CBO compared the housing standards used to determine the military’s basic allowance for housing (BAH) with the housing units rented by comparable civilians. CBO also compared BAH rates with the rental costs paid by those civilians. The agency found that BAH rates for military personnel were typically higher than what similar civilians paid for rent and utilities. It also found that in high-cost areas, in particular, many comparable civilians rented smaller housing units than the military housing standard. Civilians’ housing choices varied considerably by location, but military housing standards are the same regardless of location.
