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PBT Bancorp nationwide 2026 military housing study

Best Military Cities to Buy a Home With a VA Loan

The best military cities to buy a home are not always the places with the lowest prices. A family also needs to know how far the housing allowance reaches, what the estimated VA payment looks like, and whether local sale prices have been relatively stable.

We compared 120 installation-linked communities across 43 states plus Washington, DC using the same nationwide method. Every market is tied to a named installation in the official MilitaryINSTALLATIONS directory. The ranking is a starting point for a PCS decision, while the actual purchase price still needs to be reviewed with your pay, debts, household size, orders, insurance, and the property you choose.


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  • 120 installation-linked markets
  • 43 states plus Washington, DC
  • June 2026 Redfin data
United States map with ranked military housing markets and score markers
ShreveportHighest score in the nationwide study
97.6%Top composite score
120Military housing markets compared
43 + DCStates represented by verified installation markets

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Michael Parker, NMLS #457569  |  PBT Bancorp, NMLS #257781  |  FDIC member bank, licensed in all 50 states

Top 10 installation-linked markets

Which military cities scored highest for VA homebuyers?

Estimated BAH coverage carries 80% of the score, and recent Redfin price stability carries the remaining 20%. The ranking is only a market comparison. We still compare it with your finances, expected holding period, and the actual home.

  1. #1

    Shreveport, LA

    97.6PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$199,891
    Estimated core VA payment$1,379/mo

    Barksdale AFB. 2026 E-5 BAH $1,845.

  2. #2

    Montgomery, AL

    95.3PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$199,891
    Estimated core VA payment$1,354/mo

    Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex. 2026 E-5 BAH $1,683.

  3. #3

    Rock Island, IL

    93.4PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$139,924
    Estimated core VA payment$1,128/mo

    Rock Island Arsenal. 2026 E-5 BAH $1,908.

  1. #4

    Petersburg, VA

    93.4PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$224,878
    Estimated core VA payment$1,585/mo

    Fort Lee. 2026 E-5 BAH $2,358.

  2. #5

    Hinesville, GA

    91.5PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$259,359
    Estimated core VA payment$1,835/mo

    Fort Stewart. 2026 E-5 BAH $2,310.

  3. #6

    Augusta, GA

    90.7PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$219,880
    Estimated core VA payment$1,556/mo

    Fort Gordon. 2026 E-5 BAH $1,890.

  4. #7

    Marysville, CA

    90.2PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$354,807
    Estimated core VA payment$2,500/mo

    Beale AFB. 2026 E-5 BAH $2,967.

  5. #8

    Fayetteville, NC

    86.3PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$239,869
    Estimated core VA payment$1,671/mo

    Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield. 2026 E-5 BAH $1,806.

  6. #9

    Dayton, OH

    85.8PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$149,918
    Estimated core VA payment$1,121/mo

    Wright-Patterson AFB. 2026 E-5 BAH $1,650.

  7. #10

    Millington, TN

    85PBT score
    Redfin median sale price$284,595
    Estimated core VA payment$1,944/mo

    Naval Support Activity Mid-South. 2026 E-5 BAH $2,154.

PBT analysis using Redfin median sale prices, 2026 E-5 with-dependents BAH, estimated state property tax, and one-year sale-price change.

Start with the duty station and housing budget

Want us to compare a duty station with your actual numbers?

Request a callback if you want help comparing duty stations before a house-hunting trip. When the VA specialist calls, we can ask about the current LES, debts, household needs, and housing budget without requiring a credit pull for that first conversation.

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How do 120 military housing markets rank nationwide?

Search by market or installation, then sort the six decision-focused columns. Additional BAH, price-change, Redfin-geography, and scoring fields remain available in the downloadable CSV. The estimated core payment uses zero down, a financed 2.15% first-use VA funding fee, a 6.5% example rate, a 30-year term, and estimated state property tax.

Showing 120 records

More comparison fields are available to the right. Swipe or scroll sideways, or download the CSV.
1 Shreveport, LA Barksdale AFB $199,891 $1,379 97.6
2 Montgomery, AL Maxwell AFB and Gunter Annex $199,891 $1,354 95.3
3 Rock Island, IL Rock Island Arsenal $139,924 $1,128 93.4
4 Petersburg, VA Fort Lee $224,878 $1,585 93.4
5 Hinesville, GA Fort Stewart $259,359 $1,835 91.5
6 Augusta, GA Fort Gordon $219,880 $1,556 90.7
7 Marysville, CA Beale AFB $354,807 $2,500 90.2
8 Fayetteville, NC Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield $239,869 $1,671 86.3
9 Dayton, OH Wright-Patterson AFB $149,918 $1,121 85.8
10 Millington, TN Naval Support Activity Mid-South $284,595 $1,944 85
11 Carlisle, PA Carlisle Barracks $249,864 $1,854 84.9
12 Dover, DE Dover AFB $299,837 $2,054 84.8
13 Philadelphia, PA Naval Support Activity Philadelphia $299,837 $2,225 84
14 Columbus, GA Fort Benning $234,872 $1,662 83.3
15 Warner Robins, GA Robins AFB $247,765 $1,753 82.6
16 Barstow, CA Fort Irwin and MCLB Barstow $279,848 $1,972 82.3
17 Savannah, GA Hunter Army Airfield $339,715 $2,404 81.6
18 Wichita Falls, TX Sheppard AFB $199,811 $1,508 80.6
19 Panama City, FL Naval Support Activity Panama City and Tyndall AFB $306,363 $2,171 80.3
20 Warren, MI Detroit Arsenal $224,878 $1,672 80
21 Enid, OK Vance AFB $170,907 $1,211 80
22 North Chicago, IL Naval Station Great Lakes $257,310 $2,074 79.2
23 Columbia, SC Fort Jackson $279,848 $1,911 77.7
24 Norfolk, VA Hampton Roads naval installations $334,818 $2,360 77.4
25 Jacksonville, FL Naval Air Station Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport $309,831 $2,195 77.3
26 Hampton, VA Joint Base Langley-Eustis $299,237 $2,110 76.3
27 Alamogordo, NM Holloman AFB $239,869 $1,676 76
28 Belleville, IL Scott AFB $155,915 $1,257 75.5
29 Havelock, NC MCAS Cherry Point $254,861 $1,776 75.1
30 Lawton, OK Fort Sill $164,910 $1,168 75
31 Watertown, NY Fort Drum $208,886 $1,602 75
32 El Paso, TX Fort Bliss $256,949 $1,940 74.6
33 Groton, CT Naval Submarine Base New London $312,330 $2,448 74.3
34 San Antonio, TX Joint Base San Antonio $264,856 $2,000 74.1
35 Indian Head, MD Naval Support Activity South Potomac, Indian Head $374,796 $2,717 73.6
36 Corpus Christi, TX Naval Air Station Corpus Christi $269,753 $2,037 73.4
37 Woodbridge, VA Marine Corps Base Quantico $469,744 $3,312 72.9
38 Killeen, TX Fort Hood $234,872 $1,773 72.2
39 Clarksville, TN Fort Campbell $314,829 $2,150 71.9
40 Valdosta, GA Moody AFB $224,778 $1,591 71.8
41 Highland Falls, NY United States Military Academy at West Point $479,739 $3,679 71
42 Tucson, AZ Davis-Monthan AFB $320,326 $2,183 70.9
43 Frederick, MD Fort Detrick $442,259 $3,206 70.7
44 Aurora, CO Buckley SFB $464,737 $3,191 70.6
45 Fort Worth, TX Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth $339,815 $2,565 70.6
46 Enterprise, AL Fort Rucker $279,598 $1,894 69.5
47 Oklahoma City, OK Tinker AFB $269,853 $1,912 69.1
48 Albuquerque, NM Kirtland AFB $359,804 $2,513 68.5
49 San Angelo, TX Goodfellow AFB $244,867 $1,849 68.5
50 New Orleans, LA Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans $349,810 $2,414 68.4
51 Omaha, NE Offutt AFB $288,843 $2,207 68.1
52 Tampa, FL MacDill AFB $465,547 $3,298 68.1
53 Spokane, WA Fairchild AFB $375,556 $2,671 67.9
54 Kingsland, GA Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay $325,273 $2,302 67.8
55 Twentynine Palms, CA Twentynine Palms $263,956 $1,860 67.5
56 Goldsboro, NC Seymour Johnson AFB $216,882 $1,511 67.3
57 Huntsville, AL Redstone Arsenal $340,715 $2,308 66.9
58 Jacksonville, NC Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River $246,866 $1,720 66.7
59 Sierra Vista, AZ Fort Huachuca $306,583 $2,089 66.2
60 Albany, GA Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany $180,802 $1,279 65.9
61 Sumter, SC Shaw AFB $279,848 $1,911 65.6
62 Las Cruces, NM White Sands Missile Range $305,334 $2,133 65.5
63 Odenton, MD Fort Meade $464,747 $3,369 65
64 Lompoc, CA Vandenberg SFB $591,678 $4,169 64.8
65 Beaufort, SC MCAS Beaufort and MCRD Parris Island $477,740 $3,262 64.3
66 Honolulu, HI Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, MCB Hawaii, and USAG Hawaii $599,674 $4,008 64
67 Leavenworth, KS Fort Leavenworth $248,865 $1,866 63.5
68 Del Rio, TX Laughlin AFB $229,875 $1,735 63.3
69 Ogden, UT Hill AFB $386,839 $2,654 63.3
70 Rapid City, SD Ellsworth AFB $356,706 $2,605 63.1
71 Palmdale, CA Edwards AFB $519,717 $3,662 62.7
72 Tacoma, WA Joint Base Lewis-McChord $499,728 $3,554 62.3
73 Fairbanks, AK Eielson AFB and USAG Alaska, Wainwright $328,271 $2,408 62.2
74 Leesville, LA Fort Polk $174,905 $1,207 62.1
75 Yuma, AZ MCAS Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground $331,580 $2,259 61.8
76 Minot, ND Minot AFB $285,844 $2,074 61.7
77 Great Falls, MT Malmstrom AFB $339,715 $2,389 61.4
78 Radcliff, KY Fort Knox $266,845 $1,881 61.3
79 Colorado Springs, CO Fort Carson, Peterson SFB, Schriever SFB, and USAF Academy $459,650 $3,156 59.8
80 Fallon, NV Naval Air Station Fallon $352,308 $2,413 59.7
81 Niceville, FL Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field $529,612 $3,752 59.7
82 Lemoore, CA Naval Air Station Lemoore $399,782 $2,817 59.5
83 Anchorage, AK Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson $449,755 $3,300 59.4
84 Aberdeen, MD Aberdeen Proving Ground $354,807 $2,572 59.3
85 Las Vegas, NV Nellis AFB and Creech AFB $449,755 $3,080 59.2
86 Washington, DC Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and Naval Support Activity Washington $623,134 $4,349 58.9
87 Little Rock, AR Little Rock AFB $289,842 $1,996 58.2
88 Everett, WA Naval Station Everett $594,676 $4,229 58.2
89 Ridgecrest, CA Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake $267,854 $1,887 58
90 Grand Forks, ND Grand Forks AFB $304,834 $2,212 57.6
91 Wichita, KS McConnell AFB $249,864 $1,873 57
92 Abilene, TX Dyess AFB $269,853 $2,037 56.5
93 Biloxi, MS Keesler AFB and Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport $279,748 $1,959 56.5
94 San Diego, CA San Diego naval and Marine Corps installations $984,464 $6,936 55.1
95 Fairfield, CA Travis AFB $622,911 $4,389 54.2
96 Cocoa Beach, FL Patrick SFB $466,546 $3,305 53.8
97 Clovis, NM Cannon AFB $224,878 $1,571 53.5
98 Eatontown, NJ Naval Weapons Station Earle $582,183 $4,674 53.1
99 Bremerton, WA Naval Base Kitsap $455,547 $3,239 53.1
100 Ventura, CA Naval Base Ventura County $899,510 $6,338 53.1
101 Mountain Home, ID Mountain Home AFB $368,295 $2,509 52
102 Altus, OK Altus AFB $209,886 $1,487 51.9
103 Warrensburg, MO Whiteman AFB $281,847 $2,006 51
104 Oceanside, CA Camp Pendleton $884,712 $6,233 50.7
105 Lexington Park, MD Naval Air Station Patuxent River $417,273 $3,024 49
106 Sparta, WI Fort McCoy $234,772 $1,760 48.8
107 Cheyenne, WY F. E. Warren AFB $379,793 $2,634 47.6
108 Charleston, SC Joint Base Charleston $638,652 $4,361 45.9
109 Oak Harbor, WA Naval Air Station Whidbey Island $500,040 $3,556 45.5
110 Junction City, KS Fort Riley $237,371 $1,780 45.4
111 Pensacola, FL Naval Air Station Pensacola and Naval Air Station Whiting Field $364,801 $2,585 44.4
112 Waynesville, MO Fort Leonard Wood $294,740 $2,098 43.4
113 El Centro, CA Naval Air Facility El Centro $414,774 $2,922 41.8
114 Monterey, CA Presidio of Monterey and Naval Support Activity Monterey $1,084,410 $7,640 40.7
115 Newport, RI Naval Station Newport $1,007,452 $7,405 40.3
116 Annapolis, MD Naval Support Activity Annapolis and U.S. Naval Academy $624,660 $4,528 39.8
117 Portsmouth, NH Portsmouth Naval Shipyard $690,574 $5,300 38.6
118 Bedford, MA Hanscom AFB $1,065,420 $7,768 33.2
119 Key West, FL Naval Air Station Key West $1,264,312 $8,958 27.3
120 El Segundo, CA Los Angeles SFB $1,699,075 $11,971 20.6

Installation eligibility uses the official MilitaryINSTALLATIONS directory. Housing inputs use Redfin Data Center median sale prices. BAH comes from the official 2026 Defense Travel Management Office all-locations download and should be verified by ZIP code, pay grade, and dependency status with the official BAH lookup.

Download the data

Replace the national comparison with local numbers

How do we compare the ranking with your LES and actual housing budget?

We can replace the study assumptions with your pay, debts, household size, orders, and the property expenses in the market you are considering.

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How did we calculate the military city score?

The score is meant to compare military housing markets consistently, so every city receives the same loan assumptions and weights.

1

One consistent VA payment estimate

Every city uses zero down, a financed 2.15% first-use funding fee, a 6.5% example rate, a 30-year term, and estimated state property tax.

2

BAH coverage carries 80% of the score

The estimate is compared with the 2026 E-5 with-dependents housing allowance for the same market.

3

Recent price stability carries 20%

Price stability makes up the remaining share, based on the absolute size of the one-year Redfin sale-price change.

4

Only communities tied to named installations

Only communities tied to a named installation in the official MilitaryINSTALLATIONS directory are included, which leaves 120 markets in the study. A BAH area by itself is not enough.

What does the military city ranking not tell you?

BAH is housing income, not a required mortgage budget. Child care, vehicle payments, support obligations, and household size can make a lower payment more comfortable even when the allowance covers the estimate. A dual-military household may have two allowances that we review with both LES statements.

The score does not include homeowners insurance, HOA dues, the exact commute, flood zone, school plan, property condition, resale costs, or likelihood of another PCS. We use it to narrow the conversation, then compare the actual home with your income, debts, available funds, and VA benefit.

Couple comparing locations on a map beside home listings on a laptop

Next steps

What should we compare after you narrow the military markets?

Once you have a short list, we can put each military market beside your actual LES, household budget, and plans for the next move.

Comparison tool

Military PCS Housing Cost Index

The index places the estimated VA payment beside the 2026 E-5 housing allowance for each market.

View resource

Calculator

VA home affordability calculator

Use the calculator to see how income, debts, term, rate, taxes, insurance, and the funding fee affect an early price range.

View resource

Purchase guide

VA home loans

This guide explains zero-down eligibility, occupancy, the appraisal, the funding fee, and closing requirements.

View resource

Start here

Get pre-qualified

We can compare the next duty station with your actual LES, monthly obligations, and available cash.

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Military city ranking questions

What is the best military city to buy a home in 2026?

Shreveport, LA received the highest score in this 120-market nationwide PBT study. The best city for one family can still be different because pay, debts, commute, orders, insurance, schools, and the exact property all matter.

Does a high BAH coverage percentage mean I qualify?

A high BAH coverage percentage does not establish VA loan qualification. Qualification starts with income, monthly debts, and residual income. Credit, household size, property costs, and the home itself can change the result.

Why did PBT use E-5 with-dependents BAH?

We used E-5 with-dependents BAH to apply one consistent benchmark across every military housing area, although your pay grade, dependent status, duty location, and rate protection can produce a different allowance.

Can I use a VA loan when I know I will PCS again?

A VA loan can be used when you intend to occupy the home as your primary residence and meet the VA and lender requirements. Think carefully about the likely holding period, resale costs, and rental plan before buying.

Does this ranking cover the entire United States?

The nationwide study includes 120 installation-linked markets across 43 states plus Washington, DC, and it does not pad states without a qualifying installation-linked market by using a generic BAH city.

How often will the military city ranking be updated?

Redfin market data should be checked monthly, while BAH rates should be refreshed annually. The full calculation should be rerun after either source changes.

Does the score include homeowners insurance or HOA dues?

The score excludes homeowners insurance and HOA dues because those costs vary by property and community. It includes estimated state property tax, principal and interest, and a financed 2.15% first-use funding fee.

Why are some states or installations not in the ranking?

A market is included only when it can be tied to a named installation in the official MilitaryINSTALLATIONS directory and matched to usable Redfin housing data. States or installations that fail either check are not added as placeholders.

Is the top-ranked city a recommendation to buy?

The top score is a research result, not a recommendation to buy. Your orders, expected holding period, commute, resale risk, household budget, insurance, property condition, and local housing choices can point to a different decision.

Let us replace the ranking with your actual PCS numbers

Start the online pre-qualification when you are ready for us to review the next duty station, current LES, debts, household size, and property budget before the house-hunting trip begins.

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Last reviewed August 8, 2026.