NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH, VA BAH rates

An E-5 with dependents stationed here draws $2,430 a month, tax free. That's $29,160 a year, and it ranks 102 of 338 areas at that grade.

ZIP codes: 67Range: $1,707 to $3,366Against the national median: +18%Covers: Virginia

Installations paid at this rate

Orders to any of these draw the NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH, VA rate. The DoD sets one rate per housing area, so an assignment anywhere inside it pays the same.

Camp Pendleton
Coast Guard Station Portsmouth
Dam Neck Annex
Fort Story
Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story
Naval Air Station Oceana
Naval Air Station Oceana Dam Neck Annex
Naval Air Station Oceana Nexcome Headquarters
Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek
Naval Medical Center Portsmouth
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk Saint Juliens Creek Annex
Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads
Naval Support Activity Norfolk
Naval Support Activity Northwest Chesapeake
Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Every pay grade

Grade	With dependents	Without	Difference	A year, with deps
E-1	$2,229	$1,707	$522	$26,748
E-2	$2,229	$1,707	$522	$26,748
E-3	$2,229	$1,707	$522	$26,748
E-4	$2,229	$1,707	$522	$26,748
E-5	$2,430	$1,908	$522	$29,160
E-6	$2,559	$2,043	$516	$30,708
E-7	$2,604	$2,235	$369	$31,248
E-8	$2,661	$2,463	$198	$31,932
E-9	$2,796	$2,487	$309	$33,552
W-1	$2,574	$2,166	$408	$30,888
W-2	$2,628	$2,460	$168	$31,536
W-3	$2,697	$2,496	$201	$32,364
W-4	$2,832	$2,562	$270	$33,984
W-5	$3,000	$2,616	$384	$36,000
O-1E	$2,613	$2,427	$186	$31,356
O-2E	$2,685	$2,481	$204	$32,220
O-3E	$2,859	$2,547	$312	$34,308
O-1	$2,454	$2,022	$432	$29,448
O-2	$2,556	$2,367	$189	$30,672
O-3	$2,694	$2,505	$189	$32,328
O-4	$3,054	$2,601	$453	$36,648
O-5	$3,318	$2,625	$693	$39,816
O-6	$3,342	$2,673	$669	$40,104
O-7	$3,366	$2,718	$648	$40,392
O-8	$3,366	$2,718	$648	$40,392
O-9	$3,366	$2,718	$648	$40,392
O-10	$3,366	$2,718	$648	$40,392

All 27 grades for NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH, VA, monthly, rate year 2026. Grades ending in E are officers with prior enlisted service. BAH-ASCII-2026.zip

How the dependency difference works

Every grade here pays more with dependents than without, by $168 to $693 a month. Having dependents is a yes or no question for BAH: a service member with four children draws the same as one with a spouse and none. Nothing else about the family changes the figure.

It also doesn't depend on what you actually pay for housing. If your rent comes in under the allowance you keep the difference, and if it runs over, the difference is yours to cover.

Compare against another station

If you're moving here or away from here, the comparison on the front page puts this area against any other and shows what changes.

NORFOLK/PORTSMOUTH, VA is military housing area VA298, covering 67 ZIP codes.