Basic Allowance for Housing is the U.S. military's housing stipend for members who do not live in government quarters. Rates are set by Military Housing Area, and the housing area is determined from the ZIP code of the duty station, which is why BAH calculators ask for a ZIP. ZIPCodeLookup.io is independent and not affiliated with the Department of Defense.
What determines the rate
- Duty station ZIP code, which maps to a Military Housing Area.
- Pay grade.
- Dependency status (with or without dependents).
The rate is based on where you are assigned, not where you choose to live, and rates are reviewed annually.
Official rate lookup
Use the BAH calculator published by the Defense Travel Management Office at travel.dod.mil. Enter the duty ZIP, pay grade and year to see the rate with and without dependents.
Confirm the ZIP
Installations can span several ZIP codes and the correct one is the ZIP of the duty location on your orders. If you need to check a ZIP's place or county, use the ZIP code lookup. For APO, FPO and DPO assignments, see APO, FPO and DPO ZIP codes.