New Bedford, MA Area: 2026 BAH at a glance
Military Housing Area RI256 covers 33 ZIP codes in New Bedford, Fall River, Newport, Somerset, Acushnet and nearby communities, Massachusetts (plus parts of RI). 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 $2,847 a month, 38% above the median housing area ($2,064), ranking 65 of 338 nationally.
For officers, an O-3 with dependents gets $4,137, ranking 36 of 338 (64% above the $2,529 median). Promotion from E-5 to E-7 adds $855 a month in housing allowance here, before any change in base pay.
Dependents add $486 a month for an E-5 (21% over the $2,361 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 | $2,685 | $2,073 | $612 |
| E-2 | $2,685 | $2,073 | $612 |
| E-3 | $2,685 | $2,073 | $612 |
| E-4 | $2,685 | $2,073 | $612 |
| E-5 | $2,847 | $2,361 | $486 |
| E-6 | $3,447 | $2,586 | $861 |
| E-7 | $3,702 | $2,778 | $924 |
| E-8 | $3,972 | $2,979 | $993 |
| E-9 | $4,230 | $3,174 | $1,056 |
| W-1 | $3,474 | $2,637 | $837 |
| W-2 | $3,813 | $2,967 | $846 |
| W-3 | $4,146 | $3,177 | $969 |
| W-4 | $4,260 | $3,507 | $753 |
| W-5 | $4,404 | $3,762 | $642 |
| O-1E | $3,753 | $2,844 | $909 |
| O-2E | $4,098 | $3,111 | $987 |
| O-3E | $4,284 | $3,441 | $843 |
| O-1 | $2,925 | $2,517 | $408 |
| O-2 | $3,441 | $2,796 | $645 |
| O-3 | $4,137 | $3,231 | $906 |
| O-4 | $4,446 | $3,717 | $729 |
| O-5 | $4,668 | $3,873 | $795 |
| O-6 | $4,707 | $4,125 | $582 |
| O-7 | $4,743 | $4,200 | $543 |
Official DoD rates for MHA RI256. 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 56 miles, E-5 with-dependents BAH runs from $2,580 (Groton, CT Area) to $4,791 (Boston, MA Area), a spread of $2,211 a month or $26,532 a year for the same rank.
| Housing area | Distance | E-5 with deps | O-3 with deps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providence, RI Area RI257 | 20 mi | $3,195 | $4,008 |
| Dukes County, MA MA151 | 31 mi | $3,984 | $5,025 |
| Barnstable County, MA MA124 | 32 mi | $3,924 | $4,419 |
| Boston, MA Area MA120 | 48 mi | $4,791 | $5,163 |
| Groton, CT Area CT049 | 53 mi | $2,580 | $3,306 |
| Worcester, MA Area MA122 | 56 mi | $2,919 | $3,756 |
ZIP codes in this housing area
New Bedford, MA
Fall River, MA
Newport, RI
Somerset, MA
Acushnet, MA
Adamsville, RI
Assonet, MA
Barrington, RI
Bristol, RI
East Freetown, MA
Fairhaven, MA
Jamestown, RI
Little Compton, RI
Middletown, RI
North Dartmouth, MA
Portsmouth, RI
Prudence Island, RI
South Dartmouth, MA
Swansea, MA
Tiverton, RI
Warren, RI
Westport Point, MA
Westport, MA
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.