California BAH rates for 2026
Basic Allowance for Housing for all 26 California military housing areas, straight from the Department of Defense 2026 rate file.
Look up your BAH
| With dependents | -- |
|---|---|
| Without dependents | -- |
2026 Basic Allowance for Housing, monthly, from the Department of Defense (Defense Travel Management Office), effective January 1, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. BAH is set by your duty station, not where you buy. MTG Wholesale has no role in setting it.
Good to know
When does 2026 BAH take effect?
January 1, 2026. The Department of Defense publishes new rates each year, usually in December.
Is BAH based on where I live or where I'm stationed?
Your duty station. Each duty-station ZIP belongs to one Military Housing Area.
Which California housing area has the highest BAH?
San Francisco has the highest rates in the state for 2026. See the table on this page.
Can BAH help me qualify for a VA loan?
Lenders count BAH as income when you qualify. We'll show you how your lender treats it.
2026 BAH with dependents, key pay grades
| Housing area | E-4 | E-5 | E-6 | E-7 | O-1 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barstow/Fort Irwin | $1,890 | $2,001 | $2,430 | $2,547 | $2,058 | $2,748 |
| Beale Afb | $2,733 | $2,967 | $3,132 | $3,150 | $2,994 | $3,165 |
| Bridgeport | $2,082 | $2,085 | $2,805 | $2,883 | $2,169 | $3,018 |
| Camp Pendleton | $3,627 | $3,963 | $4,398 | $4,494 | $4,023 | $4,659 |
| China Lake | $1,524 | $1,563 | $1,767 | $1,905 | $1,596 | $2,154 |
| Edwards Afb/Palmdale | $2,475 | $2,658 | $3,156 | $3,195 | $2,724 | $3,264 |
| El Centro | $1,905 | $1,986 | $2,151 | $2,334 | $2,013 | $2,664 |
| Fresno | $2,175 | $2,439 | $2,826 | $2,868 | $2,490 | $2,937 |
| Humboldt County | $1,764 | $1,827 | $2,322 | $2,511 | $1,893 | $2,838 |
| Lemoore Nas | $1,944 | $2,139 | $2,277 | $2,337 | $2,166 | $2,451 |
| Los Angeles | $3,570 | $3,882 | $4,188 | $4,311 | $3,927 | $4,524 |
| Marin/Sonoma | $3,252 | $3,303 | $3,819 | $3,939 | $3,369 | $4,146 |
| Monterey | $3,249 | $3,465 | $3,867 | $4,218 | $3,519 | $4,824 |
| Oakland | $3,471 | $3,759 | $4,113 | $4,203 | $3,807 | $4,362 |
| Riverside | $3,096 | $3,351 | $3,549 | $3,603 | $3,384 | $3,705 |
| Sacramento | $2,598 | $2,904 | $2,979 | $2,997 | $2,922 | $3,039 |
| San Bernardino | $2,958 | $3,288 | $3,381 | $3,399 | $3,306 | $3,414 |
| San Diego | $3,666 | $3,975 | $4,404 | $4,446 | $4,032 | $4,518 |
| San Francisco | $4,764 | $5,127 | $5,454 | $5,490 | $5,172 | $5,556 |
| San Luis Obispo | $3,027 | $3,198 | $3,948 | $4,047 | $3,291 | $4,215 |
| Santa Clara County | $4,356 | $4,659 | $4,977 | $5,058 | $4,704 | $5,199 |
| Stockton | $2,445 | $2,553 | $2,934 | $3,072 | $2,607 | $3,309 |
| Twenty Nine Palms Mcb | $1,896 | $1,980 | $2,550 | $2,649 | $2,052 | $2,814 |
| Vallejo/Travis Afb | $3,090 | $3,369 | $3,498 | $3,516 | $3,393 | $3,537 |
| Vandenberg Sfb | $3,156 | $3,333 | $3,642 | $3,693 | $3,378 | $3,780 |
| Ventura | $3,378 | $3,537 | $4,008 | $4,083 | $3,600 | $4,212 |
2026 Basic Allowance for Housing, monthly, from the Department of Defense (Defense Travel Management Office), effective January 1, 2026; checked November 10, 2026. BAH is set by your duty station, not where you buy. MTG Wholesale has no role in setting it.
MTG Wholesale is a private mortgage broker. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense or any branch of the military. VA-backed loans are subject to eligibility, lender approval and appraisal. Not an offer of credit.