Military Relocation to Wilmington & Southeastern NC

By Buddy Blake · Updated October 19, 2026

The short answer: Southeastern North Carolina sits close to several major installations, led by Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River near Jacksonville. Where you live depends on your gate, your commute tolerance and how long your orders run. Jacksonville and Sneads Ferry put you closest to Lejeune, while Hampstead and Wilmington trade a longer drive for more housing choices. Check your BAH, drive the commute, and decide whether renting or buying fits your timeline.

Installations in and near our area

Installation	Where it is	From Wilmington
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune	Onslow County; main gate just east of Jacksonville off NC 24	About 90 minutes to the main gate
MCAS New River	About 4 miles south of downtown Jacksonville on US 17	In the Jacksonville area, a similar drive to Camp Lejeune
MCAS Cherry Point	Havelock, Craven County, about 20 miles from Morehead City	Farther north and east; usually not a daily commute from Wilmington
Fort Bragg	Near Fayetteville, inland	A road trip, not a commute
Seymour Johnson Air Force Base	Goldsboro, inland	A road trip, not a commute
Coast Guard Sector North Carolina	Headquartered in Wilmington; stations at Wrightsville Beach, Oak Island and Fort Macon (Atlantic Beach)	In town, or a short drive for Wrightsville and Oak Island
Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point	Brunswick County, between Boiling Spring Lakes and the Cape Fear River, upstream of Southport	About 16 miles south of Wilmington

Drive times are estimates and change with traffic, gate choice and construction. Fort Bragg had its name restored in February 2025, so you may still see older paperwork that says Fort Liberty.

A note on Camp Lejeune gates

Camp Lejeune is a large base, covering more than 150,000 acres with 14 miles of beachfront. Your gate matters as much as your town. The Stone Bay and Sneads Ferry gates on NC 172 serve the south side of the base. Living near the gate you'll actually use can save you a lot of time each day.

Where service members commonly look, by commute

Here's how the main towns compare, based on published estimates of drive time to Camp Lejeune. Always drive it yourself at the hour you'd report.

Town	To Lejeune main gate	To Stone Bay gate	Typical homes
Jacksonville	About 10 minutes	—	Wide range: established neighborhoods, newer subdivisions, townhomes
Sneads Ferry	About 30 minutes	About 10 minutes	Single-family homes, waterfront along the New River, some land
Holly Ridge	About 35 minutes	About 15 minutes	Newer subdivisions and new construction near US 17
Surf City	About 40 minutes	About 25 minutes	Topsail Island beach homes and condos, plus mainland neighborhoods
Hampstead	About 45 minutes	About 30 minutes	Larger lots, golf and sound-side communities, new construction
Wilmington	About 90 minutes	—	City neighborhoods, condos, historic homes; close to Coast Guard units

US 17 is the main route between Wilmington, Hampstead and the Jacksonville area. NCDOT's Hampstead Bypass is under construction, with its northern section expected around summer 2027 and the full project around 2030. Until then, expect work zones along US 17 in Pender County.

If you're assigned to the Coast Guard in Wilmington or to Sunny Point, your search looks different. Wilmington, Leland, Southport and Boiling Spring Lakes all make sense. Our Moving to Wilmington guide covers those areas in detail.

On base or off base?

Base housing still has real advantages: neighbors who understand military life, a short drive to work and an easy exit if orders change. Living off base gives you more choice of home, town and school district, and buying lets you build equity.

At Camp Lejeune and New River, family housing is run with two privatized partners, Hunt Military Communities and Liberty Military Housing. The Family Housing Division accepts applications online, and your place on the list is set by the date your complete application arrives. So apply as soon as you have orders, even if you're still deciding. Contact the Camp Lejeune Family Housing Division or the housing office at 910-238-3083.

Bringing a pet? Check the housing partner's pet policy, or your landlord's or HOA's, before you sign anything. Some limit the number, size or breed of pets.

Temporary lodging when you arrive

Most PCS moves include a gap between arriving and getting your keys. Plan for it early.

Inns of the Corps at Camp Lejeune (896 Holcomb Blvd) gives priority to families on PCS orders. You can reserve up to 30 days ahead with a one-night deposit. Rooms have kitchenettes, and a limited number allow pets for an extra fee. Call 910-451-3041, ext. 181, or see MCCS lodging.
If the Inns are full, you'll receive a letter of non-availability so you can stay at a hotel in town. Keep that letter for your travel claim.
MCAS New River lists its own options on its temporary housing page.

Check-in for Camp Lejeune runs through the Joint Reception Center, which handles welcome-aboard briefs, ID cards and TRICARE. There's no base operator anymore, so use the phone directory at lejeune.marines.mil.

Schools and the School Liaison Program

Children of service members may attend local public schools or, if eligible, Department of Defense schools on base. The Marine Corps School Liaison office at Camp Lejeune helps with transfers, records and choosing between options. It's at 780 Brewster Blvd. Call 910-449-9915 or 910-449-9749 for an appointment, or see the K-12 School Liaison Program.

If you live off base, the address decides your public school. Confirm the assignment for the exact address with the district before you sign a lease or contract.

BAH: start with the official number

Your Basic Allowance for Housing depends on your pay grade, dependency status and duty station ZIP code. 2026 rates took effect January 1, 2026, with an average increase of 4.2% nationwide. BAH also has rate protection: if you keep uninterrupted eligibility at a location, your rate won't drop even if local rates go down.

Look up your exact rate with the official DoD BAH calculator. Then build your budget around the full monthly cost: rent or mortgage, insurance, utilities and any HOA dues.

VA loan basics

A VA-guaranteed loan is one of the strongest benefits you've earned. In general:

No down payment is required in many cases, and there's no monthly mortgage insurance.
Most borrowers pay a one-time VA funding fee. Some veterans, such as those receiving VA disability compensation, are exempt.
You'll need a Certificate of Eligibility (COE).
You must plan to live in the home as your residence.

This is general information only. Read the VA's own pages on eligibility and purchase loans, and talk with a lender who closes VA loans often. Our trusted local pros list is a good place to start.

PCS timeline tips

As soon as you have orders: Look up your BAH, submit your base housing application, call the School Liaison if you have kids, and get VA pre-approval if you might buy.
60 to 90 days out: Narrow your towns by commute. Start video tours with a buyer agent.
House-hunting trip: Drive your commute at rush hour. Tour your top homes in person if you can.
Under contract: Schedule inspections, get insurance quotes and line up your closing date around your report date and household goods delivery.
After you arrive: Check in, get settled, and confirm school enrollment. Our moving guide covers NC driver licenses, plates and utilities.

The most common mistake I see is buying off a map instead of off a life.

A family gets orders, looks at a map, sees Wilmington, Hampstead and Jacksonville all sitting along the coast, and assumes they’re all “close to base.” They pick the house they love online and figure out the drive later. Then they find out the commute to Camp Lejeune from Wilmington can run close to an hour each way, and US-17 at rush hour doesn’t care what time formation is.

Second on the list is not thinking about the next set of orders. Most military families won’t be here forever. The property you buy today should be one you can easily rent out or resell in two or three years. That means paying attention to things like flood zones, HOA rental rules, and whether the neighborhood has steady demand from other military and civilian families.

How to avoid it:

Start with the commute. Figure out where you’ll report, then decide how far you’re willing to drive. Drive the route at the actual time you’d be on the road if you can, or have someone local do it for you. Get flood and insurance quotes before you fall in love. On the coast, insurance can change the monthly payment more than people expect. Know the number before you write an offer. Get your VA pre-approval done early, with a lender who works VA loans all the time. It makes your offer stronger and saves surprises at closing. Buy with your exit in mind. Ask, “If we get orders in two years, will this rent or sell easily?” If the answer is shaky, keep looking. Work with someone who knows the whole region, not just one town. The difference between Wilmington, Hampstead, Sneads Ferry and Jacksonville isn’t just distance. It’s schools, traffic, prices and resale.

We’ve helped a lot of military families land here, and the ones who do best plan for the whole tour, not just move-in day.

Renting vs. buying on short orders

There's no single right answer. Buying can make sense if you expect to stay three years or more, or if you'd keep the home as a rental after you leave. Renting often makes more sense on short orders or when you're not sure which side of the base you'll be working on.

If you buy and plan to rent it out later, ask these questions up front:

Does the HOA allow long-term rentals? Are there minimum lease terms?
What would similar homes rent for, and would that cover the payment?
Will you hire a property manager once you move?

Buddy's take

I've seen markets go up and I've seen them go down. There was a stretch here when the best advice we could give someone was to rent their house and wait. That's why I tell military buyers to plan the exit before they buy. If your orders change, you want a home you can rent out or sell without losing sleep.

Homes for Heroes

Active-duty service members and veterans may qualify for Hero Rewards through Homes for Heroes when they buy with our team. Learn more on our Homes for Heroes page.

Available only when a Buddy Blake Team member is your buyer's agent; can't be combined with other referral programs such as Zillow agents.

How our team helps

The Buddy Blake Team has buyer agents who cover Wilmington, Pender County and Onslow County. They can give you live video tours, compare commutes, and keep your search on schedule while you're still at your current duty station. Buddy personally represents sellers, so if you're PCSing out and need to sell here, he can help with that side. Call or text (910) 395-1000, or meet the team.

Before you decide

Drive from the home to your actual gate at your report time.
Check the flood zone for the exact address on the state Flood Risk Information System.
Get homeowners and flood insurance quotes before you make an offer.
Confirm school assignment for the exact address with the district, such as Onslow County Schools or New Hanover County Schools.
Read HOA rules on rentals, parking, boats and trailers.
Check your installation's resources on Military OneSource.

Keep looking

Questions people ask

How far is Wilmington from Camp Lejeune?

About 90 minutes to the main gate, depending on traffic. Towns like Hampstead, Surf City and Sneads Ferry sit in between.

Is there a Coast Guard presence in Wilmington?

Yes. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina is headquartered in Wilmington, with nearby stations at Wrightsville Beach and Oak Island.

Where do I find 2026 BAH rates?

Use the official DoD BAH calculator at travel.dod.mil. Enter your duty station ZIP code and pay grade for your exact rate.

Should I buy or rent on three-year orders?

It depends on prices, rents, your plans after you leave and whether the home could work as a rental. Run the numbers both ways with a lender and an agent before you decide.

Where do I stay while I look for a home near Camp Lejeune?

Start with the Inns of the Corps on base, which gives priority to families on PCS orders. If it's full, you'll get a letter of non-availability to use a hotel in town.

Can I use Homes for Heroes with a VA loan?

Ask our team about your situation. Homes for Heroes is available only when a Buddy Blake Team member is your buyer's agent and can't be combined with other referral programs such as Zillow agents.