Updated February 2026

BAH Rates Charleston, SC 2026 — Basic Allowance for Housing

Monthly Basic Allowance for Housing rates for the Charleston military housing area (MHA: SC259), effective January 1, 2026. Use the BAH calculator to estimate your total housing allowance.

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E-5 with Dependents

$2,385

$28,620/year

E-5 without Dependents

$1,941

$23,292/year

O-3 with Dependents

$2,721

$32,652/year

Pay Grade	Monthly Rate	Annual Rate
Enlisted
E-1	$2,220	$26,640
E-2	$2,220	$26,640
E-3	$2,220	$26,640
E-4	$2,220	$26,640
E-5	$2,385	$28,620
E-6	$2,616	$31,392
E-7	$2,652	$31,824
E-8	$2,694	$32,328
E-9	$2,769	$33,228
Warrant Officer
W-1	$2,634	$31,608
W-2	$2,667	$32,004
W-3	$2,724	$32,688
W-4	$2,790	$33,480
W-5	$2,880	$34,560
Commissioned Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E	$2,655	$31,860
O-2E	$2,712	$32,544
O-3E	$2,802	$33,624
Commissioned Officer
O-1	$2,421	$29,052
O-2	$2,613	$31,356
O-3	$2,721	$32,652
O-4	$2,904	$34,848
O-5	$3,039	$36,468
O-6	$3,060	$36,720
O-7	$3,081	$36,972

Pay Grade	Monthly Rate	Annual Rate
Enlisted
E-1	$1,755	$21,060
E-2	$1,755	$21,060
E-3	$1,755	$21,060
E-4	$1,755	$21,060
E-5	$1,941	$23,292
E-6	$2,064	$24,768
E-7	$2,223	$26,676
E-8	$2,439	$29,268
E-9	$2,496	$29,952
Warrant Officer
W-1	$2,172	$26,064
W-2	$2,436	$29,232
W-3	$2,508	$30,096
W-4	$2,619	$31,428
W-5	$2,661	$31,932
Commissioned Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E	$2,382	$28,584
O-2E	$2,484	$29,808
O-3E	$2,607	$31,284
Commissioned Officer
O-1	$2,049	$24,588
O-2	$2,334	$28,008
O-3	$2,529	$30,348
O-4	$2,646	$31,752
O-5	$2,664	$31,968
O-6	$2,697	$32,364
O-7	$2,742	$32,904

31 ZIP codes assigned to this MHA

The following ZIP codes are assigned to the Charleston (SC259) Military Housing Area:

29401 29403 29404 29405 29406 29407 29412 29414 29418 29420 29423 29426 29429 29437 29438 29439 29448 29449 29451 29455 29458 29464 29466 29470 29471 29472 29477 29482 29483 29485 29487

Frequently Asked Questions

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

The 2026 BAH rate for an E-5 with dependents in Charleston, SC is $2,385 per month ($28,620 per year). Without dependents, the rate is $1,941 per month.

How many ZIP codes are in the Charleston MHA?

The Charleston Military Housing Area (SC259) includes 31 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 South Carolina BAH rates →

How Charleston, SC BAH compares nationally

BAH here tracks closely with the national picture — an E-5 with dependents draws $2,385/mo against a national MHA average of $2,289 (107th of 299 MHAs). Neither a windfall nor a squeeze; your allowance should roughly match the local rental market's middle.

Statewide, this ranks 2nd of 6 MHAs — between Beaufort/Parris Island, SC ($2,403/mo, highest) and Sumter/Shaw AFB, SC ($1,503/mo, lowest) for an E-5 with dependents.

Across enlisted grades here, having dependents adds an average of $424/mo (21.8%) 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.