Updated February 2026

BAH Rates El Centro, CA 2026 — Basic Allowance for Housing

Monthly Basic Allowance for Housing rates for the El Centro military housing area (MHA: CA420), effective January 1, 2026. Use the BAH calculator to estimate your total housing allowance.

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E-5 with Dependents

$1,986

$23,832/year

E-5 without Dependents

$1,704

$20,448/year

O-3 with Dependents

$2,664

$31,968/year

Pay Grade	Monthly Rate	Annual Rate
Enlisted
E-1	$1,905	$22,860
E-2	$1,905	$22,860
E-3	$1,905	$22,860
E-4	$1,905	$22,860
E-5	$1,986	$23,832
E-6	$2,151	$25,812
E-7	$2,334	$28,008
E-8	$2,541	$30,492
E-9	$2,721	$32,652
Warrant Officer
W-1	$2,166	$25,992
W-2	$2,418	$29,016
W-3	$2,673	$32,076
W-4	$2,739	$32,868
W-5	$2,823	$33,876
Commissioned Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E	$2,373	$28,476
O-2E	$2,634	$31,608
O-3E	$2,751	$33,012
Commissioned Officer
O-1	$2,013	$24,156
O-2	$2,148	$25,776
O-3	$2,664	$31,968
O-4	$2,847	$34,164
O-5	$2,976	$35,712
O-6	$2,997	$35,964
O-7	$3,018	$36,216

Pay Grade	Monthly Rate	Annual Rate
Enlisted
E-1	$1,500	$18,000
E-2	$1,500	$18,000
E-3	$1,500	$18,000
E-4	$1,500	$18,000
E-5	$1,704	$20,448
E-6	$1,824	$21,888
E-7	$1,905	$22,860
E-8	$2,025	$24,300
E-9	$2,061	$24,732
Warrant Officer
W-1	$1,890	$22,680
W-2	$2,022	$24,264
W-3	$2,070	$24,840
W-4	$2,187	$26,244
W-5	$2,382	$28,584
Commissioned Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E	$1,983	$23,796
O-2E	$2,052	$24,624
O-3E	$2,139	$25,668
Commissioned Officer
O-1	$1,818	$21,816
O-2	$1,962	$23,544
O-3	$2,085	$25,020
O-4	$2,346	$28,152
O-5	$2,460	$29,520
O-6	$2,652	$31,824
O-7	$2,697	$32,364

14 ZIP codes assigned to this MHA

The following ZIP codes are assigned to the El Centro (CA420) Military Housing Area:

92227 92231 92233 92243 92249 92250 92251 92257 92259 92266 92273 92275 92281 92283

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the BAH rate for an E-5 in El Centro?

The 2026 BAH rate for an E-5 with dependents in El Centro, CA is $1,986 per month ($23,832 per year). Without dependents, the rate is $1,704 per month.

How many ZIP codes are in the El Centro MHA?

The El Centro Military Housing Area (CA420) includes 14 ZIP codes.

What is BAH and how is it calculated?

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a U.S. military benefit that provides service members with housing compensation based on their duty station location, pay grade, and dependency status. Rates are set annually by the Department of Defense based on local rental market data.

Data Sources

Defense Travel Management Office — BAH Rates
Rates effective January 1, 2026

Last verified: February 2026

What's Next?

Calculate Total Pay See your full compensation: Base Pay + BAH + BAS Calculate → Take-Home Pay Calculate net pay after taxes and deductions Calculate → GI Bill Benefits BAH determines your GI Bill housing allowance Calculate →

Popular BAH Locations

San Diego, CA$3,975 Norfolk, VA$2,430 San Antonio, TX$1,869 Fort Bragg, NC$1,806 Colorado Springs, CO$2,358 Jacksonville, FL$2,181 Honolulu, HI$3,663 Tacoma, WA$2,556

View all California BAH rates →

How El Centro, CA BAH compares nationally

BAH for El Centro, CA comes in below the national average — $1,986/mo for an E-5 with dependents, 13.2% under the $2,289 average across 299 MHAs (172nd overall).

Statewide, this ranks 23rd of 26 MHAs — between San Francisco, CA ($5,127/mo, highest) and China Lake, CA ($1,563/mo, lowest) for an E-5 with dependents.

Across enlisted grades here, having dependents adds an average of $426/mo (24.7%) to the allowance. The with/without-dependents gap is set per location, so it differs from base to base — use the tables above for your exact grade.

Comparisons computed from the official 2026 BAH rate file across all 299 market-priced MHAs (county cost groups excluded). Benchmark grade: E-5 with dependents.