Lake Charles, LA BAH Rates 2026
Monthly Basic Allowance for Housing for the Lake Charles, LA military housing area (LA370, Louisiana): an E-5 gets $1,356 with dependents and $1,197 without, and an O-3 gets $1,977 with dependents. Below are the rates for all 24 pay grades, the 2025 rates and the change, and the ZIP codes DoD assigns to this area.
Want your own number? Use the BAH calculator with a ZIP code, or see BAH rates for every area.
Maintained by Archie Chang · DoD rate files checked October 25, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Lake Charles, LA BAH rates 2026 by pay grade
Monthly BAH for each pay grade in Lake Charles, LA, with and without dependents, next to the 2025 rate and the change. O-8 to O-10 get the same rate as O-7 in DoD's files, so the last row covers O-7 and above. O-1E to O-3E are the rates for officers with prior enlisted service.
The 2025 columns and the change compare the same MHA code in DoD's 2025 and 2026 files, that is, the same housing area. DoD can move a ZIP code from one area to another between years, so for one ZIP code use the BAH calculator, which compares the ZIP with its own 2025 area.
In Louisiana, Lake Charles, LA ranks 6th of 9 named housing areas for E-5 with dependents ($1,356), where 1st is the highest. An O-3 with dependents receives $621 more than an E-5 here ($1,977 versus $1,356).
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2025 | Change | 2026 | 2025 | Change | |
| E-1 | $1,287 | $1,254 | +$33 (+2.6%) | $1,188 | $1,026 | +$162 (+15.8%) |
| E-2 | $1,287 | $1,254 | +$33 (+2.6%) | $1,188 | $1,026 | +$162 (+15.8%) |
| E-3 | $1,287 | $1,254 | +$33 (+2.6%) | $1,188 | $1,026 | +$162 (+15.8%) |
| E-4 | $1,287 | $1,254 | +$33 (+2.6%) | $1,188 | $1,026 | +$162 (+15.8%) |
| E-5 | $1,356 | $1,311 | +$45 (+3.4%) | $1,197 | $1,128 | +$69 (+6.1%) |
| E-6 | $1,626 | $1,584 | +$42 (+2.7%) | $1,218 | $1,197 | +$21 (+1.8%) |
| E-7 | $1,755 | $1,677 | +$78 (+4.7%) | $1,317 | $1,257 | +$60 (+4.8%) |
| E-8 | $1,893 | $1,779 | +$114 (+6.4%) | $1,419 | $1,371 | +$48 (+3.5%) |
| E-9 | $2,061 | $1,920 | +$141 (+7.3%) | $1,545 | $1,443 | +$102 (+7.1%) |
| W-1 | $1,644 | $1,602 | +$42 (+2.6%) | $1,278 | $1,248 | +$30 (+2.4%) |
| W-2 | $1,809 | $1,719 | +$90 (+5.2%) | $1,413 | $1,368 | +$45 (+3.3%) |
| W-3 | $1,983 | $1,845 | +$138 (+7.5%) | $1,548 | $1,455 | +$93 (+6.4%) |
| W-4 | $2,088 | $1,950 | +$138 (+7.1%) | $1,650 | $1,599 | +$51 (+3.2%) |
| W-5 | $2,223 | $2,082 | +$141 (+6.8%) | $1,785 | $1,701 | +$84 (+4.9%) |
| O-1E | $1,776 | $1,692 | +$84 (+5.0%) | $1,353 | $1,308 | +$45 (+3.4%) |
| O-2E | $1,956 | $1,827 | +$129 (+7.1%) | $1,473 | $1,428 | +$45 (+3.2%) |
| O-3E | $2,109 | $1,968 | +$141 (+7.2%) | $1,617 | $1,575 | +$42 (+2.7%) |
| O-1 | $1,398 | $1,353 | +$45 (+3.3%) | $1,215 | $1,194 | +$21 (+1.8%) |
| O-2 | $1,623 | $1,581 | +$42 (+2.7%) | $1,338 | $1,296 | +$42 (+3.2%) |
| O-3 | $1,977 | $1,842 | +$135 (+7.3%) | $1,551 | $1,482 | +$69 (+4.7%) |
| O-4 | $2,265 | $2,124 | +$141 (+6.6%) | $1,755 | $1,677 | +$78 (+4.7%) |
| O-5 | $2,472 | $2,322 | +$150 (+6.5%) | $1,854 | $1,743 | +$111 (+6.4%) |
| O-6 | $2,490 | $2,340 | +$150 (+6.4%) | $1,962 | $1,827 | +$135 (+7.4%) |
| O-7 and above | $2,502 | $2,358 | +$144 (+6.1%) | $1,992 | $1,857 | +$135 (+7.3%) |
ZIP codes in the Lake Charles, LA housing area
DoD's 2026 ZIP file assigns 21 ZIP codes to LA370. Sample ZIP codes: 70601, 70606, 70611, 70616, 70630, 70647, 70664, 70669. BAH follows the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, not your home address, with the rate set by pay grade and dependency status. Check any ZIP with the BAH calculator.
Other Louisiana housing areas
Nearby areas in the same state, with E-5 with-dependents BAH for 2026.
- Alexandria, LA $1,290
- Baton Rouge, LA $1,875
- Fort Polk, LA $1,218
- Lafayette, LA $1,584
- Monroe, LA $1,194
- New Orleans, LA $1,905
- Shreveport/Barksdale AFB, LA $1,845
- St Mary and Terrebonne, LA $1,620
Lake Charles, LA BAH questions
What is the BAH rate for Lake Charles, LA in 2026?
For an E-5 in Lake Charles, LA, 2026 BAH is $1,356 a month with dependents and $1,197 without. An O-3 gets $1,977 with dependents and $1,551 without, and O-7 and above get $2,502 with dependents. The table above lists all 24 pay grades.
How much did BAH change in Lake Charles, LA from 2025 to 2026?
E-5 with dependents rose $45, from $1,311 in 2025 to $1,356 in 2026. Across all 24 pay grades with dependents, the change ranges from +2.6% to +7.5%.
Which ZIP codes use the Lake Charles, LA BAH rate?
DoD's 2026 ZIP file maps 21 ZIP codes to LA370, for example 70601, 70606, 70611, 70616, 70630, 70647, 70664, 70669. BAH is based on the ZIP of your permanent duty station, not where you live. Enter a ZIP in the BAH calculator to check any of them.
Can my BAH go down?
Under 37 U.S.C. 403(b)(6), as long as a member keeps uninterrupted eligibility for BAH within an area of the United States, the monthly amount may not be reduced because of changes in housing costs in the area or because the member is promoted. The statute and DTMO's BAH primer cover the details, including what interrupts eligibility.
Is BAH taxable?
No. IRS Publication 3 lists BAH among the servicemembers' government pay items excluded from gross income. This page is not tax advice.
Data source. 2026 rates: BAH-ASCII-2026.zip from the DTMO BAH page (travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing), files bahw26.txt and bahwo26.txt (with and without dependents), downloaded October 25, 2026. 2025 comparison rates: BAH-ASCII-2025.zip from the same page. File checksums (SHA-256): 2026 zip 5446fed831e125c23cc6a407dcde4cae541f108e90ac852aaadeec0aa11e515f; 2025 zip 32d18c4220e88d3721a3519dada57ef95b605538369ce07aaa90d9e32efe758a.
2026 data file · 2025 data file · DTMO BAH rate lookup · Official per-ZIP tool · 37 U.S.C. 403 · IRS Publication 3