BAH Calculator
Look up your Basic Allowance for Housing by duty station, pay grade, and dependency status.
How does BAH work?
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a monthly payment to service members to help cover housing costs when government quarters are not provided. The amount is based on three factors: duty station location (using Military Housing Area zip codes), pay grade, and dependency status.
BAH rates are recalculated each year by the DoD based on local rental market surveys. They are designed to cover the median cost of suitable rental housing in each area, including rent, utilities, and renter's insurance.
Rate protection: If BAH rates decrease in your area, you keep the higher rate as long as you remain in the same pay grade and dependency status at the same duty station. Rates only go down if your personal situation changes (e.g., loss of dependent status) or you PCS.
If you live in on-post privatized housing, your BAH is paid directly to the housing management company. If you live off-post, BAH is included in your paycheck and you can pocket any difference between your BAH and actual housing costs — or supplement it if local rents exceed your rate.
For official rates and methodology, visit the DoD BAH Rate Lookup.
Select a duty station
Choose a base above to see BAH rates for all pay grades.