3 guides in Mississippi: 2 Air Force and 1 Navy installations. At E-5 with dependents, 2026 BAH runs from $1,290 a month at Meridian Naval Air Station to $1,602 at Keesler Air Force Base, across 3 housing areas, set against HUD's fair market rent for a 3-bedroom home near each.
Rates last verified August 2026 against the published source tables.
3 guides · MS taxes military pay for MS domiciliaries · TRICARE East (Humana) · E-5 with dependents: $1,290 to $1,602 BAH across 3 housing areas
| Installation | City | Branch | Allowance at E-5 with dependents | Against local rent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Air Force Base | Columbus | Air Force | $1,398 BAH | Covers a 3-bedroom with $120 to spare |
| Keesler Air Force Base | Biloxi | Air Force | $1,602 BAH | Covers a 3-bedroom with $77 to spare |
| Meridian Naval Air Station | Meridian | Navy | $1,290 BAH | Falls only $38 short of a 3-bedroom |
At E-5 with dependents, 2026 BAH goes furthest at Columbus Air Force Base, where it covers a 3-bedroom with $120 to spare, and least far at Meridian Naval Air Station, where it falls only $38 short of a 3-bedroom. It covers HUD's 3-bedroom rent at 2 of the 3 installations.
| Installation | 2026 BAH | HUD 3-bedroom rent | After rent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Air Force Base | $1,398 | $1,278 | $120 left |
| Keesler Air Force Base | $1,602 | $1,525 | $77 left |
| Meridian Naval Air Station | $1,290 | $1,328 | $38 short |
HUD's FY2027 fair market rent is the 40th-percentile gross rent for the area, utilities included, which is what BAH is meant to cover; it is a benchmark, not a listing. Source: HUD.
Mississippi. A Mississippi resident is taxed on all income including active-duty pay, and must file a Mississippi return. Only combat-zone pay is exempt.
SCRA. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act your military pay is taxed by the state you are domiciled in, not by the one your duty station sits in. Being assigned to an installation in Mississippi does not by itself change which state may tax you, and it does not create a filing obligation where you are stationed.
TRICARE East. Care at all 3 installations in Mississippi falls under the TRICARE East region, administered by Humana Military — enrollment and claims run through 800-444-5445.
Maintained by PCS Calculator, an independent site run by an active-duty service member. BAH checked against DTMO's 2026 table on 19 August 2026; rents from HUD's FY2027 fair market rents, fetched 28 September 2026; state tax treatment of military pay checked 19 August 2026; TRICARE regions checked 27 August 2026. This page was last updated 4 November 2026. How every figure on this site is checked