BAH Home Price Calculator: Fort Belvoir, Pentagon, Quantico (2026)

Updated September 16, 2026. BAH figures are the Department of Defense 2026 rates effective January 1, 2026.

This BAH mortgage calculator answers the question every PCS family asks: how much house can I afford with my Basic Allowance for Housing? Pick your duty station, branch, rank, and dependent status. The tool pulls your 2026 BAH from the Department of Defense tables and shows the home price it supports with a zero-down VA loan after property tax, insurance, and HOA dues in the Northern Virginia county or city where you want to live. Then use the slider under the result to see how a higher or lower price compares to your BAH each month.

It also models a VA disability rating. Any compensable rating waives the VA funding fee, and a 100% permanent and total rating removes real estate tax on a primary home in Virginia. Both change what you can afford, so the tool shows all three situations side by side.

How the calculator works

The tool starts with your BAH, adds any extra monthly budget you enter, and subtracts HOA dues. What is left covers principal, interest, property tax, and homeowners insurance, which the tool estimates at 0.25% of the purchase price per year (about $1,250 a year on a $500,000 home). It then solves for the highest home price where those pieces add up to your budget, using the interest rate, down payment, and funding fee you selected. The colored bar shows how the monthly payment splits, and the slider under the result lets you test a higher or lower price and see how far above or below your BAH the payment lands.

Property tax defaults to the base rate for the county or city you choose: Fairfax County, Fairfax City, Prince William County, Loudoun County, Arlington County, or the City of Alexandria. Some districts add small levies on top, so treat the tax line as close but not exact. You can type any rate if you are looking somewhere else.

Interest rates move often. The rate box starts with a placeholder, so replace it with the quote your lender gives you.

2026 BAH rates for Northern Virginia bases (Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Quantico)

Northern Virginia duty stations fall into two military housing areas. DC053, the Washington, DC Metro area, covers the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and the Washington Navy Yard. VA296 covers Marine Corps Base Quantico and Woodbridge. All figures are monthly, effective January 1, 2026, from the official Department of Defense BAH tables. O-8 through O-10 receive the O-7 rate.

Source: Department of Defense BAH rate lookup. Officers with four or more years of prior enlisted service use the O-1E to O-3E rows.

What your BAH buys near each Northern Virginia base

The examples below use the 2026 with-dependents rate, a 30-year VA loan at 6.5%, zero down, homeowners insurance estimated at 0.25% of the price per year, and no HOA. Change any of those in the calculator and the numbers move.

What does BAH buy near Fort Belvoir?

Fort Belvoir sits in southern Fairfax County and pays the DC Metro rate. An E-6 with dependents receives $3,759 a month, which supports a home price around $495,000 in Fairfax County. An O-4 at $4,410 supports about $580,000, and an O-5 at $4,692 about $618,000. Belvoir families usually shop along the Fairfax County Parkway, Route 1, and I-95 corridors: Springfield, Burke, Fairfax Station, Lorton, and the Kingstowne side of Alexandria. Townhomes are common at the E-5 to E-7 budget; single-family homes open up around the O-4 level or with extra monthly budget.

For the full picture of where Belvoir families live, with drive times to the gates and five real purchases near the base, read my Fort Belvoir home buying guide.

What does BAH buy near the Pentagon and Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall?

Both pay the DC Metro rate, and the closest markets are Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church. An E-6 with dependents supports about $499,000 in Arlington County or $494,000 in the City of Alexandria. An O-4 supports roughly $586,000 in Arlington and $579,000 in Alexandria, and an O-5 reaches about $623,000 in Arlington. A BAH-sized budget this close to the Pentagon usually points to a townhome or a smaller single-family home; families who want more space trade commute time for Fairfax County. Start with the Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church community pages, or the Alexandria buyer guide.

For officers, the Pentagon home buying guide goes further than BAH alone: it lays out realistic budget tiers with base pay or a spouse's income added, and where each tier buys a single-family home.

What does BAH buy near Quantico?

Quantico pays the VA296 rate, several hundred dollars a month below the DC Metro rate for most grades, but it pairs with lower home prices and a lower property tax rate in Prince William County. An E-6 with dependents receives $3,174 a month, which supports about $424,000 in Prince William County. An O-4 at $3,753 supports about $502,000, and an O-5 at $4,065 about $543,000. Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Dumfries, and Montclair are the core Quantico market on the Virginia side, with Stafford County to the south. See the Prince William County buyer guide for how those budgets translate into actual neighborhoods.

For the full picture of where Quantico families live, with drive times to the gate and real purchases in Triangle, Potomac Shores, and Manassas, read my Quantico home buying guide.

What about Joint Base Andrews, Anacostia-Bolling, and the Navy Yard?

All three pay the same DC Metro rate as the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir, so pick the first duty station option in the calculator. Service members assigned there who want to live in Virginia most often look at Alexandria and southeastern Fairfax County for the I-495 and I-295 commute, and the Fairfax County and Alexandria figures above apply.

My Arlington purchases, including the Claremont VA loan win, are documented on my buyer track record.

Frequently asked questions about BAH and buying in Northern Virginia

What is BAH, and can I use it to buy a home?

Basic Allowance for Housing is the monthly, tax-free housing payment service members receive when they live off base. The Department of Defense sets it each January by duty station, pay grade, and whether you have dependents. Nothing requires you to rent with it. Lenders count BAH as qualifying income, so it can go toward the mortgage payment on a home you own.

What is the 2026 BAH for the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir?

The Pentagon and Fort Belvoir share the Washington, DC Metro rate (housing area DC053). With dependents in 2026: E-5 $3,132, E-6 $3,759, E-7 $3,855, O-3 $4,020, O-4 $4,410, O-5 $4,692 a month. Without dependents: E-5 $2,832, E-6 $3,057, O-3 $3,531, O-4 $3,855. Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Joint Base Andrews, Anacostia-Bolling, and the Washington Navy Yard pay the same rates.

What is the 2026 BAH at Quantico?

Marine Corps Base Quantico uses housing area VA296. With dependents in 2026: E-5 $2,955, E-6 $3,174, E-7 $3,228, O-3 $3,327, O-4 $3,753, O-5 $4,065 a month. Without dependents: E-5 $2,361, E-6 $2,523, O-3 $3,090, O-4 $3,222. That is several hundred dollars below the DC Metro rate for most grades, offset by lower home prices and a lower property tax rate in Prince William and Stafford counties.

Which Northern Virginia duty stations does this calculator cover?

It uses the 2026 DoD rates for two military housing areas. The Washington, DC Metro area (DC053) covers the Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Joint Base Andrews, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and the Washington Navy Yard. The Quantico area (VA296) covers Marine Corps Base Quantico and Woodbridge. Rates come from the official DoD BAH tables effective January 1, 2026.

Where do military families buy near Fort Belvoir, the Pentagon, and Quantico?

Fort Belvoir families most often buy in Springfield, Burke, Fairfax Station, Lorton, and the Kingstowne area of Alexandria. Pentagon and Myer-Henderson Hall families look first at Arlington, Alexandria, and Falls Church, then Fairfax County for more space. Quantico families concentrate in Woodbridge, Lake Ridge, Dumfries, and Montclair in Prince William County, plus Stafford County. The calculator lets you compare the same BAH across each county's property tax rate.

How does a VA disability rating change what my BAH can buy?

Two ways. First, any compensable VA disability rating (10% or higher) exempts you from the VA funding fee, which is 2.15% of the loan on a first zero-down VA purchase. On a $600,000 loan that is about $12,900 you no longer finance. Second, VA disability compensation is tax-free income that lenders can count, so it can raise your monthly housing budget. Enter it under "Extra monthly budget beyond BAH" to see the effect.

Does Virginia waive property tax for disabled veterans?

Yes, for veterans the VA rates 100% permanent and total disabled, including those paid at the 100% rate through Individual Unemployability. Virginia Code § 58.1-3219.5 removes real estate tax on the veteran's primary residence and up to one acre of land, and the exemption continues for a surviving spouse who does not remarry. Ratings below 100% do not reduce Virginia property tax, although some counties offer separate income-based relief. Apply through the real estate assessment office or commissioner of the revenue in your county or city.

Does BAH count as income for a VA loan?

Yes. Lenders count BAH as stable qualifying income for as long as you expect to receive it. Because BAH is not taxed, many lenders also count it at more than face value, often called grossing up, when they calculate your debt-to-income ratio. That is one reason a BAH-sized payment often qualifies for a slightly higher price than this calculator shows. Ask your lender how they treat BAH and any VA disability compensation.

Is this calculator a VA loan pre-approval?

No. It is an estimate that assumes a 30-year fixed VA loan with the funding fee financed, the base real estate tax rate for the area you chose, homeowners insurance estimated at 0.25% of the price per year, and no other monthly debts. A lender will also review credit, residual income, and total debt-to-income, and the payment a lender approves can be higher or lower than your BAH. Use the result to set a realistic search range, then get a pre-approval before you write an offer.

Do I need a down payment with a VA loan?

No. Most VA buyers put nothing down and pay no monthly mortgage insurance. A down payment still helps in two ways: it lowers the loan amount, and it reduces the funding fee to 1.50% with 5% down and 1.25% with 10% down. Enter a down payment in the calculator to see both effects.

Work with a Military Relocation Professional who knows these bases

I am David Mount, a REALTOR® and Military Relocation Professional (MRP) with The Redux Group at eXp Realty, and one of Veterans United's preferred real estate agents. I grew up in Burke, a few miles from Fort Belvoir, and over 12 years and more than 200 sales I have helped many military families buy and sell around the Pentagon, Belvoir, and Quantico on PCS timelines. For the full picture, read the military relocation buyer guide and the PCS home selling guide, or contact me to talk through your orders and timeline.