What it is
BAH pays for housing when you live off base in the United States. The amount depends on three things: the ZIP code of your duty station (not your home), your pay grade, and whether you have dependents. The Department of Defense publishes the exact rate for every location every year. BAH is not taxed.
2026 rate
Varies by duty station ZIP code. Verify your exact rate in the official DoD BAH calculator with your duty ZIP and dependent status.
What goes wrong
BAH is the number one source of real pay errors. After a PCS move it can stay at the old duty station rate. After a divorce, marriage, or a dependent change it can stay at the wrong dependent status. Rate protection means your BAH should not drop when annual rates go down, so a decrease deserves a hard look. If your BAH changed and you did not move or change dependent status, ask your finance office why.