each month to help cover rent and utilities when the government does not provide your housing.2 BAH is an allowance, not part of your pay, so it is not taxed.1 It shows up on your paycheck twice a month, split in half.
What Sets Your BAH Rate
Three things decide how much Army BAH you get:
- Duty station location. BAH is figured for your assigned duty location, even if you choose to live somewhere else.1 Local rental market rates drive the amount,1 so a soldier in Honolulu gets much more than one at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
- Pay grade. Higher grades get higher rates.1 Every grade from E-1 to O-10 has its own number.
- Dependency status. There are only two rates per grade: with dependents and without dependents. Having one child or four children pays the same. A spouse or a child enrolled in DEERS counts as a dependent.
How the Rates Are Built
BAH rates are built from current rental market rates, average utility costs, and the home type and number of rooms for each grade.1 They are reviewed and released each year, usually in mid-December, and take effect on Jan. 1.1 Most years bring an increase, but some areas go down.1
BAH Rate Protection
If the rate for your area drops, individual rate protection means you keep the rate you already receive. This is often called being "grandfathered."1 Your protected rate changes only if you are assigned a new duty station, your pay grade is reduced, or you change your claimed dependency status.1
Things That Can Change Your Payment
- Living in the barracks or on-post housing. Most single junior soldiers in barracks get no BAH. On-post family housing takes your BAH as rent.
- Partial months. If you PCS or change status mid-month, finance prorates your pay by day. Pay and allowances for a period of less than a month are paid for each day at 1/30 of the monthly amount.6
- Deployment. You normally keep BAH for your home station while deployed.
- Overseas duty. BAH is based on housing costs within the 50 U.S. states, so Alaska and Hawaii use BAH.2 Overseas locations such as Germany, Korea, and Japan use Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) instead.3
Why BAH Matters for Your Budget
BAH is often the second biggest piece of a soldier's pay, right after base pay. Since it is tax free, a $2,000 monthly BAH is worth more than $2,000 in taxable wages. Lenders also count BAH as income when you apply for a home loan, which can raise how much house you qualify for. Just remember BAH is not intended to cover all of your housing costs.2 Build any gap into a Monthly Budget Calculator plan.
Looking further ahead, BAH does not count toward retirement pay, so use the Army Retirement Calculator to plan for life after service.
Note: The rates here are the published 2026 BAH tables. Always check your official rate with your finance office or on your Leave and Earnings Statement (LES).