BAH calculator

BAH calculator

Enter your ZIP code, pay grade, and dependents to get your exact 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing from the official DoD rate tables — then see how much mortgage that same tax-free allowance could cover near your installation.

$2,049/mo2026 BAH — E-6 with dependents near Fort Bragg → roughly a $324k mortgage
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We match your ZIP to its DoD Military Housing Area and use the exact 2026 BAH rate for it.

BAH is set by pay grade, ZIP code, and dependency status.

Used to convert your allowance into buying power (30-year, principal & interest).

Estimated monthly BAH
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— per year, tax-free
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mortgage your BAH could cover (P&I)
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10-year housing allowance total

With a VA loan and $0 down, a payment your BAH covers can put a home near the gate within reach — taxes, insurance, and HOA are extra.

BAH figures use the 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing rate tables published by the U.S. Department of Defense (Defense Travel Management Office), effective January 1, 2026, matched to your ZIP code's Military Housing Area. Your actual entitlement also depends on your duty-station address and status — confirm it with your finance office and the official DoD BAH calculator. Buying-power figures are principal and interest only and exclude property taxes, insurance, PMI, HOA dues, and qualification. Veteran Property Network is not affiliated with the DoD. Not financial or lending advice.

The basics

What BAH is — and how it becomes buying power

Basic Allowance for Housing is a tax-free monthly payment that offsets housing costs when you live off-post. Because it is money you already receive, it can go straight toward a mortgage payment.

Set by location

BAH is tied to your duty-station ZIP code, so the same pay grade draws a very different rate in San Diego than in Fort Sill. The location slider approximates that spread.

Grade & dependents

Your rate rises with pay grade, and the with-dependents rate runs higher than the without-dependents rate. Toggle both to see the effect.

Tax-free leverage

Because BAH is untaxed, a dollar of allowance stretches further than a dollar of taxable pay — and with a $0-down VA loan it can cover a real mortgage near the gate.

Want your exact rate? Use the official DoD BAH calculator with your duty ZIP and grade, then slide “local housing cost” here until the monthly figure matches to model your buying power.
Common questions

BAH calculator questions

Basic Allowance for Housing is a tax-free allowance paid to service members to offset the cost of housing when government quarters are not provided. The amount depends on your duty-station ZIP code, pay grade, and whether you have dependents.
The Department of Defense sets rates each year using local rental-market data for each of roughly 300 Military Housing Areas, then adjusts by pay grade and dependency status. This tool uses the DoD's published 2026 rate tables, matched to your ZIP code's housing area — the same figures behind the official DoD BAH calculator.
Often, yes. Many service members use BAH to cover most or all of a monthly mortgage payment, especially with a $0-down VA loan. This calculator estimates the principal-and-interest mortgage your allowance could support; remember taxes, insurance, and any HOA dues are on top of that.
Members with dependents receive a higher BAH rate than those without at the same pay grade and location. The DoD publishes a separate with- and without-dependents rate for every housing area and grade, and the toggle switches between those two official figures.
These are the official 2026 DoD rates for your ZIP code's Military Housing Area and pay grade. Your actual entitlement is based on your duty-station address, so a ZIP that spans more than one housing area could differ — confirm your exact rate with the DoD BAH calculator and your finance office before making housing decisions.

More military home-buying tools:

Assumable loan calculator VA loan limit calculator All resources

Put your allowance to work near the mission

Search homes for rent and sale near your installation, or get matched with a lender who understands how BAH factors into your file. Free to browse, free to get matched.

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