BAH Rates 2027: Release Date and What We Know
DoD has not published 2027 Basic Allowance for Housing rates yet. This page records what is known now and will become the 2027 rates page when DoD releases them.
Maintained by Archie Chang · DoD releases checked October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
2027 BAH rates: not yet published
- The 2027 BAH rates have not been published as of October 26, 2026, the date this page was last checked.
- DoD released the 2026 rates on December 11, 2025 and the 2025 rates on December 13, 2024. Both dates fall in mid-December; that is an observation from those two releases, not a published schedule.
- If the 2027 rates follow, they would take effect January 1, 2027. The last two releases took effect January 1.
What is known about BAH for 2027
- Average change as DoD stated it: 4.2% for 2026 and 5.4% for 2025. These are past averages; each area and pay grade changes differently.
- Cost-sharing: the 2026 rates continue the member cost-sharing element at 5% of the national average housing cost by pay grade, which DoD put at $93 to $212 a month depending on grade and dependency status.
- Rate protection: a member who keeps uninterrupted BAH eligibility at a location does not see a rate decrease, whatever happens to housing costs.
- Abilene, TX/Dyess AFB (TX270): DoD temporarily raised the 2026 rates, and the temporary rates run through December 31, 2026; what applies after December 31, 2026 is not covered here.
See the current rates in BAH rates 2026 for every military housing area and the BAH calculator, which also shows the Abilene/Dyess temporary rate (DTMO notice).
Your 2026 BAH
The lookup below shows 2026 rates, the rates in effect now. When DoD publishes the 2027 rates, the 2027 figures will replace them here. This page does not estimate 2027 amounts.
BAH calculator 2026
Use the ZIP code of the duty station, not your home. The lookup runs in your browser against DoD's 2026 and 2025 rate files.
O-1E to O-3E are the rates for officers with prior enlisted service; O-7 covers O-7 and above (DoD lists the same rate for O-8 to O-10).
Monthly BAH
Enter a 5-digit ZIP code to see the 2026 rate.
Not affiliated with DoD. Rates are from DoD's official BAH files; confirm with the official lookup tool.
The 2025 figure is last year's rate, shown for comparison; it is not a 2027 figure.
What DoD said in its last two releases
December 11, 2025: Department of War Releases 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates
The new rates will take effect January 1, 2026.
December 13, 2024: DOD Releases 2025 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates
The new rates, which go into effect Jan. 1, reflect a continuation in recent rental housing market trends across the 299 military housing areas used to calculate BAH annually.
The statute behind cost-sharing and rate protection is 37 U.S.C. 403(b). Checked October 26, 2026.
BAH 2027 questions
When will 2027 BAH rates be released?
DoD has not published a 2027 release date. It released the 2026 rates on December 11, 2025 and the 2025 rates on December 13, 2024, so mid-December is when the last two releases came. That is an observation from two dates, not a promise. As of October 26, 2026 the 2027 rates have not been published.
When do 2027 BAH rates take effect?
The last two releases took effect January 1: DoD's 2026 release says "The new rates will take effect January 1, 2026." and its 2025 release says the new rates "go into effect Jan. 1." Separately, the statute ties BAH adjustments to the effective date of the next basic pay increase (37 U.S.C. 403(b)(4)); the last two BAH releases took effect January 1. DoD has not announced 2027 rates.
Will BAH go up in 2027?
DoD has not announced 2027 rates; the last two years rose 5.4% (2025) and 4.2% (2026) on average, as DoD stated. Those averages say nothing certain about 2027, and a given area or pay grade can differ from the average. Rate protection keeps an individual member's rate from decreasing as a result of changes in housing costs (37 U.S.C. 403(b)(6) also covers promotion) while they keep uninterrupted eligibility at the same location.
What is BAH rate protection?
Rate protection means a member who keeps uninterrupted BAH eligibility at a location will not see a rate decrease. DoD's 2026 release says: "No matter what happens to housing costs – including the out-of-pocket expense adjustment – an individual service member who maintains uninterrupted basic allowance for housing eligibility at a given location will not see a rate decrease." The law is 37 U.S.C. 403(b)(6): the monthly amount "the monthly amount of the allowance for the member may not be reduced as a result of changes in housing costs in the area or the promotion of the member."
What is the BAH cost-sharing?
BAH is the local cost of adequate housing minus a percentage of the national average cost for the same pay grade and dependency status (37 U.S.C. 403(b)(3)). The percentage may not exceed five percent after 2018. DoD's 2026 rates continue cost-sharing at 5% of the national average housing cost by pay grade, which ranges from $93 to $212 a month by grade and dependency status.