2026 BAH Rates: Camp Pendleton, CA
An E-5 with dependents at Camp Pendleton, CA receives $3,963 per month in 2026, and $3,093 per month without dependents. Rates below cover every paygrade, published by the Defense Travel Management Office and effective January 1, 2026.
Every rent or buy decision at Camp Pendleton starts with the same number, the BAH rate for your grade and dependency status. Below are the current rates for the Pendleton military housing area. Rent, and the allowance goes to a landlord. Buy, and the same allowance goes toward a mortgage you control. The table gives you the number. The decision is about what you do with it.
What your BAH covers at Camp Pendleton
Official 2026 rates. Pick your grade and see the home price your housing allowance supports.
Your 2026 BAH at Camp Pendleton
$3,963/mo
up $42 from 2025
Estimated purchase power
~$560,000
with $0 down, 30-yr fixed, after $326/mo property tax at the 0.701% San Diego County rate, and ~$110/mo insurance
See what you qualify for2026 BAH rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026. O-8 and above shown at the O-7 rate. Estimate only. Not a loan offer, rate quote, or commitment to lend. Property tax is charged at 0.701% of the price, the effective rate in San Diego County, CA (median taxes actually paid, Census ACS 2024 1-year, against the typical local home value), rather than a flat percentage of your allowance. Homeowners insurance is an assumption at $110 a month and varies widely, especially near the coast, and flood insurance is separate again. Your qualifying amount depends on credit, income, debts, and market conditions. Excludes any VA funding fee.
| Paygrade | With dependents | vs 2025 | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enlisted | |||
| E-1 | $3,627 | â–² +$33 | $2,739 |
| E-2 | $3,627 | â–² +$33 | $2,739 |
| E-3 | $3,627 | â–² +$33 | $2,739 |
| E-4 | $3,627 | â–² +$33 | $2,739 |
| E-5 | $3,963 | â–² +$42 | $3,093 |
| E-6 | $4,398 | â–² +$45 | $3,324 |
| E-7 | $4,494 | â–² +$66 | $3,642 |
| E-8 | $4,596 | â–² +$93 | $4,056 |
| E-9 | $4,779 | â–² +$111 | $4,182 |
| Warrant Officer | |||
| W-1 | $4,419 | â–² +$45 | $3,513 |
| W-2 | $4,536 | â–² +$78 | $4,053 |
| W-3 | $4,662 | â–² +$108 | $4,197 |
| W-4 | $4,824 | â–² +$111 | $4,416 |
| W-5 | $5,019 | â–² +$111 | $4,518 |
| Officer with prior enlisted service | |||
| O-1E | $4,512 | â–² +$78 | $3,960 |
| O-2E | $4,644 | â–² +$105 | $4,152 |
| O-3E | $4,854 | â–² +$114 | $4,392 |
| Officer | |||
| O-1 | $4,023 | â–² +$45 | $3,285 |
| O-2 | $4,395 | â–² +$45 | $3,855 |
| O-3 | $4,659 | â–² +$108 | $4,239 |
| O-4 | $5,085 | â–² +$111 | $4,494 |
| O-5 | $5,391 | â–² +$114 | $4,548 |
| O-6 | $5,439 | â–² +$114 | $4,641 |
| O-7 | $5,484 | â–² +$114 | $4,725 |
Rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026. Monthly amounts. Change column compares the with-dependents rate to 2025; members already stationed here keep the higher rate if local rates decrease (individual rate protection). O-8 and above shown at the O-7 rate. BAH is not a loan approval; qualifying depends on your full financial picture.
Does your BAH cover the rent at Camp Pendleton?
Your 2026 housing allowance next to what HUD says a rental actually costs in San Diego County, CA.
Your allowance covers 99% of a 3 bedroom at fair market rent in San Diego County, CA.
Or, put toward a home you own
~$489,000
estimated purchase price the same allowance supports, $0 down, 30 year fixed
See what you qualify forRent figures are HUD Fair Market Rents for fiscal year 2026, the 40th percentile of local rents for San Diego County, CA, published at huduser.gov. BAH is the 2026 Defense Travel Management Office rate, effective January 1, 2026. Estimate only, not a loan offer, rate quote, or commitment to lend. Purchase figures assume the full allowance goes to housing and reserve roughly 22% for taxes and insurance; your own numbers depend on credit, income, debts, and the property.
Flood risk near Camp Pendleton
A VA loan is federally backed, so if the home you buy sits in a FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, flood insurance is required, not optional. It is a separate policy from homeowners cover and it is not included in most payment estimates, including the ones on this page.
1.5%
of homes in San Diego County, CA sit in a high risk flood zone
12,953 of 890,566 residences
0.7%
of homes here carry a flood policy
NFIP policies in force
0.8%
more homes at risk than insured
Being outside a zone does not mean no risk
1.5% of homes in San Diego County, CA are inside a mapped high risk zone while only 0.7% carry a flood policy. Whether a specific address needs one comes down to the parcel, not the county, so check the flood zone before you write an offer rather than after the appraisal. Marc can tell you what it does to the payment.
Source: FEMA National Flood Insurance Program residential penetration data for San Diego County, CA (FIPS 06073). County level figures, not a determination for any address. Only a flood zone determination on the specific property decides whether coverage is required.
Turning BAH into buying power
When you apply for a VA loan, lenders can treat BAH as part of your qualifying income alongside base pay. That changes the rent versus buy comparison, because the allowance that would cover a lease can help you qualify to own instead. It does not guarantee anything, and buying is not the right call for every set of orders. Marc will walk both sides of the math with you before you commit either way.
2026 BAH questions, answered for Camp Pendleton
- How much is 2026 BAH for an E-4 at Camp Pendleton, CA?
- An E-4 stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA receives $3,627 per month with dependents and $2,739 per month without dependents. These are the 2026 rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026.
- How much is 2026 BAH for an E-5 at Camp Pendleton, CA?
- An E-5 stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA receives $3,963 per month with dependents and $3,093 per month without dependents. These are the 2026 rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026.
- How much is 2026 BAH for an E-6 at Camp Pendleton, CA?
- An E-6 stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA receives $4,398 per month with dependents and $3,324 per month without dependents. These are the 2026 rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026.
- How much is 2026 BAH for an E-7 at Camp Pendleton, CA?
- An E-7 stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA receives $4,494 per month with dependents and $3,642 per month without dependents. These are the 2026 rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026.
- How much is 2026 BAH for an O-3 at Camp Pendleton, CA?
- An O-3 stationed at Camp Pendleton, CA receives $4,659 per month with dependents and $4,239 per month without dependents. These are the 2026 rates published by the Defense Travel Management Office, effective January 1, 2026.
- Did BAH go up at Camp Pendleton, CA in 2026?
- The E-5 with dependents rate rose by $42 per month from 2025 to 2026. Members already stationed in the area when rates decrease keep their higher previous rate under individual rate protection, so a published decrease does not reduce what you currently receive.
- Does BAH count as income when qualifying for a VA loan?
- Yes. Basic Allowance for Housing is generally counted as qualifying income on a VA loan, and because it is not taxed, some lenders gross it up. At Camp Pendleton, CA that means an E-5 with dependents brings $3,963 per month of housing allowance into the qualifying calculation.
Official sources
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Marc Arrington
MSgt. USMC Ret. | Branch Manager
RWM Home Loans · NMLS# 2114896
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