MilitaryPayCalc

2026 BAH Rates & Housing Calculator

Look up 2026 BAH housing rates and calculate civilian pre-tax replacement value.

2026 Basic Allowance for Housing Engine

Presets:

2026 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Lookup

Query statutory monthly MHA rates and calculate taxable civilian equivalent value.

Dependent Entitlement
Civilian Marginal Tax Wedge (22%)
Monthly 2026 BAH Entitlement
$1,221/ month (Tax-Free)

Official DoD 2026 statutory Basic Allowance for Housing for E-4 in Killeen / Fort Cavazos (Fort Hood), TX.

Annual Tax-Free Housing Cash:$14,652 / yr
Civilian Pre-Tax Gross Equivalent:$18,785 / yr
Annual Tax Advantage Wedge:+$4,133 / yr

BAH Tax Advantage & Private Sector Break-Even Analysis

Because 100% of civilian income is taxable, a civilian salary must pay higher wages just to match military housing benefits.

Military BAH (Net Cash)$14,652
Tax Advantage Savings+$4,133
Required Civilian Housing Gross$18,785
Statutory Notice: Basic Allowance for Housing rates are determined under 37 U.S.C. § 403 and DoD Military Compensation Policy. Civilian equivalent calculations model estimated statutory federal and state tax exemptions for educational comparison only.

How the Department of Defense Establishes Housing Rates

Understanding the statutory data collection, local housing market sampling, and tax advantages of BAH.

The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is an entitlement authorized by 37 U.S. Code § 403 to provide equitable housing compensation for active duty uniformed service members when government quarters are not provided. Rates are determined by independent commercial housing market data collected annually across more than 300 Military Housing Areas (MHAs) nationwide.

Statutory Tax Advantage Formula

CivilianPreTaxEquivalent = AnnualBAH / (1 - CombinedMarginalTaxRate)

Because BAH is 100% tax-free under Internal Revenue Code § 134, a civilian worker in a 28% combined tax bracket must earn $1.38 in gross taxable salary for every $1.00 of military BAH received.