Durham/Chapel Hill, NC BAH Rates
2026 Basic Allowance for Housing rates for Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina (MHA: NC180).
| Pay Grade | With Dependents | Without Dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 (Private/Seaman Recruit) | $1,995 | $1,602 |
| E-2 (Private/Seaman Apprentice) | $1,995 | $1,602 |
| E-3 (PFC/Seaman) | $1,995 | $1,602 |
| E-4 (Specialist/Corporal) | $1,995 | $1,602 |
| E-5 (Sergeant) | $2,118 | $1,770 |
| E-6 (Staff Sergeant) | $2,391 | $1,878 |
| E-7 (Sergeant First Class) | $2,436 | $1,998 |
| E-8 (Master Sergeant) | $2,484 | $2,178 |
| E-9 (Sergeant Major) | $2,631 | $2,250 |
| W-1 (Warrant Officer) | $2,409 | $1,965 |
| W-2 (Chief Warrant Officer 2) | $2,454 | $2,175 |
| W-3 (Chief Warrant Officer 3) | $2,520 | $2,262 |
| W-4 (Chief Warrant Officer 4) | $2,673 | $2,394 |
| W-5 (Chief Warrant Officer 5) | $2,868 | $2,445 |
| O-1E (2LT/ENS w/ >4yr Enlisted) | $2,439 | $2,115 |
| O-2E (1LT/LTJG w/ >4yr Enlisted) | $2,508 | $2,235 |
| O-3E (CPT/LT w/ >4yr Enlisted) | $2,703 | $2,382 |
| O-1 (Second Lieutenant/Ensign) | $2,160 | $1,869 |
| O-2 (First Lieutenant/LTJG) | $2,388 | $2,082 |
| O-3 (Captain/Lieutenant) | $2,517 | $2,289 |
| O-4 (Major/LCDR) | $2,931 | $2,430 |
| O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel/CDR) | $3,231 | $2,451 |
| O-6 (Colonel/Captain) | $3,258 | $2,496 |
| O-7 (Brigadier General/RDML) | $3,279 | $2,538 |
Durham/Chapel Hill, NC — BAH Rate Snapshot
2026 monthly BAH rates with dependents across key pay grades. Rates range from $1,995 to $3,231 — a $1,236 spread.
Highlighted bars show commonly referenced pay grades (E-5, O-3). All rates are 2026 DoD BAH figures for Durham/Chapel Hill, NC.
BAH Rate History (Estimated)
BAH Rate History — E-5 in Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
With Dependents • 2022–2026 (+$411 / +24.1%)
* Rates sourced from official DoD BAH rate publications for each year.
Durham/Chapel Hill vs. Nearby NC Duty Stations
E-5 with dependents BAH comparison. Durham/Chapel Hill ranks #5 — $486/mo less than Outer Banks.
About BAH in Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
The 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing rate for Durham/Chapel Hill, North Carolina reflects the local cost of rental housing in the NC180 Military Housing Area. BAH rates are determined by surveying rental costs for various housing profiles in the area.
For an E-5 with dependents stationed in Durham/Chapel Hill, the monthly BAH rate is $2,118, which comes to $25,416 per year. Without dependents, the same pay grade receives $1,770 per month.
BAH Rates by Rank in Durham/Chapel Hill
View Durham/Chapel Hill BAH rates broken down by specific pay grade: E-5 BAH rates, E-6 BAH rates, E-7 BAH rates, O-3 BAH rates, or browse all pay grades.
Using BAH Toward a VA Home Loan
Many service members in Durham/Chapel Hill use their BAH to cover mortgage payments on a VA home loan. Use our BAH affordability tool to see what you can afford. Since BAH is non-taxable, it can stretch further than equivalent taxable income when qualifying for a mortgage.
Related Resources
- Historical BAH rates — See how Durham/Chapel Hill rates changed from 2022 to 2026
- Compare BAH rates — Compare Durham/Chapel Hill with another duty station
- All North Carolina duty stations