Quick answer, as of November 7, 2026
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) works from Camp Bull Simons, on Eglin land roughly 19.4 miles from the main base and west of Duke Field on Highway 85. The camp has barracks but no family housing, and accompanied soldiers typically use BAH to live off post. The 2026 FL056 rate is $2,433 a month for an E-5 with dependents and $3,399 for an O-3.
Gregg Costin, Realtor, Dalton Wade
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Where 7th Group actually is
7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) is part of 1st Special Forces Command and trains and operates across the U.S. Southern Command theater. It moved to Northwest Florida from Fort Bragg under the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure law. The bulk of its soldiers and families began moving in May 2011, and the group held its ribbon cutting on October 14, 2011. The Army's account of that move counts more than 1,800 soldiers, 930 families and 3,000 dependents.
Do not plan your housing search around the words "Eglin AFB" on your orders. A 2022 Senate Armed Services Committee report describes Camp Bull Simons as an Air Force-owned, Army-occupied, 500-acre compound on Eglin that is physically separated from Eglin by roughly 19.4 miles, and the duty station for over 3,000 service members and civilians. Eglin's 2009 announcement placed it west of Duke Field on Highway 85.
Military Times reported in October 2022 that the camp has barracks, a chapel, a troop clinic and a shopette, but no child development center, family housing or commissary. The Senate report says the nearest military hospital, Department of Defense school, post exchange, commissary, gym and child development center for these families are all on Eglin. The address you choose decides how many of those trips you make.
FL056 BAH for 7th Group
BAH follows your permanent duty station, not your home address. I could not find a published duty ZIP for the camp, so confirm yours with your S-1 or finance office. Every ZIP I can tie to this corridor lands in the same place: DoD's 2026 ZIP file puts Eglin's 32542, Duke Field's 32531 and Crestview's 32536 in FL056, the Eglin AFB housing area.
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-5 | $2,433 | $2,157 |
| E-6 | $2,526 | $2,250 |
| E-7 | $2,841 | $2,340 |
| E-8 | $3,189 | $2,457 |
| E-9 | $3,447 | $2,586 |
| W-2 | $2,985 | $2,454 |
| W-3 | $3,414 | $2,589 |
| O-3 | $3,399 | $2,592 |
| O-4 | $3,528 | $2,865 |
| O-5 | $3,612 | $3,066 |
Every grade and the example-home math are in the Eglin AFB section of the BAH rates page, and the calculator takes your own price, rate and costs. The allowance is one income input, not a purchase limit.
Where 7th Group families live
The Senate report says accompanied families typically use BAH to live off post in Crestview. Military Times reported the same year that about 60% of 7th Group families lived in Crestview, 20 minutes northeast of the camp. Those are the newest published figures I found, and both date from 2022.
The table below uses a free-flow route model: the OSRM router, no traffic, run November 7, 2026, from each town's OpenStreetMap point to the point OpenStreetMap labels "7SFG Compound". No gate is mapped, so use these to compare towns, not to set a clock. Drive it from the actual address at your report time.
| Town | Route model | Home price reference |
|---|---|---|
| Crestview | 14.0 mi, about 28 min | Median sold $334,900 (Movoto, July 2026) |
| Niceville | 15.6 mi, about 29 min | $425,000 to $650,000 (Niceville guide, July 2026) |
| Valparaiso | 16.4 mi, about 31 min | $375,000 to $550,000 (Niceville guide, July 2026) |
| Shalimar | 19.7 mi, about 33 min | See the Shalimar guide |
| Baker | 21.2 mi, about 39 min | No figure on this site yet |
| Holt | 23.9 mi, about 38 min | No figure on this site yet |
| Fort Walton Beach | 24.5 mi, about 44 min | $285,000 to $525,000 (Fort Walton Beach guide, July 2026) |
| Laurel Hill | 30.4 mi, about 52 min | No figure on this site yet |
The model shows Niceville about as far from the camp as Crestview, so distance alone does not separate them. Price and the school zone do. My Crestview relocation guide has the subdivisions and builder price bands, and Niceville vs Crestview runs the two side by side.
Base housing and the Eglin housing office
There is no family housing on the camp. On main Eglin, the Air Force's housing page says Mayroad owns the privatized family housing. It lists the Military Housing Office at (850) 882-4533, extension 3, Mayroad at (850) 613-5050 and unaccompanied housing at (850) 882-5153. To start a privatized housing referral, it says to email your orders to [email protected].
The same page says the office serves all DoD personnel looking for housing in the local community. It does not address Army assignments to Mayroad homes, so ask the office about eligibility before you plan on them. For renters, it lists average rents of $1,800 to $2,700 for three- and four-bedroom homes around Eglin, which you can hold against the table above.
Child care is its own planning line. In a March 2025 Federal Register notice, the Air Force said it decided to build a child development center on a 14-acre parcel acquired from the City of Crestview, for Eglin families living north of the range. I could not confirm that it has opened, so ask your unit or Eglin child care before you count on it.
School grades along the corridor
These are Florida Department of Education grades from the 2026 release. A grade describes a school, not an address, so confirm the assigned school for the home you are considering.
- Crestview: Crestview High (B), Shoal River Middle (A), Davidson Middle (A), Antioch Elementary (A), Northwood Elementary (A), Riverside Elementary (A), Walker Elementary (A), Bob Sikes Elementary (B).
- North Okaloosa: Baker School (B), Laurel Hill School (A).
- Niceville and Valparaiso: Niceville High (A), Ruckel Middle (A), Bluewater Elementary (A), Edge Elementary (A), Plew Elementary (A), Lewis School (A).
How I would run the numbers
Start with your rate from the table, then price one real home with the calculator, using a quoted premium and a buyer-based tax estimate. Decide whether renting first makes sense with the rent versus buy guide. If you may be away when it is time to close, set up the power of attorney early and read buying sight unseen. If your next orders could come before you are ready to sell, the rent or sell guide is worth reading before you buy.
Sources and references
- U.S. Army Special Operations Command: 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), read November 7, 2026.
- DVIDS: 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) who we are, U.S. Army video, June 8, 2026.
- DVIDS: 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) officially calls Northwest Florida home, 1st Special Forces Command, October 2011.
- Senate Report 117-130, "Camp Bull Simons alignment review", July 18, 2022.
- Eglin Air Force Base: 7th Special Forces Group breaks ground, March 26, 2009.
- Military Times: These Florida military families will finally get a child care center, October 14, 2022.
- Air Force Housing: Eglin, read November 7, 2026.
- Federal Register, March 20, 2025: child development center decision, Eglin.
- DoD BAH rate lookup and its archived 2026 rate and ZIP files, on this site's BAH rates page.
- Florida Department of Education school grades, 2026 release.
- OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data: free-flow routes run November 7, 2026, no traffic or gate delay modeled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there family housing at Camp Bull Simons?
No. Military Times reported in October 2022 that the camp has barracks, a chapel, a troop clinic and a shopette but no child development center, family housing or commissary. Privatized family housing is on main Eglin, about 19 miles away, and is owned by Mayroad.
What BAH does 7th Special Forces Group receive?
Plan on FL056, the Eglin AFB housing area: $2,433 a month for an E-5 with dependents, $2,841 for an E-7 and $3,399 for an O-3 in 2026. No published duty ZIP for the camp turned up, but DoD's 2026 file places Eglin's 32542, Duke Field's 32531 and Crestview's 32536 all in FL056. Confirm your duty ZIP with finance.
Where do 7th Group families live?
A 2022 Senate Armed Services Committee report says accompanied families typically live off post in Crestview, and Military Times reported that year that about 60% of 7th Group families lived there. Those are the newest published figures I found.
How far is Camp Bull Simons from Crestview and from main Eglin?
Military Times put Crestview 20 minutes from the camp. A free-flow route model gives 14.0 miles and about 28 minutes to the OpenStreetMap compound point, with no gate or traffic modeled. The Senate report puts the camp roughly 19.4 miles from Eglin. Test the drive from the actual address at your report time.
Who do I call about Eglin housing from 7th Group?
The Air Force lists the Eglin Military Housing Office at (850) 882-4533, extension 3, and Mayroad at (850) 613-5050. It says the office serves all DoD personnel looking for housing in the local community. Ask the office directly about eligibility for Mayroad homes, because the page does not address Army assignments.
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