What BAH Actually Covers in 2026: 290 Military Housing Areas Compared
The Basic Allowance for Housing is public data. What nobody publishes is what it actually buys. We joined the 2026 DoD rate tables to local market rents and home values in all 290 US military housing areas with data.
Why an E-5 with dependents? Every comparison below uses that rate as a fixed reference so the areas can be ranked against each other. E-5 is the middle of the enlisted pay scale and the rank at which a service member most commonly faces a first home purchase with a family. It is not a claim that other ranks are fine — the rank-by-rank table further down shows how much the answer moves, and every base page recalculates all of this for your own pay grade.
Key findings
- In 260 of 290 military housing areas (90%), BAH does not cover the monthly cost of owning the median local home.BAH is calibrated to rental housing, not ownership. A family buying at the local median should expect to pay the difference out of pocket in nearly every market in the country.
- A three-bedroom home is out of reach on BAH alone in 260 of 280 housing areas (93%).A single median home value hides this. Near Fort Huachuca, the typical two-bedroom ($170,031) is covered by an E-5's allowance, while the typical three-bedroom ($260,943) runs about $342 a month beyond it. The allowance frequently buys a smaller home than the family needs.
- In 16 housing areas, an E-5 with dependents cannot cover the typical asking rent on BAH alone.The widest gap is Bridgeport, CA, where BAH of $2,085 falls $635 a month short of the $2,720 typical rent.
- BAH stretches furthest in Rock Island, IL, where it covers 189% of typical rent — and shortest in Bridgeport, at 77%.A 112% spread in purchasing power for the same rank, driven entirely by where the assignment lands.
- Buying beats renting after 2 years in China Lake, but takes 29 years in Cape May.Since tour lengths are typically two to four years, the buy-or-rent answer is set far more by the base than by the service member.
Where BAH stretches furthest
Housing areas where the 2026 E-5 with dependents rate covers the largest share of typical local rent.
| Housing Area | E-5 BAH | Typical Rent | BAH Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rock Island, IL | $1,908 | $1,009 | 189% |
| Milwaukee, WI | $2,607 | $1,427 | 183% |
| Northern New Jersey, NJ | $4,749 | $2,638 | 180% |
| Toledo, OH | $2,031 | $1,164 | 174% |
| Chicago, IL | $3,438 | $2,082 | 165% |
| St. Louis, MO | $2,436 | $1,476 | 165% |
| Pittsburgh, PA | $2,283 | $1,386 | 165% |
| Memphis, TN | $2,154 | $1,319 | 163% |
| Ballston Spa/Albany, NY | $2,634 | $1,622 | 162% |
| New York City, NY | $5,070 | $3,143 | 161% |
Where BAH falls shortest
All 16 housing areas where the allowance does not reach typical asking rent. In these markets a junior enlisted family is paying the gap from base pay.
| Housing Area | E-5 BAH | Typical Rent | BAH Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgeport, CA | $2,085 | $2,720 | 77% |
| Sault Ste Marie, MI | $1,536 | $1,950 | 79% |
| Mountain Home AFB, IDMountain Home AFB | $1,605 | $1,998 | 80% |
| Monroe, LA | $1,194 | $1,434 | 83% |
| Fallon NAS, NVFallon NAS | $1,596 | $1,891 | 84% |
| Meridian, MS | $1,290 | $1,494 | 86% |
| Abilene/Dyess AFB, TXAbilene/Dyess AFB | $1,872 | $2,114 | 89% |
| Sumter/Shaw AFB, SCSumter/Shaw AFB | $1,503 | $1,686 | 89% |
| State College, PA | $1,791 | $1,904 | 94% |
| Auburn, AL | $1,707 | $1,787 | 96% |
Where buying pays off fastest
Years of ownership before buying the median home costs less than renting it, counting closing costs, interest, taxes, upkeep, and the cost of selling. Anything at or under a typical tour length is worth a hard look.
| Housing Area | E-5 BAH | Typical Rent | Breakeven |
|---|---|---|---|
| China Lake, CA | $1,563 | $1,204 | 2 yrs |
| Albany, GA | $1,371 | $993 | 2 yrs |
| St Mary And Terrebonne, LA | $1,620 | $1,258 | 2 yrs |
| Cannon AFB/Clovis, NMCannon AFB/Clovis | $1,365 | $1,034 | 2 yrs |
| Altus AFB, OKAltus AFB | $1,254 | $980 | 2 yrs |
| Mobile, AL | $1,887 | $1,497 | 3 yrs |
| Barstow/Fort Irwin, CABarstow/Fort Irwin | $2,001 | $1,967 | 3 yrs |
| Twenty Nine Palms MCB, CATwenty Nine Palms MCB | $1,980 | $1,978 | 3 yrs |
| Fort Myers Beach, FLFort Myers Beach | $2,694 | $1,876 | 3 yrs |
| Fort Gordon, ALFort Gordon | $1,890 | $1,516 | 3 yrs |
Where buying rarely pays off
Markets where homes are expensive relative to rents. Unless you keep the property as a rental after you PCS, these are renting markets.
| Housing Area | E-5 BAH | Typical Rent | Breakeven |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape May, NJ | $2,754 | $1,850 | 29 yrs |
| Fort Monmouth/Earle NWS, NJFort Monmouth/Earle NWS | $3,549 | $2,957 | 28 yrs |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $4,659 | $3,871 | 23 yrs |
| Northern New Jersey, NJ | $4,749 | $2,638 | 23 yrs |
| Burlington, VT | $3,120 | $2,025 | 21 yrs |
| Milwaukee, WI | $2,607 | $1,427 | 21 yrs |
| Newport, RI | $2,847 | $2,057 | 19 yrs |
| San Francisco, CA | $5,127 | $4,085 | 18 yrs |
| Lincoln, NE | $1,788 | $1,338 | 18 yrs |
| Rapid City/Ellsworth AFB, SDRapid City/Ellsworth AFB | $1,986 | $1,404 | 18 yrs |
How this changes by rank
The gap between BAH and the cost of ownership narrows as you move up, but it never closes. Even at O-5, the allowance falls short of owning the median local home in roughly a third of all housing areas.
| Pay Grade (with dependents) | Areas short of rent | Areas short of owning | Share short of owning |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-4 | 29 of 290 | 272 of 290 | 94% |
| E-5reference rate | 16 of 290 | 260 of 290 | 90% |
| E-6 | 2 of 290 | 219 of 290 | 76% |
| E-7 | 1 of 290 | 204 of 290 | 70% |
| E-8 | 0 of 290 | 187 of 290 | 64% |
| O-1 | 11 of 290 | 255 of 290 | 88% |
| O-2 | 2 of 290 | 219 of 290 | 76% |
| O-3 | 0 of 290 | 174 of 290 | 60% |
| O-4 | 0 of 290 | 122 of 290 | 42% |
| O-5 | 0 of 290 | 98 of 290 | 34% |
Named installations
The same numbers for every housing area containing a named installation.
| Installation | E-5 BAH | Rent | Median Home | Median 3-Bed | Own/mo | Breakeven |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abilene/Dyess AFBTexas | $1,872 | $2,114 | $199,089 | $231,214 | $1,747 | 3 yrs |
| Albuquerque/Kirtland AFBNew Mexico | $2,211 | $1,544 | $360,365 | $384,039 | $2,898 | 6 yrs |
| Altus AFBOklahoma | $1,254 | $980 | $110,066 | — | $894 | 2 yrs |
| AnnapolisMaryland | $2,928 | $2,472 | $638,212 | $518,568 | $5,276 | 17 yrs |
| Anniston/Fort McclellanAlabama | $1,185 | $1,099 | $205,770 | $214,820 | $1,588 | 4 yrs |
| Barstow/Fort IrwinCalifornia | $2,001 | $1,967 | $330,356 | $348,215 | $2,643 | 3 yrs |
| Beale AFBCalifornia | $2,967 | $2,206 | $481,605 | $537,035 | $3,853 | 11 yrs |
| Camp LejeuneNorth Carolina | $1,584 | $1,653 | $286,566 | $277,788 | $2,309 | 6 yrs |
| Camp PendletonCalifornia | $3,963 | $2,936 | $890,167 | $857,176 | $7,121 | 11 yrs |
| Cannon AFB/ClovisNew Mexico | $1,365 | $1,034 | $154,556 | — | $1,243 | 2 yrs |
| Carlisle BarracksPennsylvania | $2,076 | $1,412 | $330,470 | $329,296 | $2,858 | 10 yrs |
| Columbia/Fort JacksonSouth Carolina | $1,878 | $1,651 | $229,938 | $239,242 | $1,805 | 4 yrs |
| Columbus AFBMississippi | $1,398 | $1,308 | $177,495 | $173,137 | $1,429 | 4 yrs |
| Davis-Monthan AFBArizona | $1,905 | $1,565 | $343,916 | $347,751 | $2,717 | 6 yrs |
| Dover AFB/RehobothDelaware | $2,277 | $2,129 | $385,330 | $377,280 | $3,028 | 9 yrs |
| Edwards AFB/PalmdaleCalifornia | $2,658 | $2,490 | $426,705 | $430,691 | $3,413 | 9 yrs |
| Eglin AFBFlorida | $2,433 | $1,942 | $327,973 | $319,024 | $2,654 | 4 yrs |
| Fallon NASNevada | $1,596 | $1,891 | $396,441 | $391,607 | $3,122 | 8 yrs |
| Fort BenningGeorgia | $1,716 | $1,249 | $217,217 | $234,257 | $1,768 | 5 yrs |
| Fort Bragg/PopeNorth Carolina | $1,806 | $1,665 | $261,947 | $248,733 | $2,111 | 7 yrs |
| Fort CampbellKentucky | $1,815 | $1,417 | $315,987 | $353,910 | $2,554 | 6 yrs |
| Fort Chaffee/Fort SmithArkansas | $1,263 | $1,101 | $203,696 | $201,184 | $1,607 | 5 yrs |
| Fort CollinsColorado | $2,268 | $2,052 | $536,523 | $506,946 | $4,185 | 10 yrs |
| Fort DetrickMaryland | $2,682 | $2,278 | $475,701 | $445,238 | $3,932 | 10 yrs |
| Fort Drum/WatertownNew York | $1,665 | $1,450 | $218,586 | $227,640 | $1,927 | 3 yrs |
| Fort G. G. MeadeMaryland | $2,901 | $2,477 | $499,312 | $464,946 | $4,127 | 11 yrs |
| Fort GordonAlabama | $1,890 | $1,516 | $221,126 | $249,764 | $1,706 | 3 yrs |
| Fort HoodTexas | $1,695 | $1,348 | $277,855 | $237,795 | $2,438 | 7 yrs |
| Fort HuachucaArizona | $1,719 | $1,254 | $240,795 | $260,943 | $1,902 | 4 yrs |
| Fort KnoxKentucky | $1,647 | $1,327 | $251,798 | $264,439 | $2,035 | 6 yrs |
| Fort LeavenworthKansas | $1,815 | $1,560 | $381,047 | $347,751 | $3,264 | 14 yrs |
| Fort Leonard WoodMissouri | $1,479 | $1,112 | $221,411 | $225,249 | $1,814 | 5 yrs |
| Fort Monmouth/Earle NWSNew Jersey | $3,549 | $2,957 | $884,381 | $782,881 | $8,342 | 28 yrs |
| Fort Myers BeachFlorida | $2,694 | $1,876 | $332,736 | $350,502 | $2,692 | 3 yrs |
| Fort PierceFlorida | $2,691 | $2,292 | $355,313 | $360,249 | $2,875 | 7 yrs |
| Fort PolkLouisiana | $1,218 | $1,244 | $167,286 | — | $1,312 | 3 yrs |
| Fort RileyKansas | $1,314 | $1,261 | $232,411 | $239,898 | $1,991 | 6 yrs |
| Fort RuckerAlabama | $1,572 | $1,238 | $169,271 | $202,521 | $1,306 | 4 yrs |
| Fort Sill/LawtonOklahoma | $1,233 | $1,115 | $165,999 | $183,073 | $1,349 | 3 yrs |
| Fort StewartGeorgia | $2,310 | $1,933 | $287,743 | $275,373 | $2,343 | 5 yrs |
| Fort WayneIndiana | $1,947 | $1,209 | $265,937 | $250,328 | $2,150 | 8 yrs |
| Fort WorthTexas | $2,118 | $1,670 | $328,254 | $303,799 | $2,880 | 5 yrs |
| Goodfellow AFBTexas | $1,578 | $1,410 | $232,636 | $228,058 | $2,041 | 4 yrs |
| Hanscom AFBMassachusetts | $4,188 | $2,740 | $732,914 | $713,032 | $6,138 | 11 yrs |
| Holloman AFB/AlamogordoNew Mexico | $1,590 | $1,546 | $269,019 | $318,132 | $2,163 | 8 yrs |
| JB Mcguire-Dix-LakehurstNew Jersey | $2,823 | $2,481 | $509,993 | $490,205 | $4,811 | 11 yrs |
| Laughlin AFB/Del RioTexas | $1,470 | $1,478 | $212,482 | — | $1,864 | 5 yrs |
| Lemoore NASCalifornia | $2,139 | $1,892 | $313,887 | $310,152 | $2,511 | 5 yrs |
| Malmstrom SFB/Great FallsMontana | $1,608 | $1,397 | $373,021 | $414,598 | $3,009 | 9 yrs |
| Miami/Fort LauderdaleFlorida | $3,660 | $2,630 | $513,252 | $554,656 | $4,153 | 5 yrs |
| Minot AFBNorth Dakota | $1,548 | $1,145 | $282,413 | — | $2,318 | 7 yrs |
| Moody AFBGeorgia | $1,524 | $1,409 | $204,277 | $225,695 | $1,663 | 3 yrs |
| Morehead/Cherry Pt MCASNorth Carolina | $1,851 | $1,638 | $285,475 | $311,668 | $2,300 | 11 yrs |
| Mountain Home AFBIdaho | $1,605 | $1,998 | $452,547 | $350,091 | $3,590 | 15 yrs |
| Nellis AFB/Las VegasNevada | $2,070 | $1,792 | $416,333 | $408,819 | $3,278 | 6 yrs |
| Ogden/Hill AFBUtah | $2,118 | $1,641 | $547,610 | $479,644 | $4,303 | 13 yrs |
| Omaha/Offutt AFBNebraska | $2,085 | $1,436 | $312,320 | $304,588 | $2,738 | 8 yrs |
| Patrick SFBFlorida | $2,502 | $2,009 | $351,406 | $353,244 | $2,843 | 4 yrs |
| Rapid City/Ellsworth AFBSouth Dakota | $1,986 | $1,404 | $391,814 | $366,382 | $3,271 | 18 yrs |
| Richmond/Fort LeeVirginia | $2,358 | $1,731 | $393,070 | $362,104 | $3,184 | 8 yrs |
| Robins AFBGeorgia | $1,800 | $1,343 | $246,183 | $218,675 | $2,004 | 5 yrs |
| Rome/Griffiss AFBNew York | $2,109 | $1,358 | $244,875 | $257,033 | $2,159 | 9 yrs |
| Scott AFBIllinois | $1,542 | $1,265 | $183,629 | $213,129 | $1,695 | 4 yrs |
| Seymour Johnson AFBNorth Carolina | $1,521 | $1,458 | $191,745 | $224,444 | $1,545 | 3 yrs |
| Shreveport/Barksdale AFBLouisiana | $1,845 | $1,242 | $184,355 | $176,817 | $1,446 | 3 yrs |
| Sparta/Fort MccoyWisconsin | $1,395 | $1,213 | $282,001 | $288,114 | $2,486 | 17 yrs |
| Sumter/Shaw AFBSouth Carolina | $1,503 | $1,686 | $184,603 | $184,372 | $1,449 | 3 yrs |
| Twenty Nine Palms MCBCalifornia | $1,980 | $1,978 | $355,138 | $381,597 | $2,841 | 3 yrs |
| Vallejo/Travis AFBCalifornia | $3,369 | $2,627 | $639,364 | $583,998 | $5,115 | 4 yrs |
| Vance AFB/EnidOklahoma | $1,200 | $1,137 | $152,821 | $154,112 | $1,242 | 3 yrs |
| Vandenberg SFBCalifornia | $3,333 | $2,636 | $723,780 | $698,777 | $5,790 | 6 yrs |
| West PointNew York | $3,468 | $2,850 | $553,748 | $503,458 | $4,882 | 6 yrs |
| Whiteman AFBMissouri | $1,611 | $1,086 | $274,238 | $261,083 | $2,246 | 11 yrs |
| Wichita Fls/Sheppard AFBTexas | $1,491 | $1,227 | $195,441 | $192,006 | $1,715 | 4 yrs |
| Wichita/Mcconnell AFBKansas | $1,377 | $1,219 | $261,659 | $253,895 | $2,241 | 8 yrs |
| Wright-Patterson AFBOhio | $1,650 | $1,380 | $231,998 | $232,395 | $2,007 | 5 yrs |
Methodology
BAH rates are the 2026 tables published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026. Each housing area is mapped to its ZIP codes using the DoD ZIP-to-MHA crosswalk.
Rents and home values are the median across the ZIP codes in each housing area that Zillow publishes data for, from the Zillow Observed Rent Index and Zillow Home Value Index, updated 2026-07-23. Housing areas with no published rent or home value data are excluded, which is why 290 of the 297 US housing areas we publish appear here.
Home values are also broken out by bedroom count from Zillow's per-bedroom ZIP series, so the cost of a two, three, or four bedroom home can be compared directly rather than inferred from a single median. Rent is broken out by bedroom count as well, from HUD Fair Market Rents — the same 40th-percentile gross rent series the Department of Defense uses when it sets BAH, which makes it the natural yardstick to measure BAH against. That covers 331 housing areas, 77 of them at ZIP-level Small Area FMR resolution and the remainder at metro or county resolution.
Two different rent figures therefore appear in this report, and they are not the same measurement. The typical rent column in the tables above is the Zillow all-sizes asking rent, which reflects what the whole local rental market is charging. The buy-versus-rent breakeven compares against the HUD three-bedroom rent instead, on the reasoning that a family weighing a home purchase is not realistically choosing between a house and a studio. Comparisons drawn from the two are not interchangeable.
Ownership cost assumes a VA loan at 6% over 30 years with no down payment and the 2% funding fee financed, plus state average effective property tax, insurance at 1% of value annually, and maintenance at 1%. VA loans carry no mortgage insurance. The breakeven charges buying for 2% closing costs and all monthly payments, credits sale proceeds net of 7% selling costs and the remaining loan balance, and compares against rent growing 3% annually. Home values are assumed to appreciate 3% annually nationwide rather than at local recent rates.
Reuse: these figures are free to cite with attribution to Military PCS HQ. Housing data courtesy of Zillow.
Looking at a specific base?
Every housing area has its own page with the full rate table for all 27 pay grades, plus this same affordability math recalculated for your rank.
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