Allowances · DTMO rate files 2016–2026
2027 BAH Rates: When They Come Out and What 10 Years of Data Say to Expect
By MilPayGuide · Reviewed against official rate tables · November 2026
Short answer: DoD has not published 2027 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates yet. New tables take effect January 1. The 2026 rates were announced December 11, 2025. Until the 2027 tables post, plan on your 2026 rate. You can look it up in the BAH calculator.
The rest of this page shows what the official DTMO rate files say to expect. The figures cover the named military housing areas from 2016 to 2026.
When will 2027 BAH rates come out?
There is no announced date. The last release is the best guide:
- 2026 rates were announced on December 11, 2025 and took effect January 1, 2026, with a 4.2% average increase (DoD release).
- Every year's table from 2016 through 2026 took effect on January 1.
If DoD keeps last year's timing, expect the 2027 tables around mid-December 2026, effective January 1, 2027. We update the BAH calculator and this page when DTMO publishes the files.
Does BAH go up every year?
On average, yes. In every place, no. DoD's announced national average has risen every year since 2016:
| Year | DoD average change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +4.2% | war.gov |
| 2025 | +5.4% | war.gov |
| 2024 | +5.4% | defense.gov |
| 2023 | +12.1% | defense.gov |
| 2022 | +5.1% | mycg.uscg.mil |
| 2021 | +2.9% | army.mil |
| 2020 | +2.8% | defense.gov |
| 2019 | +2.55% | defense.gov |
| 2018 | +0.7% | defense.gov |
| 2017 | +2.4% | hill.af.mil |
| 2016 | +3.4% | defense.gov |
The national average blends every area, grade, and dependency status, so it hides the areas that went down. The DTMO rate files show that in every year from 2017 to 2026, some housing areas cut the E-5 with-dependents rate:
| Year | Median change across areas | Areas where the rate fell |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +3.7% | 43 of 299 |
| 2025 | +5.1% | 29 of 299 |
| 2024 | +4.9% | 48 of 299 |
| 2023 | +11.5% | 28 of 299 |
| 2022 | +5.4% | 75 of 299 |
| 2021 | +2.5% | 103 of 299 |
| 2020 | +2.6% | 101 of 299 |
| 2019 | +2.2% | 105 of 299 |
| 2018 | +0.6% | 137 of 299 |
| 2017 | +2.1% | 105 of 299 |
E-5 with dependents. Method: DTMO BAH ASCII rate files, 2016–2026. Each of the 299 named military housing areas counts once (unweighted). County cost groups are left out because they are rate bands, not places. This is the median area, not the median service member. See methodology.
If your area's published rate drops, you don't lose money while you stay put. Individual rate protection keeps you at your current rate until you PCS, are reduced in grade, or change dependency status. See BAH rate protection.
How much has BAH grown in 10 years?
From 2016 to 2026, the E-5 with-dependents rate rose a median 51.9% across the 299 housing areas. 158 of the 299 rose 50% or more. A few common duty stations:
| Housing area | 2016 | 2025 | 2026 | 2026 change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Bragg/Pope, NC | $1,236 | $1,785 | $1,806 | +1.2% |
| Fort Campbell, KY | $1,422 | $1,812 | $1,815 | +0.2% |
| Fort Hood, TX | $1,152 | $1,581 | $1,695 | +7.2% |
| El Paso, TX (Fort Bliss) | $1,266 | $1,773 | $1,809 | +2.0% |
| Colorado Springs, CO | $1,455 | $2,340 | $2,358 | +0.8% |
| Norfolk/Portsmouth, VA | $1,626 | $2,325 | $2,430 | +4.5% |
| Jacksonville, FL | $1,509 | $2,226 | $2,181 | −2.0% |
| Tacoma, WA (JBLM) | $1,635 | $2,508 | $2,556 | +1.9% |
| San Diego, CA | $2,307 | $3,987 | $3,975 | −0.3% |
| Honolulu County, HI | $2,679 | $3,513 | $3,663 | +4.3% |
Monthly rate, E-5 with dependents, DTMO rate files. Look up your own grade and ZIP in the BAH calculator, which shows the full history for your area.
The biggest 2026 decreases for E-5 with dependents were in Brownsville, TX (−7.4%), Boise, ID (−4.5%), Austin, TX (−4.4%), Lafayette, LA (−4.3%), Phoenix, AZ (−4.3%), Mountain Home AFB, ID (−4.1%), and Twenty Nine Palms MCB, CA (−3.6%).
What should you expect for 2027?
We don't publish a 2027 projection. BAH for each area comes from that area's own rental-market survey, so a national guess tells you little about your duty station. The record above supports three planning rules:
- Staying put: if your grade and dependency status don't change, your 2027 BAH will be at least your current rate, because of rate protection. Any increase is a bonus.
- PCSing in 2027: you get the 2027 published rate at your new duty station. Budget with that area's 2026 rate until December. In the last five years, between 28 and 75 areas per year cut the E-5 with-dependents rate, so don't assume an increase at your new station.
- Promoting in 2027: you get the greater of the new grade's published rate or the rate you already receive.
BAH and the basic pay raise are separate decisions. By default the 2027 basic pay raise follows the wage-growth formula in 37 U.S.C. 1009, unless the FY2027 NDAA sets a different figure. See the 2027 pay raise tracker.
Common questions
- When do 2027 BAH rates come out?
- DoD hasn't announced a date. The 2026 rates were announced December 11, 2025, and every year from 2016 to 2026 took effect January 1. If DoD keeps last year's timing, expect the 2027 tables around mid-December 2026.
- Will BAH go up in 2027?
- Nobody knows until DoD publishes the tables. The national average has risen every year from 2016 to 2026, by between 0.7% and 12.1%. Some housing areas fell every year, including 43 areas for E-5 with dependents in 2026.
- Does BAH go up every year?
- The national average has. Individual areas have not. In 2018, 137 of 299 areas cut the E-5 with-dependents rate. Rate protection means a member who stays in place keeps their rate when the published rate drops, unless they are reduced in grade or change dependency status.
- Can my BAH go down in 2027?
- Not while you stay at the same duty station with the same grade and dependency status. If you PCS, you get the new area's published 2027 rate, whatever it is.
- Is BAH tied to the military pay raise?
- No. Basic pay raises are set under 37 U.S.C. 1009 or by Congress. BAH is set each year from local housing-cost data. They usually take effect the same day, January 1.
Sources
- DTMO BAH rate files 2016–2026, via the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup
- DoD annual BAH releases, linked in the national-average table above