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FY 2006 Basic Allowance for Housing
Rates for Enlisted Members without Dependents
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Below are the rates of tax-free housing allowance (Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH) that are provided to enlisted military personnel (without Dependents) who are authorized to reside off base at government expense.

In calendar year 2004, service members living "on the economy" paid an average of 3.5 percent of the housing costs out-of-pocket. That percentage dropped to zero in calendar year 2005. Housing allowance rates are based upon rank, location, and whether or not a member has dependents.

The Department of Defense (DOD) employs Runzheimer International to collect the nation-wide housing cost data that they use to compute BAH. Additionally, DOD obtains current data from multiple sources, employing a "checks and balances" approach to ensure reliability and accuracy. Current residential vacancies, identified in local newspapers and real estate rental listings, are an important source of data. Vacancies are selected at random, and subjected to a screening process. Telephone interviews establish the availability and exact location of each unit sampled. DOD has designed the sample to obtain a statistical confidence level of 95% or higher. DOD also contacts apartment and real estate management companies to identify units for rental pricing. It is not uncommon for DOD to consult real estate professionals in a locality to obtain confirmation and additional sources of data. Where available, DOD contacts fort/post/base housing referral offices, to tap local military expertise and gain insights into the local concerns of military. Finally, DoD and the Services conduct on-site evaluations at various locations to confirm and ensure reliability and accuracy of the cost data.

Massachusetts
Location E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9
NANTUCKET, MA 920 920 920 920 1223 1385 1476 1611 1679
BOSTON, MA 1206 1206 1206 1206 1344 1443 1658 1912 1973
CAPE COD, MA 1055 1055 1055 1055 1268 1382 1450 1536 1566
WORCESTER, MA 967 967 967 967 1101 1184 1307 1477 1554
FORT DEVENS/AYER, MA 956 956 956 956 1093 1175 1280 1439 1526
BROCKTON/S. WEYMOUTH, MA 1213 1213 1213 1213 1324 1391 1481 1606 1663
ESSEX CO, MA 1091 1091 1091 1091 1242 1335 1472 1663 1750
HAMPDEN COUNTY, MA 812 812 812 812 884 931 1010 1126 1182
MARTHA'S VINEYARD, MA 1006 1006 1006 1006 1209 1322 1416 1581 1693
HANSCOM AFB, MA 1110 1110 1110 1110 1277 1380 1530 1715 1770
PITTSFIELD, MA 646 646 646 646 705 743 807 897 940
                   

Data courtesy of Department of Defense
For locations not listed above, visit the DOD BAH Interactive Database

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