Most BAH content assumes a family. If you’re single, unaccompanied, or half of a dual-military couple, the math is different — usually better than people expect, because the without-dependents rates in the DC Metro housing area still clear local rents with room to spare.
2026 without-dependents rates at Andrews
| Pay grade | BAH without dependents |
|---|---|
| E-4 | $2,409/mo |
| E-5 | $2,832/mo |
| E-6 | $3,057/mo |
| O-1 | $3,054/mo |
| O-3 | $3,531/mo |
Same rules apply as the with-dependents rates: non-taxable, set by the duty station (not your address), protected against mid-tour decreases, reset every January 1.
What $2,832 actually buys
Three realistic plays for an E-5 single rate, using current local prices:
Play 1: Your own apartment near the base. One- and two-bedroom apartments in Clinton, Camp Springs, and Suitland run roughly $1,700–$2,100. That’s your own place, a 10–15 minute commute, and $700–1,100/month left over — before you even consider that BAH isn’t taxed.
Play 2: A whole townhome in Waldorf. Two-bedroom townhomes around $2,000 leave ~$800/month of surplus with dramatically more space, at the cost of a 25–30 minute commute. This is the “I have hobbies that need a garage” option.
Play 3: The roommate maximizer. Split a $2,500–$2,900 3BR single-family in Clinton with one other single service member and your housing cost drops to ~$1,250–1,450 each — banking roughly $1,400–1,600/month per person. Two E-5s doing this for a 3-year tour can each walk away with $50K+ saved. This is the single most powerful wealth move available at this duty station, and almost nobody runs the numbers on it.
How dual-military BAH works (the part everyone gets wrong)
- Married, no kids: you each receive the without-dependents rate for your own grade. Two E-5s = $5,664/month combined, non-taxable, against one household’s rent. A $2,800 house leaves nearly $2,900/month between you.
- Married with kids: one member (typically the senior) receives the with-dependents rate; the other receives without-dependents. E-6 + E-5 with kids = $3,759 + $2,832 = $6,591/month.
- Stationed apart: rates follow each member’s own duty station — if one of you is at Andrews and one elsewhere, you each draw your own housing area’s rate.
The takeaway: dual-military couples at Andrews have among the strongest housing math in the entire military. If that’s you, the rent-vs-buy analysis reads differently — your combined entitlement can genuinely carry a purchase and absorb the landlord scenario at PCS time.
Single and living well: which town?
- Clinton / Camp Springs: shortest commute, cheapest apartments, closest to DC via the Green Line at Branch Ave. The default answer for most singles.
- Waldorf: more space per dollar, big-box everything, quieter. Better if your off-duty life is hobbies and a garage rather than being 30 minutes from H Street.
- National Harbor / Oxon Hill: the “I want restaurants and a waterfront” option — expect to spend most or all of the allowance, trading surplus for lifestyle. Legitimate choice; just make it on purpose.
- DC proper: possible on O-grade single rates, tight on enlisted. You’re paying close-in rents with a reverse commute — the one option where the surplus math mostly disappears.
Bottom line: the single rate at Andrews isn’t a consolation prize — it clears a solo apartment by $700+, and with a roommate it becomes a savings engine. Decide whether this tour is a lifestyle tour or a wealth tour, then pick the town that matches.
Rates from the 2026 DoD BAH tables, DC Metro MHA; rents surveyed July 2026. Confirm your grade and status at the official DoD BAH calculator.
Related: BAH with dependents: town-by-town surplus math · Waldorf vs. Clinton vs. Upper Marlboro · Complete Andrews off-base housing guide