Navy BAH calculator

Resolve the assigned duty location before the lookup

A Sailor may see several location descriptions in a move: a ship, a homeport, a shore command, a temporary stop, and a family address. Those descriptions do not automatically identify the same authorized housing location. For an ordinary locality lookup, use the applicable permanent duty station ZIP. Ask the command or servicing personnel and finance office when the orders or an exception require a different basis.

The branch selector changes the context and examples, not the national table amount. A Navy member and an Army or Air Force member with the same authorized MHA, grade, dependent category, and source year are looking at the same schedule. A sea assignment does not provide a general calculator multiplier. The website cannot review the facts needed to apply a special housing arrangement.

Naval Base San Diego and CA038

Naval Base San Diego’s official mailing information uses ZIP 92136. That code maps to CA038 in the retained 2026 source, and the selected dataset records the label “SAN DIEGO, CA”. The rate cards draw from the annual data for that housing area. A neighborhood chosen for a rental search is not an alternative duty station input just because it also has a San Diego address.

The installation contact source is https://cnrsw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVBASE-San-Diego/Contact-Us/. Confirm the assigned command and ZIP rather than assuming every Navy facility with a regional name uses identical inputs. The example is useful for comparing a published allowance with a prospective housing budget, but it does not establish a commute time, rental availability, government quarters status, or permission to receive a particular dependent category.

Naval Station Norfolk and VA298

The official Naval Station Norfolk contact page lists Norfolk, Virginia 23511. In the retained 2026 mapping, this ZIP belongs to VA298. The selected source label is “NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH, VA”. The Norfolk and Portsmouth wording names a housing area in the rate file; it is not a command address and does not tell a household which city it must choose for a home.

The official contact page is https://cnrma.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NAVSTA-Norfolk/Contact-Us/. Keep a transfer between duty locations distinct from a comparison between two neighborhoods. If a homeport or permanent duty assignment changes, ask which effective date and location the pay office will use. This calculator can display each published entry, but the two table values alone cannot calculate the member’s actual transition payments.

NAS Whidbey Island and WA312

MilitaryINSTALLATIONS identifies Naval Air Station Whidbey Island at Oak Harbor, Washington 98278. That ZIP maps to WA312 in the retained 2026 file. The selected annual label is “WHIDBEY ISLAND, WA”. The broader housing area name and the installation mailing name serve different purposes. Preserve the original source label while confirming the duty ZIP for the particular assignment.

The official installation record is https://installations.militaryonesource.mil/military-installation/naval-air-station-whidbey-island. An island or coastal setting may make a household’s own travel planning important, but this data contains no coordinates or route calculations. The website does not claim that a reference area is the nearest by road, ferry, or straight line distance. An example amount remains a published area entry rather than a location recommendation.

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Keep family circumstances separate from the two columns

The with dependents and without dependents columns are a comparison of published categories. They do not count children or create an extra amount for each family member. Family separation, dependent location arrangements, government housing, and other facts can require a fuller review. Choose the category the member is authorized to use rather than treating both displayed amounts as options that can be selected freely.

For a report about a table discrepancy, supply the year, ZIP, MHA, grade, category, and source date. For a question about which location or category is authorized, use the Navy command or servicing personnel and finance process. A public lookup does not need an unredacted pay statement or copies of family records, and the independent website cannot use those documents to issue an authorization.

Preserve the source year when comparing Navy assignments

The current source is 2026, downloaded on November 13, 2026, with 338 MHA entries and 40,745 usable ZIP codes. The 2027 release is pending here. December 2026 is the expected publication period from the usual annual pattern, not a confirmed release day. No estimated future rate is attached to a Navy homeport or shore installation.

A shared calculator URL preserves the chosen inputs, while the active annual source may later change. Save the displayed year and download date with the result if a comparison must be inspected later. The annual equivalent assumes a constant monthly rate for twelve months and does not account for a move between commands, a partial month, or an individual protected amount. Finance can explain those personal payment differences.