BAH with dependents and without dependents

The published categories do not count dependents

The source schedules distinguish whether the member is in the with dependents category or the without dependents category. They do not create a third column for two children, another for three children, or a percentage increase for each additional person. The number of people in a household can affect its real housing needs, but that is a different question from how the locality table is organized.

The Military Compensation explanation states this distinction at https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/. Use it to understand the schedule, while using the applicable entitlement rules and finance process to determine the authorized category. A household description alone is not enough for this independent calculator to verify dependency status. It does not review records, decide a claim, or approve a person as a qualifying dependent.

Compare the two columns under identical conditions

Keep the source year, MHA, and pay grade the same when comparing the with dependents and without dependents amounts. The paired examples make that relationship visible for selected real areas. Comparing one category in San Diego with another in a different housing area mixes a location change with a category change and does not isolate the difference you may be trying to understand.

Each monthly amount is one table entry. The difference between them is a comparison of categories, not a separate allowance that can be added to either amount. The annual equivalents multiply each monthly entry by twelve under a constant rate assumption. They do not calculate an actual year in which dependency status changes or determine the effective date of a payment adjustment.

Let the servicing office determine eligibility

A category selection in the calculator is an input supplied by the user. It is not an application, a dependency verification, or an authorization. Orders, service status, government housing, support arrangements, and other relevant circumstances may affect which housing allowance rules apply. The servicing finance or personnel office can identify the evidence and official process required for the member’s situation.

Do not send dependency documents, identification numbers, or an unredacted Leave and Earnings Statement to this website to obtain a category decision. The tool has no access to the personnel and pay systems needed for that purpose. A public data discrepancy can be described using the source year, MHA, grade, category, displayed amount, and official reference without disclosing a family’s private records.

Use a fuller review for complex household circumstances

Questions involving two service members, a dependent who lives elsewhere, child support, custody, or a secondary dependency claim can require more than the ordinary two category lookup. Listing those circumstances here does not determine the outcome. The calculator deliberately does not infer a rule from a short description or assume that the category with the larger amount is authorized.

For the governing framework, consult Financial Management Regulation, Volume 7A, Chapter 26 at https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/current/07a/07a_26.pdf, then ask the responsible office how it applies to the actual facts. A published locality amount and the policy governing its payment are separate parts of the answer. This guide explains the table structure and does not replace the service’s entitlement review.

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Separate dependent category from the authorized location

The two categories do not resolve which location is authorized. The ordinary locality lookup begins with the permanent duty station ZIP, while certain approved arrangements can use another location under the applicable rules. Entering a dependent’s residential ZIP because it produces a higher amount does not establish that the location is authorized. Resolve the location basis as well as the category before relying on the result.

Likewise, a move into government housing or a situation involving another form of housing allowance may require rules outside this locality table. The without dependents column is not a universal answer for every member in government quarters, and the with dependents column is not an automatic answer for every family arrangement. The calculator cannot select a different allowance type from the dependency toggle alone.

A dependency change can affect rate protection

Individual rate protection is intended to protect a continuing eligible member from certain decreases in the published schedule while the relevant circumstances remain unchanged. A change in dependency status is one of the events that can affect the applicable protection. Do not assume that a previously protected amount will remain the same after changing the calculator category or that the comparison itself establishes a new protected rate.

Ask the servicing office to confirm the authorized category, effective date, and protection rule when circumstances change. The website has no previous pay history with which to make that determination. A current table amount can be correct even when an actual payment differs, so a disagreement with a statement should begin with the year, category, location, and applicable rule rather than an assumption that the displayed table is the whole entitlement.

Use the selected annual source for both categories

The current comparison uses 2026 data, with 338 MHA entries and 27 grade columns, downloaded on November 13, 2026. The 2027 release is pending here. A December 2026 publication is expected from the usual annual pattern, but neither dependent category is increased by an estimated percentage. Both displayed columns remain references for the actual available source year.

For a lasting comparison, keep the year, MHA, grade, category, monthly entry, and source date with your notes. A shared link can preserve the inputs while a later source release changes the active amounts. Use the public comparison to prepare a clear question for finance, and use the official process for the personal evidence needed to answer it. The website remains a reference rather than a benefit decision service.