If you have orders to one of the Marine Corps bases in North Carolina, you are headed to the heart of the Corps on the East Coast. North Carolina has three main Marine Corps installations, all on or near the coast: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) New River in Jacksonville, and MCAS Cherry Point in Havelock. This guide covers what each base does, where it sits, and what 2026 BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) looks like nearby.
Want the full picture, including Fort Bragg and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base? Start with our hub guide, What Military Bases Are in North Carolina?
Marine Corps Bases in North Carolina, at a Glance
| Installation | Nearest town | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| MCB Camp Lejeune | Jacksonville | II MEF, 2nd Marine Division and MARSOC |
| MCAS New River | Jacksonville | MV-22 Osprey and CH-53 helicopter squadrons |
| MCAS Cherry Point | Havelock | 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing headquarters and F-35B jets |
| Fleet Readiness Center East | Cherry Point | Aircraft maintenance and repair depot |
| MCOLF Atlantic and MCALF Bogue | Atlantic and Bogue | Outlying fields for flight training |
North Carolina's Marine Corps installations at a glance. Sources: MCB Camp Lejeune; 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing; MCAS Cherry Point; NAVAIR.
Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune
Camp Lejeune, in Onslow County, is the Marine Corps' main base on the East Coast. It is home to II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF), which is made up of the 2nd Marine Division, the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, the 2nd Marine Logistics Group and the II MEF Information Group, per the II MEF About page. The aircraft wing flies out of New River and Cherry Point, while the ground and logistics units are based at Lejeune.
The base is also home to Marine Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC), which stood up at Camp Lejeune on February 24, 2006, per the MARSOC About page. New headquarters buildings for II MEF, the 2nd Marine Division and the 2nd Marine Logistics Group are part of a $152 million building program, per a 2025 II MEF report on the new 2nd MLG headquarters.
Camp Lejeune includes several smaller camps. School of Infantry-East, which trains new infantry Marines, is at Camp Geiger, which shares its front gate with MCAS New River, per the School of Infantry-East page. Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune sits on a 162-acre campus along Northeast Creek and offers trauma care, per the Naval Medical Center Camp Lejeune page.
A note for veterans. If you served or lived at Camp Lejeune or MCAS New River for at least 30 days between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987, you may qualify for VA health care and disability benefits tied to past water contamination, per the VA's Camp Lejeune water contamination page.
For neighborhoods and schools in Onslow County, read our Camp Lejeune and Onslow County 2026 guide. To weigh buying against renting, see our buy vs. rent breakdown near Camp Lejeune.
Torn between Jacksonville, Hubert and Sneads Ferry? Talk with a Camp Lejeune-area agent who works with military families. There is no cost and no obligation.
MCAS New River
MCAS New River sits on the New River in Jacksonville, right next to Camp Lejeune. It is home to Marine helicopter and tiltrotor squadrons under Marine Aircraft Groups 26 and 29. Squadron VMM-263 flies the MV-22 Osprey, a tiltrotor that takes off like a helicopter and flies like a plane. It became the fleet's first operational Osprey squadron in 2005, per the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's VMM-263 page. Squadron HMH-461 flies the heavy-lift CH-53K and CH-53E helicopters, per the HMH-461 page.
Because New River and Lejeune share the Jacksonville area and the same BAH rate area, most families shop for homes in the same neighborhoods for either base.
MCAS Cherry Point
MCAS Cherry Point is in Craven County, between New Bern and Morehead City, near the town of Havelock. The station and its support sites cover about 29,000 acres and support more than 53,000 people, per the MCAS Cherry Point About page.
Cherry Point is headquarters for the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, which has 42 squadrons and more than 15,000 Marines and Sailors, per the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing About page. The wing's squadrons are spread across Cherry Point, New River, and MCAS Beaufort in South Carolina.
Cherry Point's jets are changing. The Marine Corps' last operational AV-8B Harrier squadron, VMA-223, held its sundown ceremony at Cherry Point on June 3, 2026, ending 55 years of Harrier service, per the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing report on the final Harrier squadron. The F-35B Lightning II is taking its place. Squadron VMFA-542 became the first East Coast F-35B squadron ready for operations in February 2024, per the 2nd MAW report on VMFA-542.
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Cherry Point is also home to Fleet Readiness Center East, a repair depot with more than 3,600 military, civilian and contract workers. It calls itself North Carolina's largest maintenance, repair and overhaul provider, per NAVAIR's FRC East page. That means many civilian jobs, which can help military spouses.
Two outlying fields support Cherry Point's training. Marine Corps Outlying Landing Field (MCOLF) Atlantic supports helicopter and air-to-ground training, per Cherry Point's MCOLF Atlantic history. Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field (MCALF) Bogue is used for expeditionary airfield training, per Cherry Point's MCALF Bogue history.
For more on Havelock, New Bern and the Crystal Coast, read our MCAS Cherry Point 2026 PCS guide.
What BAH Covers Near North Carolina's Marine Bases
BAH is a monthly, tax-free payment to help cover housing off base. It depends on your pay grade, your duty ZIP code, and whether you have dependents. Here are 2026 rates from the DTMO BAH rate lookup. Each cell shows with dependents first, then without.
| Location | Rate area | E-5 | E-7 | O-3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River | NC178 | $1,584 / $1,476 | $1,995 / $1,593 | $2,085 / $1,809 |
| MCAS Cherry Point and Morehead City | NC177 | $1,851 / $1,722 | $2,181 / $1,806 | $2,421 / $1,971 |
2026 monthly BAH with dependents near North Carolina's Marine Corps bases. Source: Defense Travel Management Office BAH rate lookup.
A few things stand out:
- Cherry Point pays more than Camp Lejeune at every grade shown. An E-5 with dependents gets $267 more a month at Cherry Point.
- Camp Lejeune and MCAS New River share one rate area, NC178.
- At Camp Lejeune, an E-7 with dependents gets $402 more a month than an E-7 without dependents.
BAH is meant to cover typical rent and utilities, not your dream home. To see how your rate turns into a price range, read how much house you can afford on BAH. For what changed this year, see our post on 2026 BAH rates.
Buying a Home Near North Carolina's Marine Bases
Use your VA loan. A VA loan is a home loan backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Per the VA's purchase loan page, you can buy with no down payment as long as the price is not higher than the home's appraised value. You also do not need private mortgage insurance. Our North Carolina military buyer's guide walks through the steps.
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We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.Know the North Carolina tax rules. If your legal residence is in another state, North Carolina does not tax your military pay while you are stationed here, per the North Carolina Department of Revenue's armed forces page. If North Carolina is your legal residence, your military pay is taxed. Retirees with 20 or more years of service, or a medical retirement, can deduct their military retirement pay. Veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability can exclude the first $45,000 of their home's appraised value from property tax, per the 2026 NCDOR Form AV-9. See our guide to North Carolina veteran property tax exemptions.
Check flood zones and noise. These bases sit on low, coastal land, and hurricanes do reach this coast. Ask about flood insurance before you make an offer. Near New River and Cherry Point, also check the aircraft noise zones.
If you are also weighing an Army posting, see our guide to Army bases in North Carolina. For weekend ideas, try our list of family-friendly outdoor activities near Camp Lejeune.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Marine Corps bases are in North Carolina?
North Carolina has three main Marine Corps installations: Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, MCAS New River and MCAS Cherry Point. Cherry Point also runs two outlying fields, MCOLF Atlantic and MCALF Bogue.
What is the largest Marine Corps base in North Carolina?
Camp Lejeune. It is home to II Marine Expeditionary Force, the 2nd Marine Division, the 2nd Marine Logistics Group and MARSOC.
Is MCAS New River part of Camp Lejeune?
MCAS New River is its own air station, but it sits right next to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville. Camp Geiger shares a front gate with it. Both bases use the same BAH rate area, NC178.
What aircraft fly at MCAS Cherry Point?
Cherry Point is shifting to the F-35B Lightning II. The Marine Corps' last operational AV-8B Harrier squadron held its final ceremony there in June 2026.
Which North Carolina Marine base has the higher BAH?
MCAS Cherry Point. An E-5 with dependents gets $1,851 a month there in 2026, compared with $1,584 at Camp Lejeune.
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