The Defense Department usually publishes the next year’s Basic Allowance for Housing rates in mid-December, and they take effect January 1. The 2027 rates are expected on that schedule. They will cover more than 300 housing areas across the United States.
How the new rates are set
Each year, the department surveys rents and utility costs in every housing area during the peak moving season. It then sets a rate for each pay grade, with and without dependents, based on the typical cost of a home suited to that grade. Rents for each type of home are measured locally, so rates can rise sharply in one area and barely change in the next.
Since 2015, the allowance has been set to cover most but not all of the measured cost. The member pays a small share out of pocket.
What to expect for 2027
Nobody knows the exact figures until they are published. National rent growth has been slower recently than during the sharp jumps of 2022 and 2023, so a more modest average increase would not be surprising. Some areas with fast-rising rents will still see big increases.
For reference, an E-5 with dependents at Fort Bragg receives $1,806 a month in 2026. We will show the 2027 change for every base next to the new rate.
Rate protection
If the 2027 rate for your area is lower than your current rate, you keep the higher rate. This is called individual rate protection. It applies as long as you stay at the same duty station, keep the same dependency status and do not lose rank. If you move, marry or have another change in status, you switch to the new rate for your new situation.
So for members already in place, BAH can go up on January 1 but will not go down.
When you will see it
New rates start January 1, 2027. The first paycheck to include them arrives January 15, 2027, along with the 2027 basic pay raise.
What we will do
We will load the full 2027 table into this site’s BAH pages and calculators the day it is published, with each base’s change from 2026 shown next to the new rate.