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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.

South Carolina
Location E-1 E-2 E-3 E-4 E-5 E-6 E-7 E-8 E-9
BEAUFORT/PARRIS ISLAND, SC 851 851 851 851 910 941 963 1040 1130
CHARLESTON, SC 805 805 805 805 890 934 944 992 1052
COLUMBIA/FORT JACKSON, SC 703 703 703 703 757 793 857 944 980
GREENVILLE, SC 608 608 608 608 669 709 784 885 925
MYRTLE BEACH AFB, SC 854 854 854 854 908 945 1010 1095 1127
SUMTER/SHAW AFB, SC 708 708 708 708 734 755 813 906 960
FLORENCE, SC 706 706 706 706 755 787 845 921 952
                   

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

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