BAH calculator: 2026 rates by ZIP code
The official Basic Allowance for Housing tables, published by the Defense Travel Management Office and effective January 1, 2026. Enter a ZIP code, pick a pay grade, and get the published monthly rate.
Here for your Post-9/11 GI Bill housing amount? The GI Bill housing allowance calculator applies your GI Bill percentage and rate of pursuit for you.
E-5 with dependents at the school's ZIP code is the basis for the Post-9/11 GI Bill housing allowance, which has its own effective-date rules.
Why veterans use this: the Post-9/11 GI Bill monthly housing allowance is based on the BAH for an E-5 with dependents at the school's ZIP code, scaled by your eligibility percentage. That's the default selection above.
The fine print: individual rate protection can mean an actual BAH differs from the current table, and GI Bill housing has its own effective-date rules. The official amount is always what DFAS or the VA states and pays. For the official DoD calculator, see travel.dod.mil.
BAH and the GI Bill, answered
What does BAH have to do with VA education benefits?
The Post-9/11 GI Bill Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) is based on the military BAH rate for an E-5 with dependents at your school's ZIP code, scaled by your GI Bill percentage and your rate of pursuit. That's why veterans look up BAH even after leaving service: it sets the housing part of the GI Bill.
Which BAH rate does the Post-9/11 GI Bill use?
Always the E-5 with dependents rate at the school's ZIP code, no matter your own rank when you served or whether you have dependents. That's the default selection in this calculator.
Are these the current BAH rates?
Yes. These are the official Defense Travel Management Office tables effective January 1, 2026, covering every BAH locality by ZIP code, pay grade, and dependency status. GI Bill housing has its own effective-date rules, so the amount the VA pays can lag the January change.
The app does this offline, plus a GI Bill term estimate
MusterVault has these same tables built in, working with no internet at all, plus a day-prorated GI Bill housing estimate for your school term and your eligibility percentage. Part of one encrypted dashboard for your whole claim file.
Informational only: published DoD tables applied to inputs you enter; lookups aren't stored. MusterVault is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.