Fort Hood BAH 2026: How Much House Can You Buy With Your BAH?

The first question I hear from almost every service member PCSing to Fort Hood is, "What can I buy with my BAH?" It's a good place to start, because BAH is the number you already know. Below is the 2026 Fort Hood BAH table and a rough home price that keeps the full monthly payment close to your BAH, so you can see where you stand before you ever talk to a lender.

A quick note on the name: the post was renamed Fort Cavazos in 2023 and returned to the Fort Hood name in July 2025, so you'll still see both on maps and paperwork.

2026 Fort Hood BAH rates

Fort Hood falls under BAH location TX286. The 2026 rates went up about 6.3% from 2025. Here are the monthly rates for common pay grades:

Pay grade	With dependents	Without dependents
E-1 to E-4	$1,662	$1,374
E-5	$1,695	$1,530
E-6	$1,920	$1,626
E-7	$2,070	$1,668
E-8	$2,238	$1,746
E-9	$2,409	$1,806
W-1	$1,938	—
W-2	$2,139	—
W-3	$2,346	—
O-1	$1,731	—
O-2	$1,917	—
O-3	$2,340	$1,833
O-4	$2,577	$2,076
O-5	$2,748	$2,169
O-6	$2,769	$2,325

Always confirm your own rate with the official DoD BAH calculator, since rates are set by pay grade, dependency status and duty station.

What home price fits your BAH?

This table shows a rough purchase price where the full monthly payment (principal, interest, property taxes and homeowner's insurance) lands close to your BAH with dependents, using a VA loan with nothing down.

Pay grade	BAH (with dependents)	Approx. home price
E-4	$1,662	about $183,000
E-5	$1,695	about $187,000
E-6	$1,920	about $214,000
E-7	$2,070	about $233,000
E-8	$2,238	about $253,000
E-9	$2,409	about $275,000
W-2	$2,139	about $241,000
O-1	$1,731	about $191,000
O-2	$1,917	about $214,000
O-3	$2,340	about $266,000
O-4	$2,577	about $295,000
O-5	$2,748	about $316,000

How I estimated these: a 30-year VA loan at 6.25% with 0% down, the 2.15% first-use VA funding fee rolled into the loan, property taxes at about 2.2% of the price per year, and homeowner's insurance around $175 a month. No HOA dues or utilities are included. Your rate, tax rate, insurance and funding fee (it's waived for many veterans with a service-connected disability rating) will change the numbers, so treat this as a starting point, not a pre-approval.

Why the full payment matters more than the price

In Bell County, property taxes are a big part of the monthly payment. Two homes at the same price can have payments a couple hundred dollars apart because of the tax rate, a MUD or PID, or HOA dues. Newer subdivisions in Killeen, Harker Heights and Nolanville often carry a different total tax rate than older neighborhoods, so I always pull the tax rate for each home we look at. If you want the background, see my post on MUD and PID taxes.

Should you spend all of your BAH on the house?

You don't have to. BAH is meant to cover housing, and that includes utilities. Plenty of my military buyers aim for a payment a bit under their BAH so there's room for the electric bill in a Texas summer, lawn care and repairs. Others go above BAH because their base pay supports it and they want a specific neighborhood or school. Your lender looks at your whole income, not just BAH, so the right number is the one that fits your budget.

What your BAH buys around Fort Hood

• Killeen has the most homes at the lower end of the table, with a median price around $230,000. See my Killeen and Fort Hood guide.
• Harker Heights usually runs higher, with many homes in the low-to-mid $300Ks. See my Harker Heights guide.
• Nolanville has a lot of newer construction, with many new homes starting in the $250Ks. See my Nolanville guide.
• Copperas Cove is close to the West Gate and often a good value. See my Copperas Cove guide.
• Belton and Temple work well if one spouse works at the medical centers in Temple. See my Belton guide.

For current prices by city, check my latest Killeen, Temple and Fort Hood market report.

Using your VA loan

A VA loan lets most eligible buyers purchase with no down payment and no monthly mortgage insurance. There's a one-time funding fee, which can be rolled into the loan, and it's waived for many veterans with a disability rating. I explain how it works in VA loans, zero down and the funding fee. If you're PCSing in, start with my PCS guide for Fort Hood.

Trina Heinmiller
Team Lead | Southern Luxe Group | eXp Realty

BAH rates are from the 2026 DoD BAH tables for location TX286 (Fort Hood) and can change. Payment estimates are for illustration only and are not a loan offer or pre-approval. Talk with a VA-approved lender for your actual numbers.