Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, AR BAH Rates
2026 Basic Allowance for Housing rates for Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, Arkansas (MHA: AR012).
| Pay Grade | With Dependents | Without Dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 (Private/Seaman Recruit) | $1,173 | $879 |
| E-2 (Private/Seaman Apprentice) | $1,173 | $879 |
| E-3 (PFC/Seaman) | $1,173 | $879 |
| E-4 (Specialist/Corporal) | $1,173 | $879 |
| E-5 (Sergeant) | $1,263 | $996 |
| E-6 (Staff Sergeant) | $1,680 | $1,260 |
| E-7 (Sergeant First Class) | $1,785 | $1,338 |
| E-8 (Master Sergeant) | $1,893 | $1,419 |
| E-9 (Sergeant Major) | $2,028 | $1,521 |
| W-1 (Warrant Officer) | $1,701 | $1,278 |
| W-2 (Chief Warrant Officer 2) | $1,827 | $1,371 |
| W-3 (Chief Warrant Officer 3) | $1,965 | $1,524 |
| W-4 (Chief Warrant Officer 4) | $2,052 | $1,701 |
| W-5 (Chief Warrant Officer 5) | $2,166 | $1,809 |
| O-1E (2LT/ENS w/ >4yr Enlisted) | $1,803 | $1,353 |
| O-2E (1LT/LTJG w/ >4yr Enlisted) | $1,944 | $1,458 |
| O-3E (CPT/LT w/ >4yr Enlisted) | $2,070 | $1,674 |
| O-1 (Second Lieutenant/Ensign) | $1,320 | $1,077 |
| O-2 (First Lieutenant/LTJG) | $1,677 | $1,341 |
| O-3 (Captain/Lieutenant) | $1,962 | $1,527 |
| O-4 (Major/LCDR) | $2,199 | $1,785 |
| O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel/CDR) | $2,370 | $1,842 |
| O-6 (Colonel/Captain) | $2,388 | $1,944 |
| O-7 (Brigadier General/RDML) | $2,400 | $1,974 |
Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, AR — BAH Rate Snapshot
2026 monthly BAH rates with dependents across key pay grades. Rates range from $1,173 to $2,370 — a $1,197 spread.
Highlighted bars show commonly referenced pay grades (E-5, O-3). All rates are 2026 DoD BAH figures for Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, AR.
BAH Rate History (Estimated)
BAH Rate History — E-5 in Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, AR
With Dependents • 2022–2026 (+$441 / +53.6%)
* Rates sourced from official DoD BAH rate publications for each year.
Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith vs. Nearby AR Duty Stations
E-5 with dependents BAH comparison. Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith ranks #3 — $585/mo less than Little Rock.
About BAH in Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, AR
The 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing rate for Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, Arkansas reflects the local cost of rental housing in the AR012 Military Housing Area. BAH rates are determined by surveying rental costs for various housing profiles in the area.
For an E-5 with dependents stationed in Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith, the monthly BAH rate is $1,263, which comes to $15,156 per year. Without dependents, the same pay grade receives $996 per month.
BAH Rates by Rank in Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith
View Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith BAH rates broken down by specific pay grade: E-5 BAH rates, E-6 BAH rates, E-7 BAH rates, O-3 BAH rates, or browse all pay grades.
Using BAH Toward a VA Home Loan
Many service members in Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith use their BAH to cover mortgage payments on a VA home loan. Use our BAH affordability tool to see what you can afford. Since BAH is non-taxable, it can stretch further than equivalent taxable income when qualifying for a mortgage.
Related Resources
- Historical BAH rates — See how Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith rates changed from 2022 to 2026
- Compare BAH rates — Compare Fort Chaffee/Fort Smith with another duty station
- All Arkansas duty stations