Updated February 2026

BAH Rates Chicago, IL 2026 — Basic Allowance for Housing

Monthly Basic Allowance for Housing rates for the Chicago military housing area (MHA: IL325), effective January 1, 2026. Use the BAH calculator to estimate your total housing allowance.

Find BAH Rates by ZIP Code

E-5 with Dependents

$3,438

$41,256/year

E-5 without Dependents

$2,736

$32,832/year

O-3 with Dependents

$3,738

$44,856/year

Pay Grade	Monthly Rate	Annual Rate
Enlisted
E-1	$3,174	$38,088
E-2	$3,174	$38,088
E-3	$3,174	$38,088
E-4	$3,174	$38,088
E-5	$3,438	$41,256
E-6	$3,702	$44,424
E-7	$3,723	$44,676
E-8	$3,732	$44,784
E-9	$3,771	$45,252
Warrant Officer
W-1	$3,720	$44,640
W-2	$3,729	$44,748
W-3	$3,741	$44,892
W-4	$3,795	$45,540
W-5	$3,900	$46,800
Commissioned Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E	$3,726	$44,712
O-2E	$3,735	$44,820
O-3E	$3,810	$45,720
Commissioned Officer
O-1	$3,477	$41,724
O-2	$3,699	$44,388
O-3	$3,738	$44,856
O-4	$3,927	$47,124
O-5	$4,086	$49,032
O-6	$4,122	$49,464
O-7	$4,152	$49,824

Pay Grade	Monthly Rate	Annual Rate
Enlisted
E-1	$2,415	$28,980
E-2	$2,415	$28,980
E-3	$2,415	$28,980
E-4	$2,415	$28,980
E-5	$2,736	$32,832
E-6	$2,937	$35,244
E-7	$3,186	$38,232
E-8	$3,498	$41,976
E-9	$3,567	$42,804
Warrant Officer
W-1	$3,090	$37,080
W-2	$3,495	$41,940
W-3	$3,579	$42,948
W-4	$3,696	$44,352
W-5	$3,708	$44,496
Commissioned Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E	$3,435	$41,220
O-2E	$3,552	$42,624
O-3E	$3,693	$44,316
Commissioned Officer
O-1	$2,907	$34,884
O-2	$3,354	$40,248
O-3	$3,603	$43,236
O-4	$3,699	$44,388
O-5	$3,711	$44,532
O-6	$3,714	$44,568
O-7	$3,756	$45,072

158 ZIP codes assigned to this MHA

The following ZIP codes are assigned to the Chicago (IL325) Military Housing Area:

60004 60005 60007 60008 60016 60018 60022 60025 60029 60043 60053 60056 60062 60067 60068 60070 60074 60076 60077 60090 60091 60093 60104 60107 60130 60131 60141 60153 60154 60155 60160 60162 60163 60164 60165 60171 60173 60176 60185 60192 60193 60194 60195 60201 60202 60203 60301 60302 60304 60305 60402 60406 60409 60411 60415 60419 60422 60425 60426 60429 60430 60438 60439 60443 60445 60452 60453 60455 60456 60457 60458 60459 60461 60462 60463 60464 60465 60466 60467 60469 60471 60472 60473 60476 60477 60478 60480 60482 60501 60513 60525 60526 60534 60546 60558 60601 60602 60603 60604 60605 60606 60607 60608 60609 60610 60611 60612 60613 60614 60615 60616 60617 60618 60619 60620 60621 60622 60623 60624 60625 60626 60628 60629 60630 60631 60632 60633 60634 60636 60637 60638 60639 60640 60641 60643 60644 60645 60646 60647 60649 60651 60652 60653 60654 60655 60656 60657 60659 60660 60661 60706 60707 60712 60714 60803 60804 60805 60827

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The 2026 BAH rate for an E-5 with dependents in Chicago, IL is $3,438 per month ($41,256 per year). Without dependents, the rate is $2,736 per month.

How many ZIP codes are in the Chicago MHA?

The Chicago Military Housing Area (IL325) includes 158 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 Illinois BAH rates →

How Chicago, IL BAH compares nationally

Chicago, IL is the 29th most expensive of the 299 military housing areas nationwide — an E-5 with dependents draws $3,438/mo here, 50.2% above the national MHA average of $2,289. Rates this high usually track tight rental markets, so run the numbers before deciding to live on the local economy.

Within the state, this is the highest-rate MHA of 7; the lowest is Springfield/Decatur, IL at $1,527/mo for the same E-5 — a $1,911 monthly spread that matters if you have any say in your assignment.

Across enlisted grades here, having dependents adds an average of $609/mo (23%) 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.