Real DoD 2026 BAH rates for all 17 Texas Military Housing Areas, broken down by pay grade and dependency status.
Texas has 17 Military Housing Areas (MHAs) covering every duty location with at least one DoD installation in the state. Rates below are pulled from the official Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) 2026 tables, effective January 1, 2026, and reflect the across-the-board 4.2% national average increase plus location-specific rental-market adjustments.
The highest 2026 E-5-with-dependents BAH in Texas is $2,469/month in Dallas, Tx, while the lowest is $1,470/month in Laughlin Afb/Del Rio, Tx — a 68% spread that reflects how dramatically housing markets vary even within the same state. PCSing within Texas can change your housing budget by hundreds of dollars per month, so always re-run your BAH the moment your orders drop.
Below is every Texas Military Housing Area with 2026 BAH rates for the most-searched pay grades. Rates show with dependents / without dependents. For grades not shown (E-2, E-3, W-1, W-3, W-4, W-5, O-2, O-7), use the main BAH calculator with your duty ZIP.
| Military Housing Area | E-1 with / no dep | E-5 with / no dep | E-7 with / no dep | W-2 with / no dep | O-1 with / no dep | O-3 with / no dep | O-5 with / no dep |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dallas, Tx | $2,220 / $1,665 | $2,469 / $1,851 | $2,829 / $2,229 | $2,835 / $2,538 | $2,517 / $1,968 | $2,847 / $2,682 | $3,192 / $2,826 |
| Austin, Tx | $2,046 / $1,536 | $2,241 / $1,731 | $3,039 / $2,280 | $3,141 / $2,355 | $2,313 / $1,848 | $3,447 / $2,676 | $4,095 / $3,198 |
| Houston, Tx | $1,974 / $1,524 | $2,193 / $1,665 | $2,583 / $1,980 | $2,610 / $2,262 | $2,241 / $1,749 | $2,700 / $2,397 | $3,288 / $2,616 |
| Fort Worth, Tx | $1,938 / $1,494 | $2,118 / $1,656 | $2,445 / $1,941 | $2,451 / $2,181 | $2,163 / $1,752 | $2,460 / $2,310 | $2,793 / $2,430 |
| San Antonio, Tx | $1,728 / $1,359 | $1,869 / $1,500 | $2,112 / $1,731 | $2,118 / $1,917 | $1,905 / $1,584 | $2,127 / $2,007 | $2,457 / $2,100 |
| El Paso, Tx | $1,665 / $1,302 | $1,809 / $1,437 | $2,172 / $1,668 | $2,178 / $1,878 | $1,857 / $1,518 | $2,202 / $2,022 | $2,466 / $2,172 |
| Corpus Christi, Tx | $1,644 / $1,278 | $1,788 / $1,413 | $2,310 / $1,734 | $2,352 / $1,875 | $1,845 / $1,494 | $2,475 / $2,061 | $2,964 / $2,364 |
| College Station, Tx | $1,662 / $1,356 | $1,758 / $1,485 | $2,499 / $1,875 | $2,547 / $1,911 | $1,836 / $1,563 | $2,685 / $2,160 | $3,513 / $2,634 |
| Waco, Tx | $1,617 / $1,404 | $1,755 / $1,440 | $2,199 / $1,650 | $2,244 / $1,827 | $1,803 / $1,473 | $2,379 / $1,971 | $3,093 / $2,319 |
| Fort Hood, Tx | $1,662 / $1,374 | $1,695 / $1,530 | $2,070 / $1,668 | $2,139 / $1,743 | $1,731 / $1,623 | $2,340 / $1,833 | $2,748 / $2,169 |
| Goodfellow Afb, Tx | $1,455 / $1,092 | $1,578 / $1,230 | $1,965 / $1,473 | $2,025 / $1,632 | $1,617 / $1,332 | $2,193 / $1,740 | $2,415 / $2,046 |
| Abilene/Dyess Afb, Tx | $1,458 / $1,170 | $1,554 / $1,287 | $2,238 / $1,680 | $2,244 / $1,689 | $1,635 / $1,362 | $2,253 / $1,974 | $2,676 / $2,223 |
| Beaumont, Tx | $1,488 / $1,251 | $1,518 / $1,377 | $1,941 / $1,497 | $1,947 / $1,599 | $1,572 / $1,455 | $1,956 / $1,770 | $2,553 / $1,926 |
| Brownsville, Tx | $1,413 / $1,125 | $1,503 / $1,248 | $1,971 / $1,479 | $2,022 / $1,575 | $1,551 / $1,323 | $2,169 / $1,728 | $2,721 / $2,040 |
| Wichita Fls/Sheppard Afb, Tx | $1,392 / $1,044 | $1,491 / $1,182 | $2,190 / $1,644 | $2,223 / $1,668 | $1,572 / $1,290 | $2,325 / $1,887 | $2,955 / $2,229 |
| Lubbock, Tx | $1,416 / $1,146 | $1,476 / $1,272 | $1,875 / $1,413 | $1,902 / $1,545 | $1,524 / $1,350 | $1,983 / $1,689 | $2,604 / $1,953 |
| Laughlin Afb/Del Rio, Tx | $1,371 / $1,110 | $1,470 / $1,209 | $1,854 / $1,392 | $1,923 / $1,518 | $1,506 / $1,269 | $2,121 / $1,686 | $2,820 / $2,115 |
Source: 2026 DoD BAH tables published by the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), effective January 1, 2026. Verify your exact rate by ZIP code at defensetravel.dod.mil.
BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) is a non-taxable monthly stipend paid to service members who do not live in government quarters. The rate is set by your duty-station ZIP code (mapped to a Military Housing Area), your pay grade, and your dependency status (with or without dependents). The amount is calibrated annually to cover the median rental cost — including utilities and renter's insurance — for the housing profile assigned to your rank in your area.
Texas hosts 11 active-duty installations that drive most of the state's BAH demand. Each has its own MHA assignment, so rates near each base reflect that local rental market — not a state average.
If your duty station isn't in the table above, use the BAH calculator with your duty ZIP — DTMO maps each ZIP to its parent MHA automatically.
Texas has no state income tax — your military pay, BAH, BAS, retirement, and VA disability are all state-tax-free.
Texas is one of nine states with no state income tax, making it the most popular state of legal residence for active-duty service members nationwide. Claim Texas residency under SCRA and you owe Texas no income tax on military pay or civilian-spouse income (under MSRRA). There is no state income tax return to file. Property tax exemptions are also available for disabled veterans, scaling with VA rating up to a 100% exemption.
This is general information, not tax advice. State tax law changes frequently — verify your current-year situation with the Texas Department of Revenue (or equivalent), the IRS, or a qualified tax professional. Service members claiming residency in a different state under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) are taxed only by their state of legal residence, regardless of where they're stationed. Civilian-spouse income protections under the Military Spouse Residency Relief Act (MSRRA) may also apply.
The top 5 most-expensive Texas Military Housing Areas by 2026 E-5-with-dependents BAH:
E-5: $2,469 with / $1,851 without dependents · E-7: $2,829 / $2,229 · O-3: $2,847 / $2,682
E-5: $2,241 with / $1,731 without dependents · E-7: $3,039 / $2,280 · O-3: $3,447 / $2,676
E-5: $2,193 with / $1,665 without dependents · E-7: $2,583 / $1,980 · O-3: $2,700 / $2,397
E-5: $2,118 with / $1,656 without dependents · E-7: $2,445 / $1,941 · O-3: $2,460 / $2,310
E-5: $1,869 with / $1,500 without dependents · E-7: $2,112 / $1,731 · O-3: $2,127 / $2,007
If you have flexibility on duty-station preferences during your next assignment cycle, these areas pay the highest housing allowance — but housing supply is also the tightest, so rate alone shouldn't drive the decision.
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