2026 BAH Rates in DES MOINES, IA
The 2026 BAH for an E-5 in DES MOINES, IA is $1,770/month with dependents and $1,359/month without, per DoD DTMO rate tables. Rates below cover all 27 paygrades.
All 27 paygrades, with and without dependents. This MHA changed +19.7% over the last 4 years.
| Paygrade | With dep | No dep | Annual w/dep |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,593 | $1,284 | $19,116 |
| E-2 | $1,593 | $1,284 | $19,116 |
| E-3 | $1,593 | $1,284 | $19,116 |
| E-4 | $1,593 | $1,284 | $19,116 |
| E-5 | $1,770 | $1,359 | $21,240 |
| E-6 | $2,208 | $1,656 | $26,496 |
| E-7 | $2,292 | $1,719 | $27,504 |
| E-8 | $2,379 | $1,863 | $28,548 |
| E-9 | $2,511 | $1,989 | $30,132 |
| W-1 | $2,229 | $1,674 | $26,748 |
| W-2 | $2,328 | $1,860 | $27,936 |
| W-3 | $2,436 | $2,007 | $29,232 |
| W-4 | $2,538 | $2,223 | $30,456 |
| W-5 | $2,667 | $2,310 | $32,004 |
| O-1E | $2,304 | $1,767 | $27,648 |
| O-2E | $2,418 | $1,962 | $29,016 |
| O-3E | $2,559 | $2,202 | $30,708 |
| O-1 | $1,830 | $1,413 | $21,960 |
| O-2 | $2,205 | $1,722 | $26,460 |
| O-3 | $2,433 | $2,049 | $29,196 |
| O-4 | $2,706 | $2,289 | $32,472 |
| O-5 | $2,904 | $2,334 | $34,848 |
| O-6 | $2,925 | $2,415 | $35,100 |
| O-7 | $2,943 | $2,454 | $35,316 |
| O-8 | $2,943 | $2,454 | $35,316 |
| O-9 | $2,943 | $2,454 | $35,316 |
| O-10 | $2,943 | $2,454 | $35,316 |
Note: E-1 to E-4 in single-type-1 barracks generally receive $0 BAH; the rates shown apply when authorized to live off-base or with dependents.
E-5 with dependents · 2023–2026
| Year | Monthly | Annual | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $1,479 | $17,748 | - |
| 2024 | $1,539 | $18,468 | +4.1% |
| 2025 | $1,629 | $19,548 | +5.8% |
| 2026 | $1,770 | $21,240 | +8.7% |
What the 2026 numbers mean in DES MOINES, IA
At $1,770 a month for an E-5 with dependents, DES MOINES, IA ranks 219th of 299 military housing areas in the 2026 DoD tables, higher than 27% of locations. That is $348 below the national median of $2,118, which is the clearest single signal of how expensive the rental market around this duty station is compared with the rest of the force.
The dependent premium here is $411 a month (+30.2% over the without-dependents rate of $1,359). DoD sets the with-dependents rate against a larger housing profile for the same paygrade, so the gap tracks how much more a family-sized rental costs locally, not a flat percentage. One dependent or five, the rate is the same: BAH has only two dependency tiers.
Between adjacent grades the largest single step in DES MOINES, IA is E-5 to E-6, worth $438 more per month with dependents. An O-3 draws $2,433, about 1.37x the E-5 rate, because each paygrade is pegged to a different anchor housing type (from a one-bedroom apartment at the junior enlisted grades up to a single-family house for senior officers).
Over 4 years the E-5 with-dependents rate moved from $1,479 in 2023 to $1,770 in 2026 (+19.7% overall). Year by year: 2024: $1,539 (+4.1%); 2025: $1,629 (+5.8%); 2026: $1,770 (+8.7%). Every year came in at or above the previous one, so rate protection never had to apply here in this window.
BAH is not taxed and does not count toward retired pay. It is paid at the rate for the member's duty-station ZIP code, not the ZIP where they choose to live, so a cheaper rental outside DES MOINES, IAleaves the difference in the member's pocket. Rates take effect January 1 and come from the annual DTMO survey of rents and average utilities for each housing area. Verify your exact entitlement with your unit pay office or your LES; see the LES guide and the with vs. without dependents explainer.
Frequently asked: BAH in DES MOINES, IA
- What is the 2026 BAH for E-5 in DES MOINES, IA?
- The 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 (Sergeant / Petty Officer 2nd Class) in DES MOINES, IA is $1,770/month with dependents and $1,359/month without dependents, per the DoD Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) rate tables.
- What is the 2026 BAH for E-7 in DES MOINES, IA?
- The 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-7 (Sergeant First Class / Chief Petty Officer) in DES MOINES, IA is $2,292/month with dependents and $1,719/month without dependents, per the DoD Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) rate tables.
- What is the 2026 BAH for O-3 in DES MOINES, IA?
- The 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing for an O-3 (Captain / Lieutenant) in DES MOINES, IA is $2,433/month with dependents and $2,049/month without dependents, per the DoD Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) rate tables.
- Has BAH in DES MOINES, IA gone up?
- BAH in DES MOINES, IA has increased +19.7% over the last 4 years, based on DoD DTMO published rates.
- Is the DES MOINES, IA BAH rate the same for every rank?
- No. BAH in DES MOINES, IA varies by paygrade (all 27 grades from E-1 to O-10) and by whether you have dependents. Higher ranks receive higher rates. See militarycalc.com for the full 2026 table.
- Where does this data come from?
- Directly from the DoD Defense Travel Management Office BAH rate files for 2023-2026, parsed without manual edits. The same tables power the interactive calculator and our open dataset.
Need a specific scenario?
Open the interactive calculator to flip dependents on/off, compare two ZIPs side-by-side, or view full 4-year history charts.