2008 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)

Below are the rates of tax-free housing allowance (Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH) that are provided to officers (with dependents) who are authorized to reside off base at government expense in the state of ARKANSAS , for calendar year 2008.

In calendar year 2004, service members living "on the economy" paid an average of 3.5 percent of the housing costs out-of-pocket. That percentage dropped to zero in calendar year 2005, and has remained at zero ever since.


Housing allowance rates are based upon rank, location, and whether or not a member has dependents.

The Department of Defense (DOD) employs Runzheimer International to collect the nation-wide housing cost data that they use to compute BAH. Additionally, DOD obtains current data from multiple sources, employing a "checks and balances" approach to ensure reliability and accuracy. Current residential vacancies, identified in local newspapers and real estate rental listings, are an important source of data. Vacancies are selected at random, and subjected to a screening process. Telephone interviews establish the availability and exact location of each unit sampled. DOD has designed the sample to obtain a statistical confidence level of 95% or higher. DOD also contacts apartment and real estate management companies to identify units for rental pricing. It is not uncommon for DOD to consult real estate professionals in a locality to obtain confirmation and additional sources of data. Where available, DOD contacts fort/post/base housing referral offices, to tap local military expertise and gain insights into the local concerns of military.

Finally, DoD and the Services conduct on-site evaluations at various locations to confirm and ensure reliability and accuracy of the cost data.

For localities in the state of ARKANSAS not shown on the chart below, see the DOD BAH Database.

2008 ARKANSAS BAH Rates:

2008 BAH

Locality	OE-1	OE-2	OE-3	O-1	O-2	O-3	O-4	O-5	O-6	O-7
LITTLE ROCK, AR	1156	1177	1333	870	1130	1179	1524	1769	1784	1804
PINE BLUFF, AR	860	890	1005	775	831	894	1142	1318	1329	1344
FORT CHAFFEE/FORT SMITH, AR	1046	1064	1146	831	1024	1066	1244	1370	1381	1397
FAYETTEVILLE, AR	1074	1147	1271	873	1005	1155	1411	1590	1603	1622
JONESBORO, AR	911	925	1008	783	895	926	1109	1239	1249	1264