Joint Base Andrews is located in Camp Springs, MD, and falls under Military Housing Area DC053. BAH rates here reflect the local housing market costs as surveyed annually by the Department of Defense. Understanding your BAH rate is essential for budgeting whether you plan to rent, buy, or live in on-post/on-base housing.
For the most common enlisted ranks at Joint Base Andrews, an E-5 with dependents receives $3,132/month in BAH, while an E-7 with dependents receives $3,855/month. These rates are completely tax-free, making them significantly more valuable than equivalent taxable income. Use the table above to find the exact rate for your rank and dependency status.
BAH is designed to cover approximately 95% of housing costs in the Camp Springs area for your rank and dependency status. If you find housing for less than your BAH, you keep the tax-free difference. If housing exceeds your BAH, you cover the gap from your base pay. Off-post housing gives you flexibility and potential savings, while on-post housing (if available) means your full BAH goes directly to the housing office with no out-of-pocket costs but no savings either.
BAH is one of the most valuable components of military compensation because it's completely tax-free. Use the Mil-Multiplier Compensation Calculator to see what your total military pay — including BAH, BAS, and benefits — is really worth as a civilian salary, or the BAH Calculator to look up rates for any ZIP code in the country.
PCSing to Joint Base Andrews: Air Force One and the National Capital Region
What JBA Actually Is
Joint Base Andrews sits in Prince George's County, Maryland, roughly 10 miles southeast of downtown Washington, D.C. JBA was established in 2009 through the merger of Andrews Air Force Base and Naval Air Facility Washington under the 2005 BRAC. The base is widely known as the home of Air Force One — the two Boeing VC-25A aircraft of the Presidential Airlift Group operating under the 89th Airlift Wing's Special Air Mission. Beyond Air Force One, JBA hosts the 11th Wing (host installation support), the 89th Airlift Wing (Special Air Mission for the President, Vice President, Cabinet, and senior leaders flying C-32, C-37, and C-40 aircraft), Air Force District of Washington headquarters, the 79th Medical Wing, the 844th Communications Group, the District of Columbia Air National Guard's 113th Wing (F-16 air sovereignty mission for the National Capital Region), and multiple joint and interagency tenants. The base supports the broader National Capital Region military and federal workforce.
BAH and the DMV Housing Market
Andrews BAH sits at upper-tier levels reflecting the DC-metro adjacency — E-5 with dependents at $3,132/month, E-7 at $3,855. Three-bedroom rentals in Clinton and Camp Springs (immediately south of the base, shortest commutes) typically run $2,400–$3,000; Upper Marlboro to the east runs similar; Waldorf in Charles County (20-25 minutes south on Route 5) gives more space and somewhat lower costs at $2,200–$2,800. The trade-off pattern is clear: Prince George's County school quality varies sharply by location, and families prioritizing schools often commute longer to reach Bowie, Crofton (in Anne Arundel County), or Howard County addresses that exceed BAH but deliver substantially stronger districts. On-base housing through Corvias operates several neighborhoods spanning rank bands; waitlists vary but are generally workable outside the May-August PCS peak. Maryland income tax applies and includes county piggyback taxes.
Spouse Employment in the DMV
The Washington, D.C. metro is the single strongest spouse-employment market for any service member in the entire force. The federal civilian workforce, the defense contracting ecosystem (Booz Allen, Leidos, ManTech, CACI, SAIC, General Dynamics IT, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, plus hundreds of mid-tier specialized firms), the intelligence community contractor base, healthcare (Johns Hopkins, MedStar, Inova, Adventist HealthCare, plus the major DC-area academic medical centers), and the broader DC professional services economy together create roles across every clearance level and skill category. Spouses with existing TS/SCI clearances are extremely competitive. Even uncleared technical, administrative, and professional roles cycle steadily. The MARC Penn Line and DC Metro Green Line provide commuter rail access for spouses with DC-based federal or contractor jobs without daily Beltway traffic. Remote work is straightforward — Eastern Time alignment is ideal and broadband is excellent. The hidden cost: DC-area childcare is among the most expensive in the country.
Schools and Healthcare
No DoDEA schools at Andrews. Prince George's County Public Schools serves most on-base housing and the immediate surrounding neighborhoods — the district is the second-largest in Maryland and substantial variance by campus exists. Some PG County schools are strong; others rate weak; families consistently research specific campus performance rather than relying on district-level ratings. Charles County (Waldorf), Anne Arundel County (Crofton, Bowie depending on address), and Howard County (further commute) all offer alternatives with stronger ratings at higher housing costs. The Malcolm Grow Medical Clinic on Andrews is an outpatient facility — no emergency room and no inpatient services. The 79th Medical Wing operates substantial specialty clinics on base. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda is the primary military hospital for the National Capital Region and one of the premier military medical facilities in the world — full trauma, comprehensive specialty care, the Presidential medical mission, and the major military medical training facility. Drive time from Andrews to Walter Reed runs 45-75 minutes depending on Beltway traffic.
Climate, Beltway Traffic, and Local Texture
The DC-area climate is humid subtropical: hot, humid summers in the 85-95°F range; cool winters with several snow events per year that periodically shut the area down; long pleasant spring and fall seasons. The pollen seasons (cherry blossoms aside) are aggressive. Hurricane remnants regularly track through in late summer with significant rainfall and wind. The defining quality-of-life consideration at Andrews is the Capital Beltway (I-495) and Route 5 traffic — DC-metro rush hour is among the worst in the country, and a 15-mile commute can take 60-90 minutes during peak periods. Test-drive any potential commute route at actual rush hour before signing leases. The compensation is the genuine access: the Smithsonian museums, the National Mall and monuments, Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Annapolis (40 minutes east), Baltimore Inner Harbor, the Chesapeake Bay, and the Shenandoah and Blue Ridge mountains are all weekend-trip-or-closer distance. The Joint Base Andrews Air Show every two years is one of the largest in the Air Force.