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Looking to Buy or Rent

Quick, objective guidance for service members based on your duty station and timeline.

Should you buy or rent at your next station?

Answer a few inputs. We’ll compare the effective cost of renting vs. buying with simple, transparent assumptions.

Buying and renting both have trade-offs. The right choice often depends on your time on station, PCS risk, and local housing market.

Buying: Builds equity over time and can take advantage of VA Loan benefits with little or no down payment. Best suited for longer duty assignments or strong rental demand if you PCS.
Renting: Offers maximum flexibility and lower upfront costs. Ideal if your assignment is short, your PCS risk is high, or if the housing market looks uncertain.
Key Considerations: Expected length of stay, monthly BAH versus market rents, and your willingness to manage a property after PCS.

Use the calculator below with your BAH, rent, and station details to see how the numbers compare for you.

Get Started How we decide

Duty station

Expected time on station (months)

Monthly BAH (post-tax)

Expected monthly rent

Target home price

Down payment (%)

Mortgage rate (%)

Property tax (% of value)

Insurance + HOA (monthly)

PCS likelihood (12 mo)

Vacancy risk if renting it out

Annual appreciation (%)

Autosaved

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Item	Rent	Buy

Item	Rent	Buy

Assumptions: 6% sell cost at month 36; appreciation default 2%/yr; simple tax shield approximation (interest × 22%). Edit inputs to see changes.

PCS (Permanent Change of Station) Overview — Official guidance on PCS moves, entitlements, timelines, and checklists.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) — Policy & Rates — DoD’s hub for BAH policies, updates, and reference materials.
Duty Station BAH Calculator — Enter ZIP/duty station and paygrade to view current BAH amounts.