Durham/Chapel Hill, NC BAH 2026 — every pay grade
| GradePay grade | With dep.dependents | No dep.Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $1,995.00 | $1,602.00 |
| E-2 | $1,995.00 | $1,602.00 |
| E-3 | $1,995.00 | $1,602.00 |
| E-4 | $1,995.00 | $1,602.00 |
| E-5 | $2,118.00 | $1,770.00 |
| E-6 | $2,391.00 | $1,878.00 |
| E-7 | $2,436.00 | $1,998.00 |
| E-8 | $2,484.00 | $2,178.00 |
| E-9 | $2,631.00 | $2,250.00 |
| W-1 | $2,409.00 | $1,965.00 |
| W-2 | $2,454.00 | $2,175.00 |
| W-3 | $2,520.00 | $2,262.00 |
| W-4 | $2,673.00 | $2,394.00 |
| W-5 | $2,868.00 | $2,445.00 |
| O-1E | $2,439.00 | $2,115.00 |
| O-2E | $2,508.00 | $2,235.00 |
| O-3E | $2,703.00 | $2,382.00 |
| O-1 | $2,160.00 | $1,869.00 |
| O-2 | $2,388.00 | $2,082.00 |
| O-3 | $2,517.00 | $2,289.00 |
| O-4 | $2,931.00 | $2,430.00 |
| O-5 | $3,231.00 | $2,451.00 |
| O-6 | $3,258.00 | $2,496.00 |
| O-7+ and above | $3,279.00 | $2,538.00 |
Source: Official DTMO 2026 BAH Rate Tables, effective January 1, 2026. DTMO publishes one rate for O-7 through O-10. All rates verified from official DTMO 2026 BAH Rate Excel spreadsheet downloaded from travel.dod.mil. Last verified: 2026-03-22. Verify your exact rate on the official DTMO BAH lookup.
How BAH works in Durham/Chapel Hill, NC
Your duty station sets the rate, not your address. BAH is paid for the Military Housing Area of the installation on your orders. Durham/Chapel Hill, NC falls in MHA NC180, Durham/Chapel Hill, NC. Renting in a cheaper zip nearby does not lower it and a pricier one does not raise it.
With dependents is one rate; without is another. At E-5 the gap in Durham/Chapel Hill, NC is $348.00 a month. Dependency status is what is on your record, so a change (marriage, a child, a divorce) changes the column you are paid from.
Rates are reset every January and protected on the way down. DoD sets each MHA from local rental-market data, publishes in December and pays the new table from January 1 (the 2026 average increase across all areas was 4.2%). If the published rate for Durham/Chapel Hill, NC ever falls, individual rate protection keeps members already at the station on the higher rate as long as they stay (DoD FMR Vol 7A, Ch 26).
BAH is tax-free and yours to keep. Off base you receive the full rate and keep what you do not spend on rent and utilities. In government or privatized housing the allowance goes to the housing provider. While you are still house-hunting after a PCS, the TLE calculator covers temporary lodging and the DLA calculator shows the one-time move-in allowance for your grade.
BAH rates elsewhere in North Carolina
E-5 with dependents shown.