Real DoD 2026 BAH rates for the Vermont Military Housing Area, broken down by pay grade and dependency status.
Vermont has 1 Military Housing Area (MHA) 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 Vermont is $3,120/month in Burlington, Vt, while the lowest is $3,120/month in Burlington, Vt โ a 0% spread that reflects how dramatically housing markets vary even within the same state. PCSing within Vermont 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 Vermont 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington, Vt | $2,847 / $2,166 | $3,120 / $2,427 | $3,912 / $2,934 | $3,984 / $3,243 | $3,201 / $2,568 | $4,203 / $3,516 | $4,857 / $4,020 |
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 โ including utilities and renter's insurance โ for the housing profile assigned to your rank in your area.
Vermont hosts 1 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 โ not a state average.
If your duty station isn't in the table above, use the BAH calculator with your duty ZIP โ DTMO maps each ZIP to its parent MHA automatically.
Vermont fully exempts active-duty military pay earned outside Vermont.
Vermont allows a full subtraction for active-duty pay earned for federal service outside Vermont. Pay earned in VT is taxable to VT residents. Combat-zone pay is fully exempt under federal rules. Military retirement is partially exempt subject to AGI limits โ verify with VT Department of Taxes.
This is general information, not tax advice. State tax law changes frequently โ verify your current-year situation with the Vermont 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 1 most-expensive Vermont Military Housing Areas by 2026 E-5-with-dependents BAH:
E-5: $3,120 with / $2,427 without dependents ยท E-7: $3,912 / $2,934 ยท O-3: $4,203 / $3,516
If you have flexibility on duty-station preferences during your next assignment cycle, these areas pay the highest housing allowance โ but housing supply is also the tightest, so rate alone shouldn't drive the decision.
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