Penobscot County, ME: 2026 BAH at a glance
Military Housing Area ME390 covers 46 ZIP codes in Bangor, Orono, Bradford, Bradley, Brewer and nearby communities, Maine. BAH is set by your duty station's ZIP code, not where you choose to live, so this table applies to anyone assigned inside it.
An E-5 with dependents here receives $1,893 a month, 8% below the median housing area ($2,064), ranking 198 of 338 nationally.
For officers, an O-3 with dependents gets $2,514, ranking 173 of 338 (right at the $2,529 median). Promotion from E-5 to E-7 adds $324 a month in housing allowance here, before any change in base pay.
Dependents add $450 a month for an E-5 (31% over the $1,443 single rate), more than the typical $375 gap nationally. The with-dependents rate is the same whether you have one dependent or five.
2026 BAH rates for every grade
Monthly, effective January 1, 2026. "Difference" is what dependents add at each grade.
| Grade | With dependents | Without | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,728 | $1,296 | $432 |
| E-2 | $1,728 | $1,296 | $432 |
| E-3 | $1,728 | $1,296 | $432 |
| E-4 | $1,728 | $1,296 | $432 |
| E-5 | $1,893 | $1,443 | $450 |
| E-6 | $2,052 | $1,575 | $477 |
| E-7 | $2,217 | $1,731 | $486 |
| E-8 | $2,403 | $1,932 | $471 |
| E-9 | $2,568 | $1,968 | $600 |
| W-1 | $2,067 | $1,680 | $387 |
| W-2 | $2,292 | $1,929 | $363 |
| W-3 | $2,523 | $1,974 | $549 |
| W-4 | $2,586 | $2,082 | $504 |
| W-5 | $2,667 | $2,259 | $408 |
| O-1E | $2,250 | $1,890 | $360 |
| O-2E | $2,487 | $1,959 | $528 |
| O-3E | $2,598 | $2,040 | $558 |
| O-1 | $1,920 | $1,557 | $363 |
| O-2 | $2,049 | $1,842 | $207 |
| O-3 | $2,514 | $1,989 | $525 |
| O-4 | $2,688 | $2,226 | $462 |
| O-5 | $2,814 | $2,328 | $486 |
| O-6 | $2,835 | $2,502 | $333 |
| O-7 | $2,853 | $2,544 | $309 |
Official DoD rates for MHA ME390. If rates in an area fall, members already there keep their higher rate (rate protection) until they PCS or their eligibility changes. 2027 rates are normally announced in mid-December: what to expect.
Nearby housing areas
The closest other MHAs by ZIP-code center. Your BAH follows your duty ZIP, but these show how the rate changes across the region if you are choosing between assignments.
Within about 200 miles, E-5 with-dependents BAH runs from $1,893 (this area) to $3,477 (Essex County, MA), a spread of $1,584 a month or $19,008 a year for the same rank.
| Housing area | Distance | E-5 with deps | O-3 with deps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Castine, ME Area ME141 | 48 mi | $2,193 | $2,868 |
| Augusta, ME Area ME136 | 85 mi | $2,205 | $3,762 |
| Portland, ME Area ME139 | 120 mi | $3,252 | $4,260 |
| Rockingham County, NH NH194 | 167 mi | $3,321 | $4,461 |
| Essex County, MA MA125 | 198 mi | $3,477 | $4,533 |
| Manchester, NH Area NH195 | 200 mi | $3,177 | $4,233 |
ZIP codes in this housing area
Bangor, ME
Orono, ME
Bradford, ME
Bradley, ME
Brewer, ME
Burlington, ME
Carmel, ME
Charleston, ME
Corinna, ME
Corinth, ME
Dexter, ME
Dixmont, ME
East Millinocket, ME
East Newport, ME
Eddington, ME
Etna, ME
Exeter, ME
Garland, ME
Greenbush, ME
Hampden, ME
Howland, ME
Hudson, ME
Kenduskeag, ME
Kingman, ME
Lagrange, ME
Lee, ME
Levant, ME
Lincoln, ME
Mattawamkeag, ME
Medway, ME
Milford, ME
Millinocket, ME
Newport, ME
Old Town, ME
Orrington, ME
Passadumkeag, ME
Patten, ME
Plymouth, ME
Springfield, ME
Stacyville, ME
Plus 4 more communities. Look up any ZIP in the BAH calculator.
Using this rate
- Find your exact rate by duty ZIP, grade and dependency status in the BAH calculator.
- Moving here? Price the move and your PPM in the PCS calculator, and test renting against buying in the rent vs buy calculator.
- See BAH with base pay and BAS as one number in the compensation calculator.
Place names: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0), matched to the official DoD ZIP-to-MHA mapping. Rates: DoD BAH rate file effective January 1, 2026.