How to look up your JBER BAH
The only number to plan around is the one from the official Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) calculator. We do not publish BAH amounts, because they change every year and depend on your pay grade and dependent status.
- Open the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup.
- Enter your permanent duty station ZIP code, not the ZIP of the home you want. Confirm the ZIP for your unit with your finance office or sponsor.
- Pick the year and your pay grade.
- Read the with-dependents or without-dependents rate that applies to you.
Who answers BAH questions
DTMO says your local finance office or command is the primary source for specific entitlement questions. If you are not sure whether you will receive BAH, the with-dependents rate or a different rate, ask them before you sign a lease or a purchase contract.
New rates are published each year. DTMO says service members are entitled to the BAH rates published January 1 or the amount received on December 31, whichever is larger, as long as their BAH status does not change.
JBER, Anchorage, Eagle River and the Mat-Su share one BAH housing area
DTMO sets BAH for Military Housing Areas (MHAs), which are defined by ZIP code. We checked DTMO's 2026 ZIP-to-housing-area file. Every JBER, Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, Wasilla and Palmer ZIP code below falls in the same housing area.
| Area | ZIP codes checked | 2026 BAH housing area |
|---|---|---|
| JBER | 99505, 99506 | AK404, Anchorage, AK |
| Anchorage | 99501, 99504, 99507, 99508, 99516 | AK404, Anchorage, AK |
| Eagle River | 99577 | AK404, Anchorage, AK |
| Chugiak | 99567 | AK404, Anchorage, AK |
| Wasilla | 99654, 99687 | AK404, Anchorage, AK |
| Palmer | 99645 | AK404, Anchorage, AK |
Because BAH follows your duty station ZIP code, choosing Eagle River, Wasilla or Palmer over Anchorage does not raise or lower your BAH. It changes your commute, your property tax and the kind of homes you can choose from. Housing areas can change from year to year, so check the current year's lookup.
What DTMO says about BAH
Based on the local rental market
DTMO says BAH provides housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets when government quarters are not provided.
Not meant to cover every cost
DTMO says BAH is not intended to cover all of a service member's housing costs, and your out-of-pocket cost may be higher or lower depending on the housing you choose.
Dependents, not how many
BAH distinguishes between with-dependents and without-dependents rates. It does not change with the number of dependents.
Rate protection
Once you arrive, you receive any published increase but no decrease, as long as your status stays the same. A PCS, a reduction in pay grade or a change in dependency status ends that protection.
Your choice of housing
DTMO says each member can decide how to use the allowance, without a penalty for spending less on housing.
Official rules
The source rules are in the DoD Financial Management Regulation, Volume 7A, Chapter 26, linked from DTMO's BAH page.
Budgeting a home around your BAH
Compare your BAH with the full monthly cost of a specific home, not just the loan payment. These are the lines to fill in. A lender can confirm the loan numbers, and the seller can share recent utility bills.
If you buy
- Principal and interest on the loan, from your lender's Loan Estimate
- Property tax, which differs between the Municipality of Anchorage and the Mat-Su Borough and its cities
- Homeowners insurance
- HOA or condo dues, and any road service area or snow plowing costs
- Heat, electricity, water and sewer, or well and septic upkeep
- A repair and maintenance cushion
- Closing costs and the VA funding fee, if they apply to you
If you rent
- Monthly rent and what it includes
- Security deposit and any pet deposit
- Utilities the lease puts on you, including heat
- Renters insurance
- Snow removal, if the lease makes it your job
- Commute costs from the area you pick
Ask your lender how it counts BAH when it reviews your income. Lenders, not real estate agents, decide what you qualify for.
If you buy, plan for the next set of orders
Live in it first
VA says you must live in the home you buy with a VA-backed loan. Ask your lender how occupancy works for your orders.
Renting it out later
If you keep the home as a rental, Alaska's landlord-tenant law, AS 34.03, applies. Many owners hire a property manager while they are away.
Using your VA benefit again
VA says you can use the benefit again after you sell or refinance a VA-backed home. Your lender can explain how entitlement works if you keep the first home.
Questions about BAH and buying near JBER?
We cannot tell you your BAH, but we can show you what homes in each area cost to own or rent, and line up tours around your report date. Talk with James Cash or Ryan Lunski.
James Cash
Broker, Keller Williams Realty Alaska Group
Works with buyers across Anchorage, Eagle River and the Mat-Su Valley, from the first plan through closing.
james@herorealtygroup.com
Ryan Lunski
Licensed Alaska Real Estate Salesperson
A military veteran who works with buyers and military families relocating to Southcentral Alaska.
ryan@herorealtygroup.comWe are real estate agents, not lenders, attorneys or military benefits counselors. We can help you compare homes and areas, plan tours around your report date and write offers that fit VA loan timelines. Your finance office answers BAH questions, your transportation office answers move questions, and a licensed lender answers loan questions. You can check any loan originator's license at NMLS Consumer Access.
JBER BAH questions
How do I find my JBER BAH rate?
Use the official DTMO BAH Rate Lookup. Enter your permanent duty station ZIP code, the year and your pay grade, then read the with-dependents or without-dependents rate. Your finance office answers questions about your specific entitlement.
What ZIP code do I use for JBER BAH?
Use the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, not the ZIP code of the home you want. Confirm your unit's ZIP code with your finance office or sponsor. In DTMO's 2026 file, JBER ZIP codes 99505 and 99506 are in the Anchorage, AK housing area, AK404.
Is BAH the same for Eagle River, Wasilla and Palmer?
BAH follows your duty station, so where you live does not change it. In DTMO's 2026 ZIP file, the Anchorage, Eagle River, Chugiak, Wasilla and Palmer ZIP codes we checked are all in the same Anchorage, AK housing area.
Does BAH cover all housing costs?
No. DTMO says BAH is not intended to cover all of a service member's housing costs, and your out-of-pocket cost may be higher or lower depending on the housing you choose.
Can BAH go down after I arrive?
DTMO says rate protection keeps your BAH from going down while your status stays the same. A PCS, a reduction in pay grade or a change in dependency status ends that protection.
Does BAH count as income for a mortgage?
Ask your lender. Lenders decide how they count allowances when they review your income, and only a licensed loan originator can tell you what you qualify for.
Can I rent out my home when I PCS out?
Many owners do. VA requires you to live in a home you buy with a VA-backed loan, so ask your lender how occupancy works. If you rent it out later, Alaska's landlord-tenant law, AS 34.03, applies.
Keep exploring
Military guides and buying tools.
Military and veterans
Costs and buying
Where the program details came from
Checked November 13, 2026 (America/Anchorage). Military, VA and local rules change. If an official page differs from this summary, the official page controls.
- Defense Travel Management Office, Basic Allowance for Housing and BAH Rate Lookup.
- Housing areas: DTMO 2026 all-locations BAH data, BAH-ASCII-2026.zip (Internet Archive copy of the DTMO file, captured October 8, 2026), files sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt. A copy is kept on file.
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA-backed purchase loan.
- Alaska Statutes, AS 34.03 (landlord and tenant).
KELLER WILLIAMS REALTY ALASKA GROUP
Properties of Alaska by HERO Realty Group
A team at Keller Williams Realty Alaska Group, 621 S Knik Goose Bay Rd, Wasilla, AK 99654 · Office 907-360-7448
Properties of Alaska is a real estate team, not a mortgage lender or loan originator. Information on this page is general education, not official military, travel, housing, loan, tax or legal advice. Properties of Alaska and HERO Realty Group are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson or the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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