Fort Bliss vs Fort Cavazos vs JBSA: BAH Rates Compared 2025–2026

Texas is home to some of the largest and most active military installations in the United States, and three of the biggest are Fort Bliss in El Paso, Fort Cavazos in Killeen, and Joint Base San Antonio which encompasses Lackland AFB, Randolph AFB, and Fort Sam Houston. If you are a service member stationed at one of these bases or expecting PCS orders to Texas, understanding how Basic Allowance for Housing rates compare across these three installations is critical to making smart financial decisions about where and how you live. BAH is one of the largest components of your total military compensation, and the difference between installations can amount to hundreds of dollars per month, which adds up to thousands over a typical three‑year assignment.

While you cannot choose your duty station, you absolutely can choose how you use your BAH once you arrive. Some service members prefer to pocket as much surplus as possible by living frugally, while others prioritize quality of life and use every dollar of their allowance on a nicer home. Either strategy is valid, but both require understanding the local housing market relative to your BAH rate. This guide provides a comprehensive side‑by‑side comparison of BAH rates at all three Texas installations for 2025 and 2026, analyzes actual housing costs in El Paso, Killeen, and San Antonio, calculates the BAH surplus or deficit at each location, and helps you develop a housing strategy that maximizes your financial position regardless of where the military sends you.

The Department of Defense calculates BAH rates annually using local civilian rental market data, average utility costs, and renter insurance estimates. Each installation is assigned a Military Housing Area code, and the rates are set to cover approximately 95% of estimated housing costs for each pay grade and dependency status. For Fort Bliss and the El Paso military community, the MHA code is TX301. Fort Cavazos uses MHA TX286 covering the Killeen and Temple area. JBSA uses MHA TX306 covering the greater San Antonio metropolitan area. Because these three cities have very different housing markets, population sizes, and economic drivers, the BAH rates and the purchasing power they provide vary significantly.

Texas hosts three of the largest military installations in the country, each with distinct BAH rates reflecting their local housing markets.

Three Texas Installations at a Glance

Before diving into the numbers, it helps to understand what makes each installation and its surrounding community unique. The character of each city directly influences housing availability, rental prices, home values, and ultimately how far your BAH dollar stretches. Each of these three bases serves a different primary mission, attracts different unit types, and sits within a metropolitan area with its own economic personality.

El Paso, Killeen, and San Antonio offer vastly different lifestyles and housing markets for military families.

2025 Enlisted BAH Rates: Fort Bliss vs Fort Cavazos vs JBSA

The 2025 BAH rates reflected a national average increase of 5.4 percent over 2024 levels. However, the increases were not uniform across all locations. Some installations saw larger jumps while others experienced more modest growth depending on how their local rental markets moved during the survey period. For enlisted service members, the 2025 rates at these three Texas installations tell an interesting story about the relationship between city size, economic diversity, and housing costs. JBSA consistently leads with the highest rates, reflecting San Antonio's larger and more expensive housing market. Fort Bliss sits in the middle, and Fort Cavazos offers the lowest BAH rates but also the lowest housing costs.

Several patterns emerge from the 2025 enlisted data. At the junior enlisted level from E‑1 through E‑4, Fort Bliss and Fort Cavazos are remarkably close in the with‑dependents category, separated by only six dollars per month. JBSA pays $234 more per month than Fort Bliss for the same junior enlisted soldier with dependents. That $234 monthly difference equals $2,808 per year, which sounds significant until you realize that San Antonio rents are approximately $400‑$500 higher per month than El Paso rents for comparable properties. This means the junior enlisted soldier at Fort Bliss actually has more purchasing power relative to their BAH than the same soldier at JBSA.

Enlisted families at Fort Bliss often find their BAH stretches further than at other Texas installations due to El Paso's affordable housing market.

2025 Officer BAH Rates: Fort Bliss vs Fort Cavazos vs JBSA

Officer BAH rates follow the same geographic patterns as enlisted rates but at higher dollar amounts. The spread between installations becomes more pronounced at the field grade level, where the difference between the lowest and highest paying Texas base can exceed $300 per month. For officers considering their housing strategy, these differences are important because officers are generally expected to live in neighborhoods and homes that reflect their rank and position, which means the practical surplus may be smaller than the raw numbers suggest.

An interesting anomaly appears at the O‑3 level where Fort Cavazos actually pays $171 more per month with dependents than Fort Bliss. This is unusual because Fort Cavazos generally has lower rates. The explanation lies in the specific rental data collected during the survey period. The Killeen area experienced a surge in demand for three and four bedroom homes that pushed rents higher in the categories that O‑3 families typically occupy. Meanwhile, El Paso's larger and more diverse housing stock kept prices more stable at that tier. For an O‑3 with dependents considering their options, Fort Cavazos pays $2,304 compared to Fort Bliss at $2,133 and JBSA at $2,187. However, the quality of life, dining, entertainment, and spousal employment opportunities in El Paso and San Antonio far exceed what Killeen offers, which is why many officers prefer those assignments despite the BAH differences.

Officer families at Fort Bliss can afford spacious homes in desirable neighborhoods while often keeping BAH surplus.

2026 Enlisted BAH Rates: Fort Bliss vs Fort Cavazos vs JBSA

The 2026 BAH rates took effect on January 1, 2026, following a national average increase of 4.2 percent. This was a slightly smaller increase than the 5.4 percent jump in 2025, reflecting a cooling rental market in many parts of the country. However, the changes were not uniform across Texas installations. Fort Cavazos saw a robust 6.3 percent average increase, driven by continued rental demand in the Killeen area. Fort Bliss rates increased modestly, and JBSA actually saw slight decreases at several pay grades, which triggered Individual Rate Protection for service members already stationed there. Understanding these 2026 numbers is essential for anyone currently stationed at or PCSing to a Texas installation this year.

The 2026 data reveals a dramatic shift in the competitive landscape among Texas installations. Fort Bliss has emerged as the clear leader for enlisted BAH rates at the E-6 level and above with dependents. An E-6 with dependents now receives $2,148 at Fort Bliss, which is $348 more per month than the same rank at Fort Cavazos and remarkably $54 more than JBSA. This is a significant development because JBSA has historically paid more than Fort Bliss at nearly every pay grade. The fact that Fort Bliss now exceeds JBSA at the E-6 with dependents level while El Paso housing costs remain substantially lower than San Antonio means Fort Bliss has become arguably the best duty station in Texas for mid-career NCOs seeking to maximize their housing allowance.

At the E-7 level with dependents, Fort Bliss pays $2,172 compared to $2,070 at Fort Cavazos and $2,112 at JBSA. Fort Bliss leads all three installations by a comfortable margin. The same pattern holds at E-8 where Fort Bliss pays $2,187 versus $2,076 at Fort Cavazos and $2,121 at JBSA. At E-9, Fort Bliss pays $2,241 compared to $2,076 at Fort Cavazos and $2,157 at JBSA. Across the senior NCO ranks, Fort Bliss now pays $60 to $165 more per month than JBSA while offering housing costs that are $300 to $500 per month lower. This combination creates an extraordinary financial advantage for senior enlisted families stationed at Fort Bliss.

The without-dependents rates tell a different story. Single service members at JBSA still receive competitive rates, and Fort Cavazos has closed the gap significantly at several pay grades. An E-5 without dependents receives $1,530 at Fort Cavazos compared to $1,437 at Fort Bliss and $1,500 at JBSA. Fort Cavazos actually leads for single E-5s, which combined with Killeen's very low rents makes it an excellent location for single NCOs looking to save money. However, the quality of life trade-off remains significant. Single soldiers at Fort Bliss have access to El Paso's vibrant dining scene, outdoor recreation in the Franklin Mountains, and the cultural richness of the border region, while Killeen offers considerably fewer options.

Fort Bliss now leads all Texas installations in BAH rates for senior enlisted with dependents in 2026, making El Paso an exceptional value for military families.

2026 Officer BAH Rates: Fort Bliss vs Fort Cavazos vs JBSA

The 2026 officer BAH rates continue to show JBSA leading at most pay grades, but the margins have narrowed considerably compared to previous years. Fort Bliss has gained ground at several key ranks, and Fort Cavazos continues to offer competitive rates that, when paired with Killeen's low housing costs, provide strong purchasing power for officers willing to accept the lifestyle trade-offs. The following table shows the complete 2026 officer comparison across all three installations.

The 2026 officer rates reveal that Fort Bliss has overtaken JBSA at the O-3 level with dependents. An O-3 with dependents receives $2,214 at Fort Bliss compared to $2,127 at JBSA, a difference of $87 per month in Fort Bliss's favor. Fort Cavazos leads all three at O-3 with $2,304. This is a remarkable development for company-grade officers at Fort Bliss who now receive more BAH than their counterparts at JBSA while living in a city where housing costs are 25 to 35 percent lower. A captain with a family at Fort Bliss can rent a spacious three-bedroom home in a desirable neighborhood like the Westside or Northeast for $1,400 to $1,700 per month and pocket $500 to $800 in BAH surplus every month.

At the field grade level, JBSA maintains a slim lead. An O-5 with dependents receives $2,457 at JBSA versus $2,400 at Fort Bliss and $2,304 at Fort Cavazos. The $57 monthly difference between JBSA and Fort Bliss is negligible when you consider that a comparable four-bedroom home in San Antonio's desirable neighborhoods costs $400 to $600 more per month than a similar property in El Paso. An O-6 with dependents receives $2,475 at JBSA and $2,463 at Fort Bliss, a difference of only $12 per month. At this level, Fort Bliss and JBSA are essentially equal in BAH, but Fort Bliss offers dramatically lower housing costs, making it the superior financial choice for senior officers who prioritize building wealth through their housing allowance.

Field grade officers at Fort Bliss enjoy BAH rates nearly identical to JBSA while housing costs are significantly lower.

Actual Housing Costs: El Paso vs Killeen vs San Antonio

BAH rates only tell half the story. To understand which installation gives you the best financial deal, you need to compare those rates against what housing actually costs in each city. The following analysis uses current 2025 rental market data and median home sale prices to paint a complete picture of housing affordability at each Texas installation. These numbers come from multiple sources including Zillow, RentCafe, Realtor.com, and local MLS data to ensure accuracy.

The housing cost data reveals why Fort Bliss has become such an attractive financial proposition for military families. While El Paso's rents are slightly higher than Killeen's, the difference is modest, typically $75 to $150 per month depending on the property type. Meanwhile, Fort Bliss BAH rates are $100 to $350 higher than Fort Cavazos rates at most pay grades with dependents. This means Fort Bliss service members receive more BAH and pay only slightly more in rent, resulting in a larger net surplus. San Antonio's rents are $300 to $450 higher than El Paso's for comparable properties, but JBSA BAH rates are now lower than Fort Bliss at several key pay grades. The math clearly favors Fort Bliss for overall housing value.

One important factor that many service members overlook is property tax rates, which are among the highest in Texas for El Paso. El Paso's effective property tax rate of approximately 2.69 percent is higher than both Killeen at 2.45 percent and San Antonio at 2.23 percent. If you are buying a home, this higher tax rate partially offsets El Paso's lower purchase prices. On a $265,000 home in El Paso, annual property taxes run approximately $7,129, while a $300,000 home in San Antonio would have annual taxes of approximately $6,690. The difference is only $439 per year, or about $37 per month. However, if you qualify for the homestead exemption in El Paso or the disabled veteran property tax exemption, your effective tax burden drops significantly.

El Paso offers diverse housing options at prices well below San Antonio, making BAH dollars stretch further for Fort Bliss families.

BAH Surplus Analysis: Which Installation Puts the Most Money in Your Pocket

The BAH surplus is the amount of money left over after you pay your rent or mortgage and utilities. Because BAH is tax‑free, every dollar of surplus is equivalent to earning roughly $1.25 to $1.35 in taxable income depending on your tax bracket. This makes BAH surplus one of the most efficient ways to build savings or pay down debt during your military career. The following analysis calculates the estimated monthly surplus for key pay grades at each installation, assuming the service member rents a home appropriate for their rank and family size and pays average utilities.

E-5 with Dependents: 2‑Bedroom Rental

E-7 with Dependents: 3‑Bedroom House

O-4 with Dependents: 4‑Bedroom House

The surplus analysis paints a clear picture. Fort Bliss and Fort Cavazos consistently deliver the largest BAH surpluses, while JBSA service members often find their entire allowance consumed by housing costs with little left over. An E‑7 with dependents at Fort Bliss can expect to pocket approximately $647 per month in tax‑free BAH surplus, which equals $7,764 per year. Over a typical three‑year assignment, that is $23,292 in tax‑free savings just from housing alone. The same E‑7 at JBSA would pocket only $217 per month or $2,604 per year, a difference of more than $5,000 annually.

Fort Cavazos offers the best surplus for officers at the O‑4 level, where the combination of competitive BAH rates and Killeen's very low four‑bedroom rental prices creates a $594 monthly surplus. However, many officers and their families find Killeen's limited amenities, dining options, and spousal employment opportunities to be significant drawbacks that offset the financial advantage. El Paso offers a strong middle ground: substantial BAH surplus combined with a vibrant city that has excellent restaurants, outdoor recreation, cultural attractions, and a growing job market for military spouses. If you are weighing quality of life against pure financial optimization, Fort Bliss consistently emerges as the best overall package among Texas installations.

Fort Bliss families enjoy both substantial BAH surplus and a high quality of life in El Paso's vibrant community.

Cost of Living Beyond Housing: The Full Financial Picture

Housing is the largest expense for most military families, but it is not the only one. The overall cost of living in each city affects how far your total military compensation stretches. Groceries, transportation, healthcare, childcare, dining, and entertainment costs all vary between El Paso, Killeen, and San Antonio. Understanding these differences helps you make a fully informed decision about your financial strategy at each installation.

The cost of living index uses 100 as the national average. El Paso scores 82.5, meaning the overall cost of living is 17.5 percent below the national average. Killeen is even more affordable at 78.3, while San Antonio sits at 91.2, still below average but significantly more expensive than the other two cities. The biggest non‑housing cost difference is childcare. Military families with young children at JBSA can expect to pay $200 per month more for childcare than families at Fort Bliss, and $250 more than families at Fort Cavazos. Over a year, that childcare premium alone adds $2,400 to $3,000 in additional expenses for San Antonio families.

Groceries and dining costs are relatively similar across all three cities, with Killeen being the cheapest and San Antonio the most expensive. Gas prices fluctuate but tend to be slightly lower in central Texas than in El Paso due to proximity to Gulf Coast refineries. However, El Paso's compact geography means shorter commute distances for most military families, which partially offsets the slightly higher fuel prices. Many Fort Bliss families live within 15 to 20 minutes of the installation, while Fort Cavazos families in Harker Heights or Temple may commute 25 to 40 minutes, and JBSA families spread across San Antonio's sprawling metro can face 30 to 60 minute commutes depending on which base they work at.

Spousal employment is another critical factor that affects total household income. San Antonio's larger and more diversified economy offers the most job opportunities for military spouses, particularly in healthcare, cybersecurity, education, and hospitality. El Paso has a growing economy with strong opportunities in healthcare, education, government, and logistics, and the presence of the University of Texas at El Paso provides additional employment and educational opportunities. Killeen's economy is heavily military‑dependent, which limits civilian job options for spouses. Many military spouses at Fort Cavazos commute to Temple or even Austin for better employment, adding transportation costs and time to their daily routine.

El Paso's vibrant dining and cultural scene offers excellent quality of life at prices well below San Antonio.

Rent vs Buy at Each Texas Installation

One of the most important financial decisions you will make at any duty station is whether to rent or buy. The answer depends on how long you expect to be stationed there, local market conditions, your financial readiness, and your long‑term investment goals. Each Texas installation presents a different rent‑versus‑buy calculus based on local home prices, appreciation rates, property taxes, and rental market dynamics. Using your VA loan benefits during a PCS move can make buying particularly attractive because you can purchase with zero down payment and no private mortgage insurance.

Fort Bliss offers the strongest buy signal among Texas installations thanks to affordable prices and consistent rental demand.

PCS Strategy and Individual Rate Protection Between Texas Installations

One of the most important but least understood aspects of BAH is how Individual Rate Protection works when you PCS between Texas installations. Many service members assume that because they are staying in Texas, their BAH rate will remain the same or at least stay close. This is not the case. Each installation has its own Military Housing Area code, and when you PCS from one Texas base to another, you receive the current BAH rate for your new duty station regardless of what you were receiving at your previous location. Individual Rate Protection only applies when you remain at the same duty station and the published rate for your rank and dependency status decreases from one calendar year to the next.

This means that a PCS from Fort Bliss to Fort Cavazos could result in a significant BAH decrease. For example, an E-6 with dependents receiving $2,148 per month at Fort Bliss in 2026 would drop to $1,800 per month upon arriving at Fort Cavazos, a reduction of $348 per month or $4,176 per year. Conversely, a PCS from Fort Cavazos to Fort Bliss would result in a $348 monthly increase. Understanding these dynamics is essential for financial planning when you receive PCS orders. If you are selling your home during a PCS move, the change in BAH rate directly affects your housing budget at the new location and should factor into your decision about whether to sell or keep your current property as a rental.

For service members PCSing from JBSA to Fort Bliss, the 2026 rates actually work in your favor at several pay grades. An E-7 with dependents would go from $2,112 at JBSA to $2,172 at Fort Bliss, gaining $60 per month while moving to a city with significantly lower housing costs. An E-6 with dependents would jump from $2,094 at JBSA to $2,148 at Fort Bliss, gaining $54 per month. These increases combined with El Paso's lower rents mean that a PCS from JBSA to Fort Bliss can improve your monthly cash flow by $400 to $600 when you factor in both the BAH increase and the housing cost decrease. This is a powerful financial tailwind that smart service members can leverage to accelerate savings, pay down debt, or invest.

If you own a home at your current installation and receive PCS orders to another Texas base, you have several options. You can sell the home before you leave, which is often the simplest approach if you need the equity for your next purchase. You can keep it as a rental property and use your VA loan benefits to purchase at your new duty station with remaining entitlement or a second VA loan. Or you can keep the property vacant temporarily while you assess the rental market. For Fort Bliss homeowners who receive orders to Fort Cavazos or JBSA, keeping the El Paso property as a rental is often an excellent strategy because El Paso's strong rental property market driven by constant military turnover ensures consistent tenant demand.

Another important consideration is the timing of your PCS relative to the annual BAH rate change on January 1. If you are PCSing in late fall or early winter, it may be worth checking whether the new year's rates at your destination will be higher or lower than the current year. If the 2027 rates for your new duty station are expected to increase, arriving after January 1 means you start at the higher rate. If rates are expected to decrease, arriving before January 1 locks you in at the current higher rate with Individual Rate Protection. While you cannot always control your report date, understanding this dynamic can help you make better financial decisions during the transition period.

Understanding BAH rate changes during a PCS between Texas installations can save your family thousands of dollars.

Strategies to Maximize Your BAH at Any Texas Installation

Regardless of which Texas installation you are stationed at, there are proven strategies to make your BAH work harder for you. These approaches apply whether you are at Fort Bliss, Fort Cavazos, or JBSA, and they can add up to significant savings over the course of your military career. The key is to be intentional about your housing decisions rather than simply choosing the first available option.

Smart financial planning helps military families maximize their BAH surplus at any Texas installation.

Frequently Asked Questions: Texas BAH Comparison