2026 BAH Rates — Wilmington, NC
Wilmington sits in a military housing area — the group of 29 ZIP codes the Defense Department treats as one market when it sets BAH, so everyone stationed here draws the same rate for their pay grade. The Defense Travel Management Office labels this one NC186. Rates below are monthly and effective January 1, 2026. An E-5 with dependents receives $2,040/month here, against a local 3-bedroom renting for $2,178.
What housing costs in Wilmington
Typical rent and typical purchase price by size, next to your allowance, so you can budget before you start packing.
| Size | Typical rent | Typical price to buy | Monthly cost to own |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-bedroom | $1,513+$527 | $279,085 | $2,249−$209 |
| 2-bedroom | $1,659+$381 | $271,913 | $2,191−$151 |
| 3-bedroom | $2,178−$138 | $399,193 | $3,217−$1,177 |
| 4-bedroom | $2,319−$279 | $681,662 | $5,493−$3,453 |
Your BAH covers a 2-bedroom rental. Buying at any size costs more than the allowance.
The small figure next to each price is that cost measured against your BAH of $2,040/mo (E-5 with dependents).
+ green = your allowance covers it, with that much left over each month− red= the allowance falls short, and you'd pay that much out of pocket
A dash means we don't have enough local data to publish a reliable figure for that size.
Should you buy or rent here?
Buying costs more than renting up front — closing costs, interest-heavy early payments, and about 7% to sell. Around Wilmington those costs are recovered after 7 years. Shorter than that and renting usually comes out ahead.
That is close to a normal tour length — buying is defensible if you expect to stay, extend, or keep the place as a rental after you PCS.
Home values, past year
+0.1%
Past 3 years, annualized
+1.2%
Where these numbers come from
Rents are 2026 HUD Fair Market Rents for the Wilmington, NC HUD Metro FMR Area, which HUD publishes for the whole metro area rather than by ZIP code. HUD rents include tenant-paid utilities such as electricity, gas, and water, and reflect a modest local unit rather than the top of the market.
Purchase prices are the median across the 21 of 29 ZIP codes in this housing area that Zillow publishes home values for, updated 2026-07-23. Sizes backed by fewer than three ZIP codes are left blank rather than shown as a median.
Monthly cost to own assumes a VA loan at 6% over 30 years with no down payment and the 2%funding fee financed, plus your state's average effective property tax, insurance at 1% of value per year, and maintenance at 1%. VA loans carry no mortgage insurance.
The buy-versus-rent breakeven charges buying for 2% closing costs and every monthly payment, credits it for the sale proceeds after 7% selling costs and the remaining loan balance, and compares that against rent rising 3% a year. Home values are assumed to grow 3%a year nationally rather than at this area's recent local rate.
Estimates for planning, not a lending offer. Your rate, taxes, and insurance will differ. Housing data courtesy of Zillow and HUD.
See how Wilmington compares to every other housing area in our 2026 BAH affordability report.
2026 BAH rate table — every pay grade
Tap a category to see its rates. Enlisted grades are open by default.
Enlisted▾
| Pay Grade | With Dependents | Without Dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,932 | $1,491 |
| E-2 | $1,932 | $1,491 |
| E-3 | $1,932 | $1,491 |
| E-4 | $1,932 | $1,491 |
| E-5 | $2,040 | $1,701 |
| E-6 | $2,502 | $1,878 |
| E-7 | $2,547 | $1,932 |
| E-8 | $2,595 | $2,136 |
| E-9 | $2,736 | $2,271 |
Warrant Officer▾
| Pay Grade | With Dependents | Without Dependents |
|---|---|---|
| W-1 | $2,523 | $1,905 |
| W-2 | $2,568 | $2,133 |
| W-3 | $2,631 | $2,289 |
| W-4 | $2,775 | $2,508 |
| W-5 | $2,958 | $2,559 |
Officer (prior enlisted)▾
| Pay Grade | With Dependents | Without Dependents |
|---|---|---|
| O-1E | $2,553 | $2,037 |
| O-2E | $2,619 | $2,241 |
| O-3E | $2,805 | $2,496 |
Officer▾
| Pay Grade | With Dependents | Without Dependents |
|---|---|---|
| O-1 | $2,100 | $1,818 |
| O-2 | $2,496 | $2,007 |
| O-3 | $2,628 | $2,334 |
| O-4 | $3,018 | $2,541 |
| O-5 | $3,303 | $2,565 |
| O-6 | $3,327 | $2,607 |
| O-7 | $3,351 | $2,652 |
| O-8 | $3,351 | $2,652 |
| O-9 | $3,351 | $2,652 |
| O-10 | $3,351 | $2,652 |
Wilmington BAH: Common Questions
Does BAH cover rent at Wilmington?
A 2-bedroom in the Wilmington area typically rents for $1,659/month and a 3-bedroom for $2,178/month, including utilities. An E-5 with dependents draws $2,040/month in BAH, which covers the 2-bedroom with about $381/month to spare, but falls about $138/month short of the 3-bedroom. Use the pay grade selector on this page to see your own rate.
Is it better to buy or rent at Wilmington?
Buying the median $401,857 home in this area takes about 7 years to beat renting once closing costs, interest, taxes, upkeep, and selling costs are counted. If your tour is shorter than that and you don't plan to keep the home as a rental, renting is usually the lower-risk call.
How much does it cost to own a home near Wilmington?
The median home in this housing area is worth about $401,857. With a VA loan at 6% and no down payment, that runs roughly $3,238/month all in — $2,461 principal and interest, $275 property tax, and $502 insurance and upkeep.
What area does the Wilmington housing area cover?
The Wilmington military housing area — labeled NC186 in the Defense Travel Management Office tables — covers 29 ZIP codes around Wilmington, North Carolina. A military housing area is simply the group of ZIP codes the Defense Department treats as one housing market when setting BAH. Your rate is set by your duty station's location, not by where inside that area you choose to live.
When did these Wilmington BAH rates take effect?
These rates are effective January 1, 2026, from the official Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) dataset. BAH rate protection means existing service members don't see decreases when new rates drop.
Other North Carolina Military Housing Areas
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