Navy Bah Calculator

Use this calculator to estimate your Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) based on your location, pay grade, and dependency status. Please note that this calculator uses simplified data for demonstration purposes and may not reflect the exact, official BAH rates. Always refer to the official DoD BAH calculator for precise figures.

Duty Station ZIP Code: Select a ZIP Code 92136 (San Diego, CA) 23511 (Norfolk, VA) 32227 (Jacksonville, FL) 96860 (Pearl Harbor, HI) 20370 (Washington D.C.)

Your Pay Grade: Select Pay Grade E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9 O-1 O-2 O-3 O-4 O-5 O-6 O-7 O-8 O-9 O-10 W-1 W-2 W-3 W-4 W-5

Dependency Status: Select Status With Dependents Without Dependents

Understanding Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)

The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a U.S. military entitlement designed to provide service members with equitable housing compensation based on their duty station, pay grade, and family status. It's a critical component of a service member's overall compensation package, helping to offset the cost of living in the civilian housing market when government housing is not provided.

How BAH is Determined

BAH rates are calculated annually by the Department of Defense (DoD) and are based on several key factors:

Duty Station Location: Housing costs vary significantly across different regions of the country. BAH rates are localized to specific ZIP codes to reflect the average cost of rental housing, including utilities, in that particular market. This ensures that a service member stationed in an expensive area like San Diego receives a higher allowance than one in a lower-cost area.
Pay Grade: A service member's rank or pay grade (e.g., E-5, O-3, W-2) influences their BAH. Generally, higher pay grades are associated with higher BAH rates, reflecting the expectation of more spacious or higher-quality housing.
Dependency Status: BAH rates are different for service members "with dependents" versus "without dependents." Those with dependents typically receive a higher allowance to accommodate the housing needs of their family.

Why BAH is Important

BAH plays a vital role in the financial well-being of military families. It allows service members to choose housing that best suits their needs, whether it's renting an apartment, a house, or even purchasing a home. By providing a housing allowance, the military ensures that its personnel can afford suitable living conditions, which contributes to morale, readiness, and retention.

Using the BAH Calculator

To use this calculator, simply select your duty station's ZIP code, your current pay grade, and your dependency status. The calculator will then provide an estimated monthly BAH rate. Remember, the rates provided by this tool are illustrative and based on a limited dataset. For official and precise BAH figures, always consult the official DoD BAH Calculator.

Important Considerations

BAH rates are subject to change annually.
If you live in government housing, you typically do not receive BAH.
There are specific rules for BAH when deployed, on temporary duty (TDY), or in certain other situations.
This calculator does not account for BAH-II (Partial BAH) or BAH-RC (Reserve Component BAH).

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1px solid #eee; padding-top: 30px; } .calculator-article ol, .calculator-article ul { margin-left: 20px; margin-bottom: 15px; color: #333; } .calculator-article li { margin-bottom: 8px; line-height: 1.5; } .calculator-article a { color: #007bff; text-decoration: none; } .calculator-article a:hover { text-decoration: underline; } function calculateBah() { var zipCode = document.getElementById("zipCode").value; var payGrade = document.getElementById("payGrade").value; var dependencyStatus = document.getElementById("dependencyStatus").value; var resultDiv = document.getElementById("bahResult"); // Clear previous results and error states resultDiv.innerHTML = ""; resultDiv.classList.remove("error"); if (!zipCode || !payGrade || !dependencyStatus) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Please select all fields to calculate BAH."; resultDiv.classList.add("error"); return; } // Simplified BAH rates data (for demonstration purposes) // In a real application, this would come from a database or external API var bahRates = { "92136": { // San Diego, CA "E-1": {"withDependents": 2910, "withoutDependents": 2205}, "E-2": {"withDependents": 2910, "withoutDependents": 2205}, "E-3": {"withDependents": 2910, "withoutDependents": 2205}, "E-4": {"withDependents": 2910, "withoutDependents": 2205}, "E-5": {"withDependents": 2910, "withoutDependents": 2205}, "E-6": {"withDependents": 3000, "withoutDependents": 2250}, "E-7": {"withDependents": 3150, "withoutDependents": 2360}, "E-8": {"withDependents": 3300, "withoutDependents": 2475}, "E-9": {"withDependents": 3450, "withoutDependents": 2585}, "O-1": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "O-2": {"withDependents": 3400, "withoutDependents": 2550}, "O-3": {"withDependents": 3600, "withoutDependents": 2700}, "O-4": {"withDependents": 3800, "withoutDependents": 2850}, "O-5": {"withDependents": 4000, "withoutDependents": 3000}, "O-6": {"withDependents": 4200, "withoutDependents": 3150}, "O-7": {"withDependents": 4400, "withoutDependents": 3300}, "O-8": {"withDependents": 4600, "withoutDependents": 3450}, "O-9": {"withDependents": 4800, "withoutDependents": 3600}, "O-10": {"withDependents": 5000, "withoutDependents": 3750}, "W-1": {"withDependents": 3050, "withoutDependents": 2290}, "W-2": {"withDependents": 3250, "withoutDependents": 2440}, "W-3": {"withDependents": 3450, "withoutDependents": 2590}, "W-4": {"withDependents": 3650, "withoutDependents": 2740}, "W-5": {"withDependents": 3850, "withoutDependents": 2890} }, "23511": { // Norfolk, VA "E-1": {"withDependents": 2000, "withoutDependents": 1500}, "E-2": {"withDependents": 2000, "withoutDependents": 1500}, "E-3": {"withDependents": 2000, "withoutDependents": 1500}, "E-4": {"withDependents": 2000, "withoutDependents": 1500}, "E-5": {"withDependents": 2000, "withoutDependents": 1500}, "E-6": {"withDependents": 2100, "withoutDependents": 1575}, "E-7": {"withDependents": 2200, "withoutDependents": 1650}, "E-8": {"withDependents": 2300, "withoutDependents": 1725}, "E-9": {"withDependents": 2400, "withoutDependents": 1800}, "O-1": {"withDependents": 2250, "withoutDependents": 1690}, "O-2": {"withDependents": 2350, "withoutDependents": 1760}, "O-3": {"withDependents": 2500, "withoutDependents": 1875}, "O-4": {"withDependents": 2650, "withoutDependents": 1990}, "O-5": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "O-6": {"withDependents": 2950, "withoutDependents": 2210}, "O-7": {"withDependents": 3100, "withoutDependents": 2325}, "O-8": {"withDependents": 3250, "withoutDependents": 2440}, "O-9": {"withDependents": 3400, "withoutDependents": 2550}, "O-10": {"withDependents": 3550, "withoutDependents": 2660}, "W-1": {"withDependents": 2150, "withoutDependents": 1610}, "W-2": {"withDependents": 2250, "withoutDependents": 1690}, "W-3": {"withDependents": 2350, "withoutDependents": 1760}, "W-4": {"withDependents": 2450, "withoutDependents": 1840}, "W-5": {"withDependents": 2550, "withoutDependents": 1910} }, "32227": { // Jacksonville, FL "E-1": {"withDependents": 1800, "withoutDependents": 1350}, "E-2": {"withDependents": 1800, "withoutDependents": 1350}, "E-3": {"withDependents": 1800, "withoutDependents": 1350}, "E-4": {"withDependents": 1800, "withoutDependents": 1350}, "E-5": {"withDependents": 1800, "withoutDependents": 1350}, "E-6": {"withDependents": 1900, "withoutDependents": 1425}, "E-7": {"withDependents": 2000, "withoutDependents": 1500}, "E-8": {"withDependents": 2100, "withoutDependents": 1575}, "E-9": {"withDependents": 2200, "withoutDependents": 1650}, "O-1": {"withDependents": 2050, "withoutDependents": 1540}, "O-2": {"withDependents": 2150, "withoutDependents": 1610}, "O-3": {"withDependents": 2200, "withoutDependents": 1650}, "O-4": {"withDependents": 2350, "withoutDependents": 1760}, "O-5": {"withDependents": 2500, "withoutDependents": 1875}, "O-6": {"withDependents": 2650, "withoutDependents": 1990}, "O-7": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "O-8": {"withDependents": 2950, "withoutDependents": 2210}, "O-9": {"withDependents": 3100, "withoutDependents": 2325}, "O-10": {"withDependents": 3250, "withoutDependents": 2440}, "W-1": {"withDependents": 1950, "withoutDependents": 1460}, "W-2": {"withDependents": 2050, "withoutDependents": 1540}, "W-3": {"withDependents": 2150, "withoutDependents": 1610}, "W-4": {"withDependents": 2250, "withoutDependents": 1690}, "W-5": {"withDependents": 2350, "withoutDependents": 1760} }, "96860": { // Pearl Harbor, HI (Note: OHA is typically used here, but for BAH simulation) "E-1": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "E-2": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "E-3": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "E-4": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "E-5": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "E-6": {"withDependents": 3350, "withoutDependents": 2510}, "E-7": {"withDependents": 3500, "withoutDependents": 2625}, "E-8": {"withDependents": 3650, "withoutDependents": 2740}, "E-9": {"withDependents": 3800, "withoutDependents": 2850}, "O-1": {"withDependents": 3400, "withoutDependents": 2550}, "O-2": {"withDependents": 3600, "withoutDependents": 2700}, "O-3": {"withDependents": 3800, "withoutDependents": 2850}, "O-4": {"withDependents": 4000, "withoutDependents": 3000}, "O-5": {"withDependents": 4200, "withoutDependents": 3150}, "O-6": {"withDependents": 4400, "withoutDependents": 3300}, "O-7": {"withDependents": 4600, "withoutDependents": 3450}, "O-8": {"withDependents": 4800, "withoutDependents": 3600}, "O-9": {"withDependents": 5000, "withoutDependents": 3750}, "O-10": {"withDependents": 5200, "withoutDependents": 3900}, "W-1": {"withDependents": 3300, "withoutDependents": 2475}, "W-2": {"withDependents": 3500, "withoutDependents": 2625}, "W-3": {"withDependents": 3700, "withoutDependents": 2775}, "W-4": {"withDependents": 3900, "withoutDependents": 2925}, "W-5": {"withDependents": 4100, "withoutDependents": 3075} }, "20370": { // Washington D.C. "E-1": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "E-2": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "E-3": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "E-4": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "E-5": {"withDependents": 2800, "withoutDependents": 2100}, "E-6": {"withDependents": 2950, "withoutDependents": 2210}, "E-7": {"withDependents": 3100, "withoutDependents": 2325}, "E-8": {"withDependents": 3250, "withoutDependents": 2440}, "E-9": {"withDependents": 3400, "withoutDependents": 2550}, "O-1": {"withDependents": 3000, "withoutDependents": 2250}, "O-2": {"withDependents": 3200, "withoutDependents": 2400}, "O-3": {"withDependents": 3400, "withoutDependents": 2550}, "O-4": {"withDependents": 3600, "withoutDependents": 2700}, "O-5": {"withDependents": 3800, "withoutDependents": 2850}, "O-6": {"withDependents": 4000, "withoutDependents": 3000}, "O-7": {"withDependents": 4200, "withoutDependents": 3150}, "O-8": {"withDependents": 4400, "withoutDependents": 3300}, "O-9": {"withDependents": 4600, "withoutDependents": 3450}, "O-10": {"withDependents": 4800, "withoutDependents": 3600}, "W-1": {"withDependents": 2900, "withoutDependents": 2175}, "W-2": {"withDependents": 3100, "withoutDependents": 2325}, "W-3": {"withDependents": 3300, "withoutDependents": 2475}, "W-4": {"withDependents": 3500, "withoutDependents": 2625}, "W-5": {"withDependents": 3700, "withoutDependents": 2775} } }; var estimatedBah = null; if (bahRates[zipCode] && bahRates[zipCode][payGrade] && bahRates[zipCode][payGrade][dependencyStatus]) { estimatedBah = bahRates[zipCode][payGrade][dependencyStatus]; } if (estimatedBah !== null) { resultDiv.innerHTML = "Estimated Monthly BAH: $" + estimatedBah.toLocaleString() + ""; } else { resultDiv.innerHTML = "BAH rate not found for the selected combination. Please try another selection or consult official sources."; resultDiv.classList.add("error"); } }