10 towns within about an hour of the main post area: drive time, rent, home values and the school district for each.
The green or red number is an E-5 with dependents' 2026 BAH ($2,214) minus that town's median 2-bedroom rent. Check your own pay grade.
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,198 a month
Buffalo City School District: 61 schools, 29,866 students, 10.4 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,393 a month
Lackawanna City School District: 4 schools, 2,150 students, 10.3 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$934 a month
Cheektowaga-Sloan Union Free School District: 4 schools, 1,342 students, 11.6 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,324 a month
Frontier Central School District: 6 schools, 4,617 students, 12.2 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$991 a month
Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District: 10 schools, 6,486 students, 10.5 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,155 a month
Cheektowaga Central School District: 3 schools, 2,371 students, 11.7 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,530 a month
Amherst Central School District: 4 schools, 3,043 students, 11.4 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,072 a month
Kenmore-Tonawanda Union Free School District: 10 schools, 6,486 students, 10.5 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,054 a month
West Seneca Central School District: 9 schools, 6,100 students, 11.7 students per teacher. District facts
E-5 BAH left over after the median 2-bedroom rent: +$1,508 a month
Tonawanda City School District: 2 schools, 1,717 students, 11.5 students per teacher. District facts
Updated October 12, 2026. How we get our numbers.
USCG Sector Buffalo base guide USCG Sector Buffalo BAH Other bases
Buffalo, NY is about 4 minutes from the main post area (1.2 road miles) without traffic.
Blasdell, NY, where the Census median rent is $803 a month (rent plus utilities, 2020-2024 average). New leases usually cost more than the median, so check current listings too.
For an E-5 with dependents the 2026 DoD BAH is $2,214 a month. That is at or above the Census median 2-bedroom rent in 10 of the 10 towns here with a Census figure for that size, with the most left over in Eggertsville, NY.
Buffalo City School District, with 61 schools and 29,866 students (10.4 students per teacher), from the NCES Common Core of Data. Always confirm the school for a specific address with the district.