2026 military BAH rankings: highest and lowest housing allowances by base
Which duty stations pay the most (and least) for housing in 2026, ranked from official DoD rate data.
Among the 139 major U.S. military bases we track, the highest 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) for an E-5 with dependents is $5,070 per month at Fort Hamilton (Brooklyn, NY), and the lowest is $1,185 at Anniston Army Depot (Anniston, AL). That is a spread of $3,885 a month, or about $46,620 a year, for the same rank and family size. The average across all 139 bases is $2,303 per month. Because BAH is set by local rental costs, high-cost coastal metros dominate the top of the list and rural inland posts sit at the bottom.
Data: DoD/DTMO 2026 BAH rate tables · Updated 2026-07-22
The 15 highest-BAH military bases in 2026
Monthly 2026 BAH by pay grade, with dependents. Click a base for the full relocation guide.
| # | Base | Location | E-5 | E-7 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fort Hamilton | Brooklyn, NY | $5,070 | $5,238 | $5,529 |
| 2 | Picatinny Arsenal | Rockaway, NJ | $4,749 | $5,073 | $5,094 |
| 3 | Hanscom Air Force Base | Bedford, MA | $4,188 | $4,584 | $4,770 |
| 4 | Naval Base San Diego | San Diego, CA | $3,975 | $4,446 | $4,518 |
| 5 | Naval Base Coronado | Coronado, CA | $3,975 | $4,446 | $4,518 |
| 6 | MCAS Miramar | San Diego, CA | $3,975 | $4,446 | $4,518 |
| 7 | Camp Pendleton | Oceanside, CA | $3,963 | $4,494 | $4,659 |
| 8 | USCG Air Station Cape Cod | Bourne, MA | $3,924 | $4,149 | $4,419 |
| 9 | Los Angeles Air Force Base | El Segundo, CA | $3,882 | $4,311 | $4,524 |
| 10 | USCG Base Alameda | Alameda, CA | $3,759 | $4,203 | $4,362 |
| 11 | Schofield Barracks | Wahiawa, HI | $3,663 | $4,098 | $4,428 |
| 12 | Marine Corps Base Hawaii | Kaneohe, HI | $3,663 | $4,098 | $4,428 |
| 13 | USCG Base Miami | Miami, FL | $3,660 | $4,026 | $4,437 |
| 14 | Naval Base Ventura County | Oxnard, CA | $3,537 | $4,083 | $4,212 |
| 15 | West Point | Highland Falls, NY | $3,468 | $4,215 | $4,380 |
The 15 lowest-BAH military bases in 2026
The same pay grades at the most affordable duty stations, where BAH goes furthest against local rents.
| # | Base | Location | E-5 | E-7 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anniston Army Depot | Anniston, AL | $1,185 | $1,560 | $1,686 |
| 2 | Vance Air Force Base | Enid, OK | $1,200 | $1,623 | $1,818 |
| 3 | Fort Johnson | Leesville, LA | $1,218 | $1,872 | $1,938 |
| 4 | Fort Sill | Lawton, OK | $1,233 | $1,587 | $1,758 |
| 5 | Altus Air Force Base | Altus, OK | $1,254 | $1,662 | $1,833 |
| 6 | NAS Meridian | Meridian, MS | $1,290 | $1,692 | $1,953 |
| 7 | Fort Riley | Junction City, KS | $1,314 | $1,845 | $1,953 |
| 8 | Cannon Air Force Base | Clovis, NM | $1,365 | $1,695 | $1,875 |
| 9 | MCLB Albany | Albany, GA | $1,371 | $1,671 | $1,905 |
| 10 | Fort McCoy | Sparta, WI | $1,395 | $1,875 | $1,923 |
| 11 | Columbus Air Force Base | Columbus, MS | $1,398 | $2,067 | $2,181 |
| 12 | Laughlin Air Force Base | Del Rio, TX | $1,470 | $1,854 | $2,121 |
| 13 | Fort Leonard Wood | Waynesville, MO | $1,479 | $1,833 | $2,028 |
| 14 | Sheppard Air Force Base | Wichita Falls, TX | $1,491 | $2,190 | $2,325 |
| 15 | Shaw Air Force Base | Sumter, SC | $1,503 | $1,986 | $2,052 |
What the rankings tell you before a PCS
A higher BAH does not mean you come out ahead. BAH is calibrated to local rents, so the $5,070 allowance at Fort Hamilton exists because housing there costs far more than at Anniston Army Depot, where $1,185 can still cover a comfortable home. What matters on a PCS is how far your allowance stretches against actual local prices, not the headline number.
- Use the 2026 BAH calculator to look up your exact rate by duty station, pay grade, and dependency status.
- Compare two duty stations side by side with the base comparison tool.
- See what BAH actually buys in local neighborhoods on each base relocation guide.
- Weigh buying vs renting with the rent vs buy calculator.
Rankings cover the 139 installations with verified 2026 rates in our directory and use E-5 with dependents as the reference rate. BAH figures are the official DoD/DTMO 2026 rates (travel.dod.mil); each base sits in a military housing area (MHA), so nearby posts can share a rate.
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