Ask Travis

How does BAH work near Fort Sill?

By Travis Wright, REALTOR®, with eXp Realty

BAH is tax-free housing pay based on your rank, dependency status, and the ZIP for your duty station, and it's meant to cover housing and utilities. Rates update every January, so always use the current year's numbers. The official calculator is at https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/, and I keep a Fort Sill-specific VA loan and BAH guide here: https://newconstructionhomeselgin.com/va-loan-bah/.

The BAH basics for a Fort Sill move

BAH is designed to cover your housing costs, including rent or the housing portion of a mortgage, plus utilities such as electricity, gas, water, and internet where the rate includes them.

BAH is tax-free housing pay
It is based on your rank, your dependency status, and the ZIP code of your duty station
Rates update every January, so always use the current year’s numbers
The official BAH calculator is published by the Department of Defense

Travis's take: Use the current year’s BAH rate for your exact rank, dependency status, and duty-station ZIP, then test it against the real housing and utility costs in Lawton, Elgin, and the surrounding towns.

Frequently asked questions

The short answer, again