Service members stationed at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, are now receiving a much higher housing allowance than the rate published for 2026 last December. The Defense Department issued a revised rate table for the Abilene/Dyess AFB housing area, marked as a temporary increase, that raises the Basic Allowance for Housing across the pay grades.
How big the change is
| Grade | With dependents, before | With dependents, now | Without dependents, before | Without dependents, now |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,458 | $1,761 | $1,170 | $1,380 |
| E-5 | $1,554 | $1,872 | $1,287 | $1,545 |
| E-6 | $2,214 | $2,820 | $1,662 | $2,115 |
| E-7 | $2,238 | $2,844 | $1,680 | $2,133 |
| E-9 | $2,298 | $2,895 | $1,884 | $2,352 |
| O-1 | $1,635 | $1,989 | $1,362 | $1,644 |
| O-3 | $2,253 | $2,859 | $1,974 | $2,475 |
| O-4 | $2,484 | $3,063 | $2,214 | $2,820 |
For an E-5 with dependents, that is $318 more a month, or $3,816 a year, tax-free. An E-6 or E-7 with dependents gains about $600 a month.
Why it happened
BAH rates are set from rent surveys taken the year before. When local rents move faster than the survey caught, the department can issue a revised table for that one housing area during the year.
The rate files describe it as temporary. Rates for 2027, due in mid-December, will be set from new survey data, and individual rate protection keeps members from losing BAH if the 2027 rate comes in lower, as long as they stay at Dyess with the same dependency status.
Check your pay
If your Leave and Earnings Statement still shows the old amount, ask your finance office when the new rate applies to you and whether any back pay is owed.
The Abilene/Dyess AFB BAH page on this site uses the new rates for all 24 pay grades, and the ZIP code lookup does too. Moving to or from Dyess? Compare it with another base.