2026 BAH vs. rent · Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord BAH vs. Rent (2026)
E-4 with dependents: $2,370/mo BAH vs. a typical 2-bedroom at $1,887 (median posted near base) → $483 left over. HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,971.
The short version
- An E-4 with dependents gets $2,370 a month. The median posted 2-bedroom within 25 miles is $1,887 ($483 left over); HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom, which includes utilities, is $1,971 ($399 left over).
- With dependents, a 3-bedroom at HUD’s Fair Market Rent ($2,733): covered from E-6 up. At the median posted 3-bedroom ($2,245): covered at every pay grade shown.
- Without dependents, a 1-bedroom at HUD’s Fair Market Rent ($1,605): covered at every pay grade shown. At the median posted 1-bedroom ($1,617): covered at every pay grade shown.
- BAH is meant to cover rent plus average utilities and renter’s insurance. HUD’s Fair Market Rent includes utilities; posted rents usually don’t, so leave room for power, water and internet.
- You keep whatever BAH you don’t spend on housing, and your rate is set by your duty-station ZIP, not by where you choose to live.
Typical rent near Joint Base Lewis-McChord by bedrooms
| Size | Posted near base (median starting rent) | HUD FMR FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,52515 communities | $1,428 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,61747 communities | $1,605 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,88753 communities | $1,971 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,24523 communities | $2,733 |
| 4+ bedrooms | not enough posted | $3,102 |
Posted: rents listed on the properties’ own websites, within 25 miles, checked October 28, 2026. HUD FMR: Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area (Pierce County, WA), rent plus utilities.
With dependents: BAH vs. a 2-bedroom
| Pay grade | 2026 BAH | After posted median ($1,887) | After HUD FMR ($1,971) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $2,370 | +$483 | +$399 |
| E-3 | $2,370 | +$483 | +$399 |
| E-4 | $2,370 | +$483 | +$399 |
| E-5 | $2,556 | +$669 | +$585 |
| E-6 | $2,919 | +$1,032 | +$948 |
| E-7 | $2,994 | +$1,107 | +$1,023 |
| E-8 | $3,072 | +$1,185 | +$1,101 |
| W-2 | $3,024 | +$1,137 | +$1,053 |
| O-1 | $2,607 | +$720 | +$636 |
| O-2 | $2,916 | +$1,029 | +$945 |
| O-3 | $3,123 | +$1,236 | +$1,152 |
| O-4 | $3,324 | +$1,437 | +$1,353 |
| O-5 | $3,471 | +$1,584 | +$1,500 |
Without dependents: BAH vs. a 1-bedroom
| Pay grade | 2026 BAH | After posted median ($1,617) | After HUD FMR ($1,605) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $2,034 | +$417 | +$429 |
| E-3 | $2,034 | +$417 | +$429 |
| E-4 | $2,034 | +$417 | +$429 |
| E-5 | $2,121 | +$504 | +$516 |
| E-6 | $2,199 | +$582 | +$594 |
| E-7 | $2,376 | +$759 | +$771 |
| E-8 | $2,634 | +$1,017 | +$1,029 |
| W-2 | $2,631 | +$1,014 | +$1,026 |
| O-1 | $2,178 | +$561 | +$573 |
| O-2 | $2,496 | +$879 | +$891 |
| O-3 | $2,784 | +$1,167 | +$1,179 |
| O-4 | $2,991 | +$1,374 | +$1,386 |
| O-5 | $3,030 | +$1,413 | +$1,425 |
All pay grades: Joint Base Lewis-McChord BAH table · How many posted rents fit each grade.
Where these numbers come from
- BAH: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Travel Management Office, 2026 BAH rates, housing area Tacoma, WA (WA311). Your finance office has the final word.
- Posted rents (our data): starting rents from 67 communities within 25 miles (straight line) of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, each checked against the property’s own website October 28, 2026. Each community counts once, at its lowest listed price for that size; a median is shown only when at least 5 communities post that size. Most are base rent; fees and utilities may be extra.
- HUD Fair Market Rents: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, FY2026 Fair Market Rents (revised county-level file, read November 1, 2026), Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area, for Pierce County, WA. HUD’s estimate of the 40th-percentile rent including utilities for a standard unit; not a listing. HUD FMR data
Questions
What is the 2026 BAH at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for an E-4 with dependents?
$2,370 a month with dependents and $2,034 without, for the Tacoma, WA housing area (WA311), per the Defense Department’s 2026 BAH rates.
Does BAH cover rent near Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
For a typical 2-bedroom, an E-4 with dependents has $483 left over against the median posted rent ($1,887) and $399 left over against HUD’s Fair Market Rent ($1,971). An E-5 with dependents gets $2,556. The tables on this page show every grade from E-1 to O-5.
What is the average rent for a 2-bedroom near Joint Base Lewis-McChord?
The median posted rent for a 2-bedroom within 25 miles is $1,887 a month (the middle of the lowest 2-bedroom prices posted by 53 communities, checked against each property’s own website October 28, 2026). HUD’s FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in the Tacoma, WA HUD Metro FMR Area is $1,971 a month, including utilities.
What pay grade can afford a 3-bedroom near Joint Base Lewis-McChord on BAH?
With dependents, BAH covers HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a 3-bedroom ($2,733) from E-6 up.
Do I have to spend all of my BAH on rent?
No. BAH is a fixed monthly allowance for your pay grade, dependency status and duty station. If your rent and utilities cost less, you keep the difference; if they cost more, you pay the gap.
Is BAH at Joint Base Lewis-McChord based on where I live?
No. BAH is based on the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, so living farther from Joint Base Lewis-McChord doesn’t change your rate. Confirm your exact rate with your finance office.
See rentals near Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Joint Base Lewis-McChord base page · BAH tool · 2027 BAH: not out yet
BAH figures are from the Defense Department’s published 2026 rates. Near Base Rentals is not affiliated with the Department of Defense. Rents change; confirm with the property.