2026 BAH vs. rent · Joint Base San Antonio
Joint Base San Antonio BAH vs. Rent (2026)
E-4 with dependents: $1,728/mo BAH vs. a typical 2-bedroom at $1,335 (median posted near base) → $393 left over. HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom here is $1,426.
The short version
- An E-4 with dependents gets $1,728 a month. The median posted 2-bedroom within 25 miles is $1,335 ($393 left over); HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom, which includes utilities, is $1,426 ($302 left over).
- With dependents, a 3-bedroom at HUD’s Fair Market Rent ($1,830): covered from E-5 up. At the median posted 3-bedroom ($1,850): covered from E-5 up.
- Without dependents, a 1-bedroom at HUD’s Fair Market Rent ($1,177): covered at every pay grade shown. At the median posted 1-bedroom ($1,007): 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 San Antonio by bedrooms
| Size | Posted near base (median starting rent) | HUD FMR FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | not enough posted | $1,077 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,00736 communities | $1,177 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,33531 communities | $1,426 |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,85016 communities | $1,830 |
| 4+ bedrooms | not enough posted | $2,132 |
Posted: rents listed on the properties’ own websites, within 25 miles, checked October 28, 2026. HUD FMR: San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area (Bexar County, TX), rent plus utilities.
With dependents: BAH vs. a 2-bedroom
| Pay grade | 2026 BAH | After posted median ($1,335) | After HUD FMR ($1,426) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,728 | +$393 | +$302 |
| E-3 | $1,728 | +$393 | +$302 |
| E-4 | $1,728 | +$393 | +$302 |
| E-5 | $1,869 | +$534 | +$443 |
| E-6 | $2,094 | +$759 | +$668 |
| E-7 | $2,112 | +$777 | +$686 |
| E-8 | $2,121 | +$786 | +$695 |
| W-2 | $2,118 | +$783 | +$692 |
| O-1 | $1,905 | +$570 | +$479 |
| O-2 | $2,091 | +$756 | +$665 |
| O-3 | $2,127 | +$792 | +$701 |
| O-4 | $2,307 | +$972 | +$881 |
| O-5 | $2,457 | +$1,122 | +$1,031 |
Without dependents: BAH vs. a 1-bedroom
| Pay grade | 2026 BAH | After posted median ($1,007) | After HUD FMR ($1,177) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,359 | +$352 | +$182 |
| E-3 | $1,359 | +$352 | +$182 |
| E-4 | $1,359 | +$352 | +$182 |
| E-5 | $1,500 | +$493 | +$323 |
| E-6 | $1,596 | +$589 | +$419 |
| E-7 | $1,731 | +$724 | +$554 |
| E-8 | $1,920 | +$913 | +$743 |
| W-2 | $1,917 | +$910 | +$740 |
| O-1 | $1,584 | +$577 | +$407 |
| O-2 | $1,827 | +$820 | +$650 |
| O-3 | $2,007 | +$1,000 | +$830 |
| O-4 | $2,088 | +$1,081 | +$911 |
| O-5 | $2,100 | +$1,093 | +$923 |
All pay grades: Joint Base San Antonio 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 San Antonio, TX (TX285). Your finance office has the final word.
- Posted rents (our data): starting rents from 42 communities within 25 miles (straight line) of Joint Base San Antonio, 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), San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area, for Bexar County, TX. 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 San Antonio for an E-4 with dependents?
$1,728 a month with dependents and $1,359 without, for the San Antonio, TX housing area (TX285), per the Defense Department’s 2026 BAH rates.
Does BAH cover rent near Joint Base San Antonio?
For a typical 2-bedroom, an E-4 with dependents has $393 left over against the median posted rent ($1,335) and $302 left over against HUD’s Fair Market Rent ($1,426). An E-5 with dependents gets $1,869. 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 San Antonio?
The median posted rent for a 2-bedroom within 25 miles is $1,335 a month (the middle of the lowest 2-bedroom prices posted by 31 communities, checked against each property’s own website October 28, 2026). HUD’s FY2026 Fair Market Rent for a 2-bedroom in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX HUD Metro FMR Area is $1,426 a month, including utilities.
What pay grade can afford a 3-bedroom near Joint Base San Antonio on BAH?
With dependents, BAH covers HUD’s Fair Market Rent for a 3-bedroom ($1,830) from E-5 up. Against the median posted 3-bedroom ($1,850), it’s from E-5 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 San Antonio based on where I live?
No. BAH is based on the ZIP code of your permanent duty station, so living farther from Joint Base San Antonio doesn’t change your rate. Confirm your exact rate with your finance office.
See rentals near Joint Base San Antonio
Joint Base San Antonio 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.