Fort Bragg BAH Rates 2026: NC182 Lookup & Rules

Fort Bragg Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) falls under Military Housing Area NC182 in the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) tables. For 2026, DTMO sets NC182's component split at roughly 82% rent and 18% utilities, with monthly rates looked up by duty-station ZIP code (28307 or 28310) and pay grade in the official DTMO BAH calculator. On post, Corvias takes 100% of BAH; off post, you keep any unused balance.

This guide explains how to look up your exact 2026 rate without falling for third-party table errors, why your duty-station ZIP code—not your home address in Hope Mills, Spring Lake, or Raeford—determines your allowance, and how BAH rules work for individual rate protection, dual-military couples, and PCS moves. For a side-by-side look at on-post Corvias villages and off-post rental neighborhoods, pair this page with our Fort Bragg housing guide and our off-post housing and BAH guide.

Fort Bragg BAH at a Glance (2026)

Question	Short answer	Official source
What is Fort Bragg's Military Housing Area code?	NC182 (FORT BRAGG, NC); note that NC181 is Elizabeth City, NC	DTMO 2026 BAH Component Breakdown
Where do I look up my exact 2026 monthly rate?	Enter ZIP 28307 or 28310 and your pay grade in the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup	DTMO BAH Rate Lookup
How does DTMO split NC182 between rent and utilities?	Roughly 82% rent and 18% utilities in the 2026 breakdown	DTMO 2026 Breakdown PDF
What was the average nationwide BAH change for 2026?	4.2% average increase effective January 1, 2026	Department of War 2026 BAH Release
Does living in Hoke, Harnett, or Moore County change my BAH?	No. Active-duty BAH is tied to your duty station (NC182), not the ZIP code of the home you rent or buy	DTMO BAH Primer
Where do I get off-post lease help before spending BAH?	Fort Bragg Housing Services Office (HSO), Soldier Support Center basement, Bldg. 4-2843; (910) 396-1022	Fort Bragg HSO

Step-by-Step: Looking Up Your Exact 2026 NC182 Rate

Because unofficial military blogs frequently copy outdated numbers or confuse NC182 (Fort Bragg) with NC181 (Elizabeth City), always pull your monthly figure directly from the Defense Travel Management Office:

1. Open the DTMO BAH Rate Lookup.
2. Select 2026 as the year.
3. Enter a Fort Bragg duty-station ZIP code—28307 or 28310—and your Pay Grade (E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-5, O-1E through O-3E, or O-1 through O-10).
4. Read both rows returned for MHA NC182: the With Dependents rate and the Without Dependents rate.

If you want to see how those 2026 NC182 pay-grade tiers compare against typical one- to four-bedroom rents in Cumberland County, see the rate table in our off-post housing and BAH guide.

How the 82% Rent / 18% Utilities Split Works in Real Life

Every year, DTMO publishes a BAH Rate Component Breakdown showing how much of each Military Housing Area's allowance came from local rental survey data versus local utility costs. For NC182 (Fort Bragg, NC) in 2026, the breakdown is roughly 82% rent and 18% utilities.

Why that 82/18 split matters when you tour rentals off post:

• Don't sign a lease set at 100% of your BAH. If your monthly BAH is $1,806 and you sign an off-post lease for $1,800, you have spent the 18% utility portion on rent alone. Once you add electricity, water, and sewer through the Fayetteville Public Works Commission (PWC) (which average $200 to $350 a month for a three-bedroom home depending on season) plus renters insurance and lawn care, you will pay $250 to $350 out of pocket every month.
• Target 75% to 82% of your BAH for base rent. Keeping your rent near or below the 82% component leaves room inside your allowance for summer air-conditioning bills, water, and renters insurance.
• Compare against on-post Corvias villages. In on-post privatized housing run by Corvias, your rent allotment equals 100% of your BAH, but baseline electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, trash, and lawn care are included (on-post Corvias housing review).

Five BAH Rules Every Fort Bragg Household Should Know

Per the DTMO BAH regulations and DoD Financial Management Regulation (DoD 7000.14-R, Volume 7A, Chapter 26), five rules govern how your allowance works during a Fort Bragg tour:

1. Duty Station ZIP Code vs. Residence ZIP Code

Active-duty BAH is based on your permanent duty station, not where you live. Whether you rent an apartment off Morganton Road in Fayetteville, buy a house in Raeford (Hoke County), commute from Spring Lake or Anderson Creek, or drive in from Southern Pines in Moore County, you receive the NC182 rate. (Note: GI Bill Monthly Housing Allowance rules for veterans in school differ from active-duty BAH and look at the campus ZIP code; see our VA benefits guide.)

2. Individual Rate Protection

New BAH tables take effect every January 1. Under individual rate protection, as long as you remain continuously assigned to Fort Bragg without a reduction in pay grade or a change in dependent status, your monthly BAH will never drop below the rate you were already receiving—even if published NC182 rates for your grade decrease in a future year. If published rates rise on January 1, you automatically receive the higher rate.

3. One "With-Dependents" Rate per Grade

BAH has only two tiers at each pay grade: With Dependents and Without Dependents. A soldier with a spouse and four children receives the exact same with-dependents BAH as a soldier with one dependent. DTMO anchor housing profiles link each pay grade to a benchmark dwelling type (for example, a two-bedroom townhome for an E-5 with dependents or a three-bedroom single-family house for an E-6 to E-8 with dependents). Families who need four or five bedrooms should factor that gap into their Fayetteville cost of living budget.

4. Dual-Military Couples

When two active-duty service members are married to each other and stationed at Fort Bragg:

• Without children: If you live off post, both service members receive the Without-Dependents BAH rate for their respective pay grades.
• With children: One service member (the couple chooses which one, usually the higher-ranking member) claims the With-Dependents rate, and the other receives the Without-Dependents rate.

5. Unaccompanied Enlisted Soldiers (E-1 to E-5) and CNAs

Single, unaccompanied soldiers in grades E-1 through E-5 assigned to Fort Bragg are ordinarily quartered in garrison barracks managed by DPW Unaccompanied Housing and do not receive full BAH. To live off post and draw without-dependents BAH, an E-1 to E-5 soldier must hold an approved Certificate of Non-Availability (CNA) routed through their unit command and DPW Unaccompanied Housing at (910) 396-3745 (Fort Bragg housing guide). Soldiers in grade E-6 and above are eligible to live off post and draw BAH without a CNA.

How BAH Starts When You PCS to Fort Bragg

While you are in transit from your last duty station, you receive BAH at your old station's rate (or transit BAH if coming from overseas) until the day you sign in at the XVIII Airborne Corps Reception Company, Building 4-1437 Normandy Drive (PCS to Fort Bragg guide). During your five-day in-processing window at the Soldier Support Center, finance updates your DA Form 5960 so that NC182 BAH begins as of your sign-in date.

Keep two related allowances separate from BAH:

• Temporary Lodging Expense (TLE): Reimburses temporary hotel and meal costs (such as stays at IHG Army Hotels on post) during a CONUS PCS move; see our PCS lodging guide.
• Childcare Fee Calculation: Remember that Fort Bragg CYS counts your NC182 BAH as part of Total Family Income when setting your weekly CDC rate; see our Fort Bragg childcare and CDC guide.

Sources

• DTMO BAH Rate Lookup (Official Calculator)
• DTMO 2026 BAH Rate Component Breakdown (NC182 Fort Bragg)
• DTMO Basic Allowance for Housing Overview & Regulations
• Department of War: 2026 Basic Allowance for Housing Rates Release
• Fort Bragg Housing Services Office (HSO)
• Corvias Fort Bragg FAQs

Details checked November 1, 2026.