By Jay Miller, Sales Manager and Certified Mortgage Advisor, CMG Home Loans, NMLS #657301. Last updated: October 1, 2026. BAH figures: 2026 rates, effective January 1, 2026, from the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO), retrieved October 1, 2026.
In 2026, BAH on Oahu ranges from $2,598 to $5,040 a month depending on pay grade and dependency status, and every Oahu installation uses the same rate table: Honolulu County, Military Housing Area HI408. An E-5 with dependents receives $3,663 a month and an O-3 with dependents receives $4,428, whether the orders say Schofield Barracks, Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Kaneohe Bay, Fort Shafter, or Tripler. Your base changes your commute and your neighborhood options, not your allowance.
Download the full table: CSV · JSON. Always confirm your own rate at the official DTMO BAH Rate Lookup.
2026 BAH: Honolulu County, HI (MHA HI408)
Monthly amounts in U.S. dollars. "With dependents" is one rate no matter how many dependents you have.
Enlisted
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $3,333 | $2,598 |
| E-2 | $3,333 | $2,598 |
| E-3 | $3,333 | $2,598 |
| E-4 | $3,333 | $2,598 |
| E-5 | $3,663 | $2,856 |
| E-6 | $3,912 | $3,036 |
| E-7 | $4,098 | $3,348 |
| E-8 | $4,302 | $3,720 |
| E-9 | $4,518 | $3,783 |
Warrant officers
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| W-1 | $3,930 | $3,222 |
| W-2 | $4,182 | $3,717 |
| W-3 | $4,434 | $3,795 |
| W-4 | $4,551 | $3,951 |
| W-5 | $4,692 | $4,146 |
Officers with more than 4 years of prior enlisted or warrant service
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| O-1E | $4,137 | $3,660 |
| O-2E | $4,398 | $3,768 |
| O-3E | $4,572 | $3,903 |
Officers
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| O-1 | $3,702 | $2,997 |
| O-2 | $3,909 | $3,555 |
| O-3 | $4,428 | $3,819 |
| O-4 | $4,737 | $4,110 |
| O-5 | $4,959 | $4,224 |
| O-6 | $5,001 | $4,413 |
| O-7 and above | $5,040 | $4,494 |
Source: DTMO BAH rate query, calendar year 2026, ZIP 96857 (Schofield Barracks), Military Housing Area "HONOLULU COUNTY, HI (HI408)". We also checked ZIPs 96860 (Pearl Harbor), 96863 (MCBH Kaneohe Bay), 96858 (Fort Shafter), and 96859 (Tripler); all return HI408 with the same rates.
How to read this table
- Rate protection. DTMO pays the rate published on January 1 or the amount you received on December 31, whichever is larger, as long as your BAH status doesn't change. A new PCS, a dependency change, or a demotion resets it.
- It changes every January. New rates usually publish in mid-December. We update this page and the data files when they do, and the date at the top tells you which year you're looking at.
- BAH is not COLA. Hawaii members usually also draw the Overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance, which is separate, changes during the year, and depends on more than rank. See the DTMO COLA page and our BAH reality check.
- BAH is built from rental data. DTMO sets it from local rents and average utilities for a housing profile tied to each grade. It's not sized to a particular house or neighborhood.
Housing by base
Every base below uses the same BAH table. What differs is the drive, the housing stock, and who runs on-base housing. Commute notes describe direction and highway, because on Oahu the time of day matters more than miles. Drive your actual commute at your actual report time before you sign anything.
| Installation | Branch | On-base housing operator | Off-base areas usually considered, by commute | Main routes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) | Navy, Air Force | Navy side: Ohana Military Communities. Air Force side: Hickam Communities. | Aiea and Pearl City (short drive east of the leeward traffic); Salt Lake and Moanalua (condo-heavy, town side); Ewa Beach and Kapolei (newer subdivisions, longer westside drive or Skyline rail) | H-1, H-201, Fort Weaver Road, Skyline rail (Makalapa/Pearl Harbor station) |
| Schofield Barracks and Wheeler AAF | Army | Island Palm Communities (North Region list) | Wahiawa (outside the gate, older housing stock); Mililani (master-planned, newer homes, about 10 to 15 minutes); Waipio and Waikele (south on the H-2, inside the merge traffic); Kunia (small, near the gate) | H-2, Kamehameha Highway, Kunia Road |
| Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay | Marine Corps, Navy | Ohana Military Communities | Kaneohe (older homes with yards, about 10 minutes to the gate); Kailua (beach town, about 15 to 20 minutes, higher rents) | H-3 to Pearl Harbor, Likelike and Pali highways to town |
| Fort Shafter, Tripler AMC, Camp Smith | Army, joint | Island Palm Communities (South Region list: Aliamanu, Fort Shafter, Tripler, Red Hill) | Moanalua (closest residential area, small inventory); Salt Lake (condos and townhouses); Aiea and Pearl City (more single-family homes, about 10 to 15 minutes west) | H-1, H-201 (Moanalua Freeway), Skyline rail (Middle Street and airport stations) |
On-base or off-base?
- Apply for on-base housing the day you have orders, even if you plan to rent or buy. It costs nothing and keeps the option open. Wait times depend on rank category, bedroom count, and application date; get the current number from the operator, not from a forum. Island Palm Communities runs two Army lists, North and South, and you can be on only one.
- Off-base, your full BAH goes to rent and utilities. Ask for a recent electric bill before you sign; Hawaii has the highest residential electricity rates in the country, and air conditioning without solar can turn a rental that's under BAH into one that's over it.
- Stay on your base's side of the island. Crossing from the leeward side to Kaneohe Bay or to the town-side posts every day is the commute most families regret. Our neighborhood guide explains the four zones.
- Full detail per base: Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Schofield Barracks, Kaneohe Bay, Fort Shafter and Tripler. The three-way comparison is on rent vs. buy vs. on-base.
Thinking about buying with a VA loan?
Your BAH is spent on housing either way. If you're weighing a purchase, these RealityCents tools use the same 2026 HI408 BAH table shown above:
- How to buy a house in Hawaii with a VA loan: the steps, the Hawaii costs, and the rules, from COE to closing.
- Military Buying Power calculator: your base pay, BAH, BAS, and COLA turned into an estimated purchase price.
- BAH buy vs. rent on Oahu and Does BAH count as income for a VA loan?
- VA-approved condos on Oahu and the VA loan page for your base: Schofield, Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Kaneohe Bay, Fort Shafter, Tripler.
With full entitlement, a VA loan can mean $0 down, subject to income, credit, residual income, and lender approval. To talk through your numbers, contact Jay Miller, Sales Manager and Certified Mortgage Advisor, NMLS #657301, CMG Home Loans, Honolulu: (808) 429-0811 or jaym@cmghomeloans.com. Jay is a U.S. Army OIF/OEF veteran and the author of Zero Down in Paradise. CMG Home Loans Branch NMLS #2475890; CMG Mortgage, Inc. NMLS #1820. Equal Housing Opportunity. Calculators are estimates, not loan offers.
Frequently asked questions
What is BAH on Oahu in 2026?
In 2026, BAH for Honolulu County (MHA HI408) runs from $2,598 a month (E-1 to E-4 without dependents) to $5,040 (O-7 and above with dependents). With dependents, E-1 to E-4 receive $3,333, E-5 $3,663, E-6 $3,912, O-3 $4,428, and O-5 $4,959. Source: DTMO, 2026 rates effective January 1, 2026.
Is BAH different at Schofield, Pearl Harbor, and Kaneohe Bay?
No. Every Oahu installation sits in Military Housing Area HI408, Honolulu County, so the same grade and dependency status get the same BAH at every base. We confirmed this in the DTMO lookup for the Schofield, Pearl Harbor, Kaneohe Bay, Fort Shafter, and Tripler ZIP codes.
Does BAH go up with more dependents?
No. There are two rates per grade, with dependents and without. An E-6 with one dependent and an E-6 with four receive the same $3,912 in 2026.
When do Oahu BAH rates change?
Every January 1. DTMO usually publishes new rates in mid-December. If the new rate is lower, rate protection keeps your December 31 amount as long as your status doesn't change.
Can I use BAH to buy a house on Oahu?
BAH can count as qualifying income for a VA loan when it's on your LES and expected to continue. Run your grade in the Military Buying Power calculator, then talk with a VA lender such as Jay Miller, NMLS #657301, about what you qualify for.
Where do I check my exact BAH?
At the official DTMO BAH Rate Lookup. Enter your duty ZIP code, the year, and your grade.
Sources
- BAH Rate Lookup, Defense Travel Management Office (2026 rates retrieved October 1, 2026)
- Basic Allowance for Housing overview and rate protection, DTMO
- Overseas Cost-of-Living Allowance, DTMO
- Island Palm Communities, Ohana Military Communities, Navy, Ohana Military Communities, Marine Corps, Hickam Communities
- Honolulu Skyline rail adds 4 stops, Hawaii Public Radio, October 2025
- Hawaii pays the highest electric rates in the nation, Honolulu Civil Beat, May 2026