BAH 2026 · housing area
BAH in Hawaii (Honolulu County) for 2026
The 2026 housing allowance on Oahu, one of the highest in the country, how it compares with the neighbor islands, and the cost-of-living allowance that comes on top.
BAH 2026 in Oahu
E-5 with dependents
$3,663
| Per year, tax free | $43,956 |
| Without dependents | $2,856 |
| Difference | $807 |
An E-5 with dependents stationed on Oahu receives $3,663 a month of BAH in 2026 and $2,856 without dependents; a married O-3 receives $4,428. The whole island forms a single housing area, Honolulu County, HI (HI408) in the Defense Travel Management Office file, 69 ZIP codes from Honolulu to the North Shore, which covers Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Schofield Barracks, Marine Corps Base Hawaii at Kaneohe Bay, Fort Shafter and Camp H. M. Smith. Oahu ranks 20 of 338 housing areas for the E-5 family rate, among the highest of all, and the table rose about 4.3% from 2025. Hawaii is also treated as outside the continental United States for the cost-of-living allowance, which is paid separately from BAH to offset prices for goods and services. Junior enlisted families from E-1 to E-4 receive $3,333 of BAH.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How we calculate
Oahu BAH by grade
| Grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $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 |
| W-2 | $4,182 | $3,717 |
| W-3 | $4,434 | $3,795 |
| 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 |
The four Hawaii housing areas
| Housing area | E-5 with dependents | E-7 with dependents | O-3 with dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honolulu County (Oahu) | $3,663 | $4,098 | $4,428 |
| Maui County | $4,329 | $5,067 | $5,571 |
| Hawaii County | $3,594 | $3,876 | $3,945 |
| Kauai County | $3,798 | $4,410 | $4,662 |
Each county is its own housing area. Most members serve on Oahu, but the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai and smaller activities on the Big Island and Maui have their own rates. Maui's table is higher than Oahu's for several grades, a result of the island's rental market.
2025 and 2026 on Oahu
| Grade | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-4 | $3,204 | $3,333 | +$129 (+4%) |
| E-5 | $3,513 | $3,663 | +$150 (+4.3%) |
| E-6 | $3,738 | $3,912 | +$174 (+4.7%) |
| E-7 | $3,915 | $4,098 | +$183 (+4.7%) |
| E-9 | $4,308 | $4,518 | +$210 (+4.9%) |
| O-1 | $3,549 | $3,702 | +$153 (+4.3%) |
| O-3 | $4,221 | $4,428 | +$207 (+4.9%) |
| O-5 | $4,743 | $4,959 | +$216 (+4.6%) |
The increases are among the largest in dollars of any area, because a few percent of an Oahu rate is a large sum. They follow the annual survey of rents and utilities, in which rent accounts for about 87% of the measured housing cost on the island and utilities for 13%; Hawaii's electricity prices are high, but the mild climate limits consumption. The published rate includes the 5% member cost share.
Living on Oahu on BAH
Many families on Oahu live in privatized military housing, where the BAH is paid to the housing partner as rent instead of to the member. Those who rent off base choose between the dense neighborhoods near Pearl Harbor and Honolulu and the longer drives to the North Shore or the windward side; the allowance is the same everywhere on the island. The single rate is also high, $3,036 for an E-6, but many single junior members live in barracks or aboard ship. The military pay calculator adds basic pay and BAS to BAH; the cost-of-living allowance must be added from your LES. To compare with the mainland, see San Diego or look up any ZIP code in the BAH calculator.
Officers and senior enlisted on Oahu
The with-dependents rate climbs steeply with grade on Oahu: $4,098 for an E-7, $4,518 for an E-9, $4,737 for an O-4 and $5,001 for an O-6. Those figures are above most of the mainland, and they make the step from one grade to the next worth more here than at a lower-cost station: a promotion from O-3 to O-4 adds $309 a month of housing allowance on Oahu, against $237 at Fort Hood.
Arriving in Hawaii
Members on permanent change of station orders to Hawaii start drawing the Oahu rate from the date they report. While they look for a home, they may receive a temporary lodging allowance for a limited number of days, a separate payment from BAH. Pets, vehicles and household goods follow special rules for the islands. A family that moves into privatized housing signs over the BAH as rent, so the amount on this page then goes to the housing company rather than to the family's account.