BAH Rates by Location (2026)

The DoD Defense Travel Management Office surveys local rental markets annually across all 338 Military Housing Areas. Surveys measure median rental costs for one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, weighted by the types of housing service members actually rent in each area. BAH is set to cover approximately 95% of median local rental costs for a given pay grade. Rates publish in January each year.

Current 2026 rates are listed on this page, organized by state and city. Select your duty station city to see rates by pay grade and dependent status. You can also use the official DoD BAH Rate Lookup Tool at travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/ to look up rates by ZIP code.

Yes. BAH rates are recalculated each year based on updated local rental market surveys. Rates take effect January 1 and do not change mid-year. The DoD has maintained the policy that rates will not decrease below the prior year level for members already receiving BAH — this is the rate protection provision.

BAH is assigned at the Military Housing Area (MHA) level, not by individual ZIP code. However, each MHA covers a specific set of ZIP codes. If your ZIP code falls within an MHA boundary, you receive that MHA's rate. The 338 MHAs on this page each have a full list of covered ZIP codes on their detail pages.

Yes. Hawaii and Alaska are included in the standard BAH rate system. Overseas locations use a separate Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) calculated differently — OHA is based on actual rental receipts up to a cap, whereas BAH is a flat entitlement. The 338 MHAs listed here cover the continental US, Hawaii, and Alaska.

BAH applies when stationed within the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska. OHA applies when stationed at overseas locations. The key difference: BAH is a flat-rate entitlement regardless of actual rent paid; OHA is a reimbursement-based allowance that covers actual rental costs up to a published cap, plus a separate utility allowance. OHA rates are set by the Per Diem, Travel, and Transportation Allowance Committee.

Yes. For VA home loan qualification purposes, BAH counts as stable, verifiable income. Lenders typically use BAH to increase the income figure used for debt-to-income ratio calculations. Because BAH is tax-free, lenders may gross it up by 25% to make it equivalent to taxable income on paper — this often meaningfully increases your qualifying loan amount.