With a VA loan — no down payment, no PMI — your monthly BAH can go toward a mortgage instead of a landlord's pocket. The median home near Fort Jackson runs about $239,826.

Run the rent-vs-buy numbers for Fort Jackson →

All Fort Jackson BAH Rates by Pay Grade

Pay Grade	With Dependents	Without Dependents
Enlisted
E-1	$1,812	$1,479
E-2	$1,812	$1,479
E-3	$1,812	$1,479
E-4	$1,812	$1,479
E-5	$1,878	$1,647
E-6	$2,121	$1,746
E-7	$2,160	$1,812
E-8	$2,202	$1,932
E-9	$2,310	$1,995
Warrant Officer
W-1	$2,136	$1,803
W-2	$2,175	$1,929
W-3	$2,235	$2,004
W-4	$2,340	$2,121
W-5	$2,475	$2,166
Officer (Prior Enlisted)
O-1E (Prior Enlisted)	$2,163	$1,875
O-2E (Prior Enlisted)	$2,223	$1,980
O-3E (Prior Enlisted)	$2,361	$2,109
Officer
O-1	$1,914	$1,743
O-2	$2,118	$1,860
O-3	$2,232	$2,028
O-4	$2,517	$2,151
O-5	$2,724	$2,172
O-6	$2,745	$2,211
O-7	$2,760	$2,247

Official 2026 BAH rates for the COLUMBIA/FORT JACKSON, SC Military Housing Area, effective January 1, 2026.

About Fort Jackson

Welcome to Fort Jackson, the largest and most active Initial Entry Training center in the United States. Nearly 50% of all soldiers entering the Army train at Fort Jackson each year. Training provided by the 165th and the 193rd Infantry Brigades prepares roughly 35,000 BCT soldiers and 8,000 AIT soldiers annually.

Other notable schools and training institutions on Fort Jackson include the U.S. Army Soldier Support Institute, the U.S. Army Institute for Religious Leadership, and the U.S. Army Drill Sergeant Academy.

Fort Jackson spans about 51,300 acres that include ranges and field training sites and more than 1,000 buildings. Serving so many student service members takes a team. Fort Jackson employs about 3,500 civilians, and an estimated 3,500 service members call Fort Jackson home.

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