BAH data sources and updates

The primary publication and retrieval record

The official BAH Rate Lookup page provides the annual files for all locations and pay grades. The source page recorded for the current 2026 dataset is https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/. The retained 2026 ASCII package is named BAH-ASCII-2026.zip. Its original package remains with the project’s source data so that the historical values can be inspected independently of the smaller files used by the calculator.

For the retained 2026 download, the original official ZIP was retrieved from the Internet Archive capture dated October 8, 2026 because direct access to the publisher was restricted from the download environment. Its retrieval date is November 13, 2026. These dates describe different events: the archive capture is the preserved publisher response, while the download date records when that preserved package was obtained. They are not download dates for any later annual release.

How the source becomes a calculator lookup

The package includes a ZIP to MHA mapping, MHA names, and separate rate tables for members with dependents and without dependents. The import identifies these files by their contents and field structure rather than assuming that a particular extension or filename is authoritative. Members marked old are excluded. Where the package contains aliases or multiple versions, the selected contents must also pass the independent comparison before they are used.

The frontend reads a compact ZIP index and then the rate file for the matched MHA. This preserves the connection from a five digit ZIP to one housing area and from that area to a grade and dependent category. It does not interpolate missing rates, infer an area from a city name, use commercial rental listings, or multiply last year’s amount by an assumed national increase.

Coverage and checks on the current import

The current 2026 import contains 338 MHA entries, 27 pay grade columns, and 40,745 usable ZIP codes. Its recorded download date is November 13, 2026, and its annual effective date is January 1, 2026; a specific replacement notice can carry a later effective date for an affected area. These current coverage figures are read from the selected data rather than copied from an earlier annual release.

The retained 2026 snapshot has 27 grades, from E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-5, O-1E through O-3E, and O-1 through O-10. Its O-7 through O-10 amounts are identical within each MHA and are checked as official columns. Validation checks positive whole dollar amounts, dependent category relationships, grade coverage, and ZIP consistency. All 18,252 amounts in that 2026 snapshot agree with the specified comparison CSV. The CSV is a cross check, not a replacement for the official package.

Unmatched ZIPs and national entries

The retained 2026 raw ZIP file contains 40,959 rows. Of those, 214 map to XX499 with an UNKNOWN designation and no rate in that package. Its historical calculable index therefore contains 40,745 ZIP codes. Those excluded rows are not assigned zero, copied from a neighboring area, or filled with a national average. Later annual coverage is determined from its own import rather than assumed to have the same counts.

MHA codes beginning with ZZ represent national rate entries rather than a specific local housing market. When a supported ZIP maps to one of those entries, the calculator identifies the result as a national rate. A ZIP that is absent or excluded is a different situation and does not automatically qualify for a ZZ amount. A nearby area can be a comparison reference only, not a substitute authorized duty location.

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The temporary 2026 Abilene adjustment

The official temporary increase notice for Abilene, Texas and Dyess AFB identifies MHA TX270 and an effective date of May 16, 2026. The retained 2026 source contents include that replacement. Some aliases in that package still contain the earlier TX270 values, so relying only on the year in a filename would be insufficient. The validated 2026 selection uses the replacement values that also match the comparison dataset.

The notice states that the temporary rates expire on December 31, 2026, with 2027 rates to be announced separately. It is available at https://www.travel.dod.mil/About/News/Article/Article/4485972/temporary-bah-increase-for-abilenedyess-afb/. The retained 2026 lookup is not a reconstruction of an entitlement before the adjustment date, and that temporary increase is not carried into 2027 by assumption. For an actual payment period, confirm the effective date and individual circumstances with finance.

The next review and pending 2027 data

The next planned publication check is December 2026. This is an editorial plan, not a claim that a background job is running or that a release day has been confirmed. Official annual BAH rates are commonly published in December for the following calendar year. The current status for 2027 remains pending, and the calculator does not contain a predicted 2027 amount or an assumed percentage adjustment.

A new official publication requires preserving the original files, checking the import structure and grades, verifying the ZIP mappings, and inspecting the resulting values before activating the new year. The publication year, effective date, and download date must remain distinguishable. A published status without the corresponding annual dataset cannot supply a calculation. A planned review does not establish that new rates exist, and a download alone does not complete the required checks.

Rules and personal entitlement remain separate

For official policy, consult the Military Compensation BAH explanation at https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/ and the Financial Management Regulation, Volume 7A, Chapter 26, at https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/current/07a/07a_26.pdf. These explain the rules behind a published lookup, including individual rate protection and circumstances the three calculator inputs cannot decide. A correct source value does not prove a personal entitlement.

BAHCalcPro is an independent presentation of public information and is not part of the Department of Defense or any military service. If an official publication and this website disagree, the official publication and applicable rules control. Report a suspected transcription or mapping problem with the public inputs and source date; send personal pay or eligibility questions to your servicing office.