Army BAH calculator

Use the Army assignment to identify the location

For an ordinary locality BAH lookup, identify the permanent duty station ZIP from the assignment information, then choose the pay grade and dependent category. A unit name, recruiting location, home of record, and residential address answer different questions. A Soldier renting outside an installation does not select a larger allowance merely by entering the ZIP of a more expensive neighborhood.

Selecting Army provides relevant installation examples, while the same MHA, grade, category, and data year produce the same published table amount for another branch. The calculator cannot determine whether a training assignment, a particular set of Reserve orders, or another circumstance requires a different housing allowance rule. Resolve the authorized location and allowance type before treating the result as a personal entitlement.

Fort Bragg and the NC182 source label

The retained 2026 mapping connects Fort Bragg ZIP 28310 to NC182. The selected annual dataset labels that code “FORT BRAGG/POPE, NC”. The combined Bragg and Pope wording is a source area label, not an instruction to choose a different dependent category or a second allowance. The example cards use the amount for the stated MHA and selected annual source.

The Army’s Fort Bragg site is https://www.army.mil/bragg, and official installation material identifies the Bragg and Pope postal codes. Keep the ZIP on the applicable assignment information when checking a specific duty location. A name on older paperwork and a label retained in an annual file can differ without making either a new rate. Do not rewrite the source label to infer a different geographic mapping.

Fort Campbell shows why state names are insufficient

Fort Campbell spans the Kentucky and Tennessee border. Its official directory uses Fort Campbell, Kentucky 42223; that ZIP maps to KY106 in the retained 2026 data. The selected annual label is “FORT CAMPBELL, KY”. A residence on the other side of a state boundary is not, by itself, a reason to replace the duty station ZIP with a residential ZIP.

The official installation directory is https://home.army.mil/campbell/about/phonebook. Use it to confirm the installation context, while the annual BAH mapping determines the housing area for a supported code. A state abbreviation in an MHA code is not a rule for rejecting every ZIP associated with another state. This is why matching the complete published code is more reliable than guessing an area from a ZIP prefix.

Fort Hood and the TX286 example

The Army’s current Fort Hood contact page lists ZIP 76544. The retained 2026 mapping places it in TX286, and the selected source label for that area is “FORT HOOD, TX”. Use the example to compare the published categories with the other Army areas on this page, keeping the grade and year unchanged. It is not a quotation for a particular home near the installation.

The official installation contact source is https://home.army.mil/hood/contact. A base name helps identify the assignment, but it does not supply a housing cost formula. Installation names, street names, and organizational titles can change; the annual file’s recorded label should remain recognizable as source text. Confirm the actual duty ZIP and source year rather than assuming that a renamed place requires a newly invented MHA.

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Compare an assignment without mixing the inputs

When comparing two possible Army duty locations, use the same grade and dependent category first. Record the MHA and monthly amount for each, then separately compare rent, utilities, deposits, and travel costs relevant to the actual homes. A larger BAH entry does not establish that one installation leaves a household better off after housing expenses.

The annual equivalent assumes twelve months at one monthly rate. It does not describe a year split between two posts, a partial month, or a promotion during the move. A useful assignment comparison keeps the rate schedule separate from the expected timing. Keep the year, source date, and lookup conditions in your notes so that a later annual release does not obscure what the original comparison used.

Check the active release and the Army finance decision

The active dataset is 2026, with 338 MHA entries and 40,745 usable ZIP codes. Official 2027 data remains pending here. A December 2026 release is expected from the usual publication pattern, but no future amount or assumed increase is added to these Army examples. The displayed source date, November 13, 2026, belongs to the available release.

For an actual payment question, use the supporting Army Military Pay Office or other servicing finance channel. That office can consider government housing, dependency evidence, effective dates, and individual rate protection. The calculator only selects a public table entry. A source label and an example amount do not approve a housing arrangement, change orders, establish a protected rate, or correct a military pay record.