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Free tool · 30 secondsRent, buy or live on post?
Your 2026 BAH (with your next promotion), local rent, the housing market and a $0-down VA loan. Pick your base and grade for an instant answer.
Family moving with you?
How long will you be there?
Could you live on post?
- Official 2026 BAH
- Local market data, Sept 2026
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Rank, time in grade, promotions, family, dual-military, VA disability, base, tour length and on-post options turn into your BAH over the tour, an on-post vs. rent vs. buy verdict, VA loan numbers and a step-by-step checklist.
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The short answer
It depends on how long you'll stay, and the local market.
- Under 3 years: renting or on post usually wins. Buying and selling costs ~9–10% of the price.
- 3+ years, or keeping it as a rental: buying with a VA loan can win, with $0 down and no PMI, especially where the market rates “Good”.
- On post vs. renting: if renting would leave less than ~$150/mo of BAH, on post usually wins on cost and hassle.
- Promotions: a typical O-1 makes O-2 around 2 years in and O-3 around 4, adding hundreds a month in BAH. We count it.
Housing market by base
| Base | Town | Buying | Renting | Typical home | Typical rent | Days on market | Price-to-rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Lejeune | Jacksonville, NC | OK | OK | $290,604 | $1,577 | 66 | 15.4 |
| Camp Pendleton | Oceanside / North San Diego County, CA | Tough | Good | $926,979 | $2,967 | 46 | 26.0 |
| Davis-Monthan AFB | Tucson, AZ | Tough | Good | $335,772 | $1,488 | 58 | 18.8 |
| Eglin AFB | Fort Walton Beach / Niceville, FL | Good | OK | $352,929 | $1,957 | 89 | 15.0 |
| Fort Benning | Columbus, GA | Good | OK | $188,877 | $1,341 | 60 | 11.7 |
| Fort Bliss | El Paso, TX | Good | OK | $233,084 | $1,521 | 66 | 12.8 |
| Fort Bragg | Fayetteville, NC | Good | OK | $227,993 | $1,382 | 62 | 13.7 |
| Fort Campbell | Clarksville, TN | OK | OK | $318,644 | $1,371 | 67 | 19.4 |
| Fort Carson | Colorado Springs, CO | Tough | Good | $445,559 | $1,761 | 66 | 21.1 |
| Fort Drum | Watertown, NY | Good | OK | $234,099 | $1,496 | 69 | 13.0 |
| Fort Gordon | Augusta, GA | Good | OK | $194,252 | $1,353 | 72 | 12.0 |
| Fort Hood | Killeen, TX | OK | Good | $247,929 | $1,321 | 73 | 15.6 |
| Fort Leonard Wood | Waynesville / St. Robert, MO | OK | OK | $231,876 | $1,217 | 52 | 15.9 |
| Fort Meade | Odenton / Anne Arundel County, MD | Tough | OK | $502,145 | $2,337 | 38 | 17.9 |
| Fort Polk | Leesville, LA | Good | OK | $166,136 | $1,123 | 81 | 12.3 |
| Fort Riley | Junction City / Manhattan, KS | OK | Good | $208,531 | $1,157 | 56 | 15.0 |
| Fort Sill | Lawton, OK | OK | OK | $159,044 | $1,126 | 59 | 11.8 |
| Fort Stewart | Hinesville, GA | Good | OK | $247,145 | $1,742 | 86 | 11.8 |
| Fort Wainwright | Fairbanks, AK | Good | OK | $314,310 | $1,839 | 55 | 14.2 |
| Hill AFB | Layton / Clearfield, UT | Tough | Good | $553,103 | $1,763 | 54 | 26.1 |
| Joint Base Andrews | Prince George's County, MD | Tough | Good | $421,250 | $1,957 | 48 | 17.9 |
| Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson | Anchorage, AK | OK | OK | $435,264 | $1,900 | 45 | 19.1 |
| Joint Base Langley-Eustis | Hampton / Newport News, VA | Good | OK | $279,270 | $1,691 | 40 | 13.8 |
| Joint Base Lewis-McChord | Tacoma / Lakewood, WA | Tough | Good | $559,277 | $1,955 | 55 | 23.8 |
| Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam | Honolulu, HI | OK | Good | $855,988 | $3,015 | 76 | 23.7 |
| Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland | San Antonio, TX | OK | Good | $250,969 | $1,393 | 67 | 15.0 |
| Luke AFB | West Valley Phoenix (Glendale / Goodyear), AZ | OK | Good | $455,168 | $1,715 | 61 | 22.1 |
| MCAGCC Twentynine Palms | Twentynine Palms / Yucca Valley, CA | OK | Tough | $548,565 | $2,479 | 65 | 18.4 |
| MacDill AFB | Tampa, FL | OK | Good | $375,501 | $1,978 | 71 | 15.8 |
| NAS Jacksonville | Jacksonville, FL | OK | OK | $294,079 | $1,603 | 61 | 15.3 |
| NAS Pensacola | Pensacola, FL | Good | OK | $280,027 | $1,646 | 72 | 14.2 |
| NAS Whidbey Island | Oak Harbor, WA | OK | OK | $634,229 | $2,100 | 71 | 25.2 |
| Naval Base San Diego | San Diego, CA | Tough | Good | $926,979 | $2,967 | 46 | 26.0 |
| Naval Station Norfolk | Norfolk, VA | OK | OK | $310,877 | $1,749 | 42 | 14.8 |
| Nellis AFB | Las Vegas, NV | Tough | Good | $422,748 | $1,732 | 58 | 20.3 |
| Offutt AFB | Bellevue / Papillion (Omaha), NE | OK | Good | $356,669 | $1,489 | 44 | 20.0 |
| Schofield Barracks | Wahiawa / Central Oahu, HI | OK | Good | $855,988 | $3,015 | 76 | 23.7 |
| The Pentagon | Arlington, VA | Tough | Good | $802,232 | $2,680 | 36 | 24.9 |
| Tinker AFB | Midwest City / Oklahoma City, OK | Good | OK | $221,970 | $1,341 | 58 | 13.8 |
| Wright-Patterson AFB | Fairborn / Beavercreek (Dayton), OH | OK | OK | $300,208 | $1,610 | 43 | 15.5 |
How we rate a market
Buying scores +1 or −1 on four things: (1) the $0-down VA payment on a typical home vs. typical rent (within 15% = +1, over 45% more = −1); (2) price-to-rent ratio, home value ÷ a year of rent (15 or less = +1, over 20 = −1); (3) the 1-year change in home values (−1% to +6% = +1, falling more than 3% = −1); (4) median days on market (60+ = +1, room to negotiate; under 40 = −1, competitive). 2+ = Good, 0 to 1 = OK, below 0 = Tough.
Renting scores: an E-5 family's BAH vs. typical rent (10%+ above = +1, below rent = −1); the 1-year rent change (2% or less = +1, over 5% = −1); and a price-to-rent ratio over 20 (+1, renting is cheap vs. buying). Same cutoffs. Data: Zillow ZHVI/ZORI (Sept 2026), Realtor.com (Sept 2026), DTMO 2026 BAH, Freddie Mac 7.4%. County-level data; your neighborhood can differ. If a number is missing, we show “data pending” instead of guessing.
On post vs. renting vs. buying
- + No deposit; utilities usually included (some bases bill electricity above a baseline)
- + Maintenance handled; short commute; military neighbors
- + Easy PCS: move-out inspection, no lease to break
- − Your whole BAH goes to the housing company as rent
- − Waitlists; homes assigned by rank and family size
- − Pet limits and breed bans are common; school zone is fixed
- − Quality varies. Ask about mold and work-order times; the MHPI Tenant Bill of Rights gives you a dispute process
- + Keep any BAH you don't spend
- + Pick your neighborhood, school and pet-friendly place
- + SCRA lets you end the lease with PCS orders or 90+ day deployment orders
- + No resale or landlord risk
- − Deposit, utilities and renters insurance (~$15–20/mo)
- − Commute; rent can rise at renewal
- − No equity
- + $0 down, no PMI; build equity; fixed payment
- + Can become a rental when you PCS
- − Buying + selling costs ~9–10% of the price, so short tours rarely break even
- − At PCS: sell, or become a long-distance landlord
- − Property managers charge ~8–10% of rent plus a leasing fee; budget vacancy and ~1%/yr repairs
- − You owe the mortgage if it sits empty; entitlement stays tied up while the loan is open
- − Tax tip: rent it out and you can still sell tax-free if you lived there 2 of the last 5 years; military on extended duty can pause that clock up to 10 years (IRS Pub. 523)
Money for the move
- Dislocation allowance (DLA), 2026: a flat payment per PCS. E-5 with dependents $3,548, without $2,389; O-3 with $4,042, without $3,404. All grades.
- Temporary lodging expense (TLE): up to 21 days for a move within the U.S. (raised from 14 in Nov. 2024), capped at $290/day. A few housing-shortage areas get up to 60 days.
- Personally procured move (PPM): move yourself and get paid up to 100% of what the government would have spent, minus your actual costs.
- Breaking a lease: SCRA lets you end a residential lease with PCS orders or 90+ day deployment orders. Monthly rent: it ends 30 days after the next rent due date.
- Overseas orders: you get Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) or government housing instead of BAH, and a VA loan can't buy a home abroad. Keep a U.S. home as a rental if you own one.
Other things people miss
Dual-military BAH
No children: you each get the without-dependents rate. With children: one of you gets the with-dependents rate and the other gets the without rate. Living on post together means both BAHs stop. Two BAHs make buying much easier.
Promotions raise BAH right away
Your BAH switches to the new grade's rate on your date of rank. BAH also resets every January 1 (2026 rose 4.2% on average), and rate protection means yours won't drop while you stay at the same base, grade and family status.
House hacking
A VA loan can buy a 2–4 unit home if you live in one unit. Rent from the others helps pay the mortgage, and lenders may count part of it as income. Ask how much cash reserve they want.
Geo-bachelor and deployments
If your family stays behind by choice, BAH is based on your duty station. Deploying doesn't stop BAH. On an unaccompanied tour it's usually based on where your family lives.
Numbers by base
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,584 · 2BR rent $1,173
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $3,963 · 2BR rent $3,001
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,905 · 2BR rent $1,402
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,433 · 2BR rent $1,785
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,716 · 2BR rent $1,088
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,809 · 2BR rent $1,191
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,806 · 2BR rent $1,251
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,815 · 2BR rent $1,346
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,358 · 2BR rent $1,735
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,665 · 2BR rent $1,405
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,890 · 2BR rent $1,261
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,695 · 2BR rent $1,233
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,479 · 2BR rent $1,062
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,901 · 2BR rent $1,857
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,218 · 2BR rent $1,041
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,314 · 2BR rent $1,048
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,233 · 2BR rent $1,001
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,310 · 2BR rent $1,406
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,436 · 2BR rent $1,676
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,118 · 2BR rent $1,614
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $3,132 · 2BR rent $2,246
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,874 · 2BR rent $1,631
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,274 · 2BR rent $1,713
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,556 · 2BR rent $1,971
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $3,663 · 2BR rent $2,642
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,869 · 2BR rent $1,426
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,289 · 2BR rent $1,839
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,980 · 2BR rent $2,201
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,709 · 2BR rent $1,977
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,181 · 2BR rent $1,658
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,863 · 2BR rent $1,471
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,073 · 2BR rent $1,671
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $3,975 · 2BR rent $3,001
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,430 · 2BR rent $1,713
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,070 · 2BR rent $1,735
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $2,085 · 2BR rent $1,368
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $3,663 · 2BR rent $2,642
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $3,132 · 2BR rent $2,246
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,644 · 2BR rent $1,244
E-5 w/ dep. BAH $1,650 · 2BR rent $1,273
All numbers are estimates for planning. BAH: DTMO 2026. Rent: HUD FY2026 FMR. Home value: Zillow ZHVI, Sept 2026. Rate: Freddie Mac 7.4% (2026-10-15). Tax: Census ACS county median. Insurance: our placeholder (0.5% of value, min $1,200/yr), not a quote.
Your situation
Active duty
BAH is set by your duty-station ZIP, pay grade and whether you have dependents. It's the same whether you rent, buy, or pay less than BAH, so the cheaper option leaves money in your pocket.
Guard and Reserve
No local BAH unless you're on active-duty orders over 30 days. Many Guard and Reserve members qualify for a VA loan after 6 creditable years or 90+ days of qualifying active duty.
Separating or retiring
Your VA loan benefit doesn't expire. BAH does. Lenders will want proof of civilian income.
Surviving spouses
You may qualify for a VA loan if you receive (or are eligible for) DIC. Getting DIC also means no funding fee.
FAQ
Should I rent or buy at my next duty station?
If you'll be there under 3 years and will sell when you leave, renting usually costs less, because closing and selling costs eat your equity. Staying 3+ years, or keeping the home as a rental, makes buying with a VA loan more likely to win, especially in a market that rates Good for buying.
Is it better to live on post or off post?
On post, your whole BAH goes to the housing company, but utilities, maintenance and a short commute are usually included. Off post you keep whatever BAH you don't spend. If renting would leave you less than about $150 a month, on post usually wins.
Does my BAH go up when I get promoted?
Yes, on your date of rank, to the new grade's rate at the same base. Our planner projects a typical timeline: O-1 to O-2 around 24 months (Army 18), O-2 to O-3 about 24 months later. Enlisted E-1 to E-4 promotions are mostly time-based; E-5 and up are competitive.
Can I keep BAH if I pay less in rent?
Yes. BAH isn't tied to what you actually pay off base. Whatever you don't spend is yours.
Can I rent out my home when I PCS?
Yes. The VA requires you to live in the home when you buy it, but you can rent it out later after you move.
How is the market rating calculated?
We score buying on payment vs. rent, price-to-rent ratio, the 1-year price trend and days on market, and renting on BAH vs. rent, the 1-year rent trend and price-to-rent. Data: Zillow and Realtor.com, Sept 2026, county level.
Is the house payment exact?
No. It's an estimate: typical county home value, current national average rate, county median property tax, and a placeholder insurance cost. Get a lender Loan Estimate for real numbers.
Sources
- DTMO: 2026 BAH rates (ASCII download, incl. TX270 update eff. May 16, 2026) — effective Jan 1, 2026
- Department of War: 2026 BAH rates release (Dec. 11, 2025) — average +4.2%, rate protection
- HUD: FY2026 Fair Market Rents — 40th-percentile gross rent incl. utilities, effective Oct 1, 2025
- Zillow Research: ZHVI and ZORI (county) — Sept 2026, 1-year change vs. Sept 2025
- Realtor.com Residential Data: county core metrics — Sept 2026: median list price, days on market, price cuts, listings
- FRED (St. Louis Fed): Realtor.com county series, e.g. El Paso County TX days on market
- Freddie Mac: Primary Mortgage Market Survey — 30-yr fixed 7.4%, week of 2026-10-15
- U.S. Census: ACS 2020-2024 5-year, tables B25103 and B25077 — property tax ÷ home value
- FHFA: 2026 conforming loan limits
- 10 U.S.C. § 619: officer time-in-grade minimums — O-2: 18 months, O-3: 2 years
- MyNavyHR: officer promotion flow points (DOPMA) — O-2 ~2 yrs, O-3 ~4, O-4 9–11, O-5 15–17, O-6 21–23
- Army AR 600-8-19: enlisted promotions — PV2 6 mo, PFC 12 mo, SPC 24 mo time in service
- Air Force AFI 36-2502: airman promotions — Amn 6 mo, A1C 10 mo TIG, SrA 36 mo TIS/20 mo TIG or 28 mo TIG
- MyNavyHR: apprentice advancement (E-1 to E-4) — 9 / 18 / 30 months time in service
- DTMO: 2026 dislocation allowance rates — effective Jan 1, 2026
- DTMO: TLE increased to 21 days (CONUS)
- DFAS: TLE limits — capped at $290/day
- Military OneSource: personally procured moves (PPM)
- DTMO: Overseas Housing Allowance
- U.S. DOJ: Servicemembers Civil Relief Act — lease termination on PCS / 90+ day deployment
- IRS Publication 523: selling your home — 2-of-5-year rule, military suspension up to 10 years
- VA: funding fee and closing costs — rates effective April 7, 2023; 4% concession cap
- VA: entitlement and loan limits
- VA: eligibility
- VA: IRRRL
- VA: cash-out refinance
- VA Lenders Handbook (Pamphlet 26-7) — residual income (ch. 4), occupancy, assumptions
Boxes marked “Partner offer” are placeholders and aren't live yet. When they go live they'll be labeled, and they won't change our rankings or what we say (disclosure). Written by The MilTech Deals Team. Not financial, tax or legal advice.