--- title: 'PCS to Fort Stewart and Hunter AAF: A 2026 Guide for Military Families' slug: pcs-to-fort-stewart-hunter-aaf-2026-guide description: >- Planning a PCS to Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield in 2026? A plain-language guide to housing, BAH, schools, and where to live near Hinesville, GA. publishedAt: '2025-08-29T09:00:00.000Z' updatedAt: '2026-06-20T00:00:00.000Z' author: VeteranPCS categories: - PCS Help - US Military Bases canonical: 'https://www.veteranpcs.com/blog/pcs-to-fort-stewart-hunter-aaf-2026-guide' componentSlug: pcs-help stateSlug: georgia --- # PCS to Fort Stewart and Hunter AAF: A 2026 Guide for Military Families If you have orders for a PCS to Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield, welcome to coastal Georgia. PCS stands for Permanent Change of Station, the military term for moving from one duty station to another. AAF stands for Army Airfield. This 2026 guide is written for the families heading to either installation, because the two are run as one garrison and share the same home of the 3rd Infantry Division. ID stands for Infantry Division. We will cover where to live, how housing pay works, schools, healthcare, the local climate, and a few things to do once you are settled. A move is a lot to manage at once. Our goal is to make the Fort Stewart and Hunter part feel a little smaller and a lot clearer. ## What and Where Are Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield? Fort Stewart is a U.S. Army installation near the city of Hinesville, in Liberty County, Georgia, southwest of Savannah. According to [Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield](https://home.army.mil/stewart/), the post's 288,000 acres make the Stewart and Hunter complex the largest Army installation east of the Mississippi River. It is the home of the storied 3rd Infantry Division, known as the "Rock of the Marne." Hunter Army Airfield is a separate installation, but it is part of the same garrison. According to the [Hunter Army Airfield](https://home.army.mil/stewart/about/Garrison/hunter-army-airfield) garrison page, Hunter sits right in the heart of Savannah, in Chatham County, and is home to thousands of soldiers, airmen, and their families. Hunter handles the airfield and deployment mission, and units such as the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade are based there. In plain terms, this guide covers families with orders to either place. Where you live and how far you drive will depend on whether you work at Fort Stewart near Hinesville or at Hunter in Savannah, so we will note both. ## Where to Live When PCSing to Fort Stewart and Hunter AAF Many families who move here live in on-post housing or settle in one of the surrounding coastal communities. Your choice usually comes down to commute, schools, and budget. Ask your sponsor and the housing office about current on-post options and wait times. ![Approximate one-way drive times from coastal Georgia communities to Fort Stewart, including Hinesville, Richmond Hill, Pooler, and Savannah.](/images/blog/pcs-to-fort-stewart-hunter-aaf-2026-guide/where-to-live.png) *Approximate one-way drive times to Fort Stewart. Times vary with traffic and which gate you use. Hunter Army Airfield sits in Savannah, so commutes there differ.* ### Hinesville Hinesville is the closest city to Fort Stewart, with the main gate just minutes away, often around 12 minutes from town. It is the practical, family-friendly hub for the post, with a mix of established neighborhoods, newer subdivisions, and rentals. Many soldiers pick Hinesville for the short commute. If you work at Hunter in Savannah instead, expect a much longer drive. ### Flemington and Midway Flemington and nearby Midway sit just east of Hinesville along Highway 84 and U.S. 17, roughly 18 minutes from Fort Stewart's gates. These small communities offer a quieter, more rural feel while keeping you close to the post and on the way toward I-95. ### Pembroke Pembroke is north of the post in Bryan County, about 30 minutes from Fort Stewart depending on your gate. It is more rural and can offer more land and home for the money. Weigh the longer drive against the savings. ### Richmond Hill Richmond Hill sits south of Savannah along I-95, about 30 minutes from Fort Stewart and a similar drive to Hunter. It has grown quickly and is popular with families who want newer neighborhoods, good schools, and easy interstate access. It is a strong middle point if your household splits time between the two installations. ### Pooler Pooler is on the west side of Savannah near I-95 and I-16, roughly 45 minutes from Fort Stewart but much closer to Hunter Army Airfield. It is one of the fastest-growing areas in the region, with new construction, shopping, and the airport nearby. Families assigned to Hunter often look here first. ### Savannah The city of Savannah is about 45 minutes from Fort Stewart and is right next to Hunter Army Airfield. It offers historic neighborhoods, the coast, and big-city amenities. If you work at Hunter, Savannah and Pooler put you closest to the gate; if you work at Fort Stewart, plan for a longer commute. ## Fort Stewart BAH and the Cost of Living If you live off post, the military helps cover your housing through BAH, which stands for Basic Allowance for Housing. BAH is a monthly, tax-free payment. The amount depends on three things: your rank, whether you have dependents, and your duty station's Military Housing Area, or MHA. An MHA is the geographic zone the Defense Department uses to set local housing pay. Fort Stewart falls within the Hinesville and Fort Stewart Military Housing Area. Because rates change each year and vary by rank and dependent status, we do not publish a rate table here. To find your exact figure, use the official DoD calculator: [travel.dod.mil BAH Rate Lookup](https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/). Enter your rank and ZIP code to see the current rate. Exact BAH rates are verified separately, so always confirm yours before signing a lease or making an offer. For a sense of buying costs, the typical home value in Hinesville was about $225,000 in June 2026, according to [Zillow](https://www.zillow.com/home-values/71500/hinesville-ga-31314/). That is a typical value, not a median sale price. As of the week of June 18, 2026, [Freddie Mac](https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms) reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 6.47 percent. Whether buying or renting makes more sense depends on how long you expect to be stationed here, so run the numbers for your own situation. ## Schools Near Fort Stewart and Hunter AAF The schools your children attend depend on where you live. Several districts serve the area, so the right one comes down to which side of the garrison you settle near. The [Liberty County School System](https://www.liberty.k12.ga.us/) serves Hinesville, Midway, and the communities closest to Fort Stewart, and it works with Fort Stewart liaison services to support military families. Families in Richmond Hill or Pembroke fall under [Bryan County Schools](https://www.bryancountyschools.org/o/rhes/page/school-information1). On the Savannah and Pooler side, near Hunter, students attend the [Savannah-Chatham County Public School System](https://www.sccpss.com/), one of the larger districts in Georgia. Boundaries and attendance zones can shift, so confirm the assigned school for any specific address before you commit. ## Healthcare: Winn Army Community Hospital and Tuttle Army Health Clinic On-post medical care at Fort Stewart is centered at [Winn Army Community Hospital](https://winn.tricare.mil/), which provides primary care, specialty clinics, and other services for eligible patients. At Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, care runs through the [Tuttle Army Health Clinic](https://winn.tricare.mil/Clinics/Tuttle-Army-Health-Clinic), which operates under Winn and offers primary care and other clinic services for the Hunter community. Your military health coverage runs through TRICARE, the military health program. Set up your TRICARE plan early in your PCS. Update your information in DEERS, choose or transfer your plan, and request any referrals before you arrive so there is no gap in care. You can review options and clinic details on the [Winn Army Community Hospital site](https://winn.tricare.mil/). Getting this squared away early is one of the easiest ways to reduce stress after you land. ## Climate and Things to Do Coastal Georgia has a humid subtropical climate, with warm, muggy summers and mild winters. Because the area sits on the coast, it is also exposed to tropical weather. According to the [National Weather Service](https://www.weather.gov/chs/tchistory), most tropical cyclone activity in the region runs from August through October, though June, July, and November can be active too. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November, so build storm awareness into your year and follow local guidance when a system threatens. The payoff for that coastal setting is the scenery and the outdoors. [Fort McAllister State Park](https://gastateparks.org/FortMcAllister), near Richmond Hill on the Ogeechee River, surrounds a well-preserved Civil War earthwork fort with live oaks, Spanish moss, and salt marsh, plus camping, fishing, and boating. Closer to Savannah and Hunter, [Skidaway Island State Park](https://gastateparks.org/SkidawayIsland) offers miles of trails through maritime forest and salt marsh, with a boardwalk and observation tower for spotting deer, egrets, and fiddler crabs. For an outdoors-minded family, coastal Georgia is hard to beat. ## Plan Your PCS to Fort Stewart A smooth move comes down to good information and the right people. If you are still mapping out the basics, start with our overview of [what military bases are in Georgia](/blog/what-military-bases-are-in-georgia). To keep your timeline on track, use [the ultimate PCS checklist and timeline for active-duty military personnel](/blog/the-ultimate-pcs-checklist-and-timeline-for-active-duty-military-personnel). When you are ready to choose your team, read [how to choose the right real estate agent for your military PCS move](/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-real-estate-agent-for-your-military-pcs-move). And if you are thinking about buying, read our [complete guide to buying your first home with a VA loan](/blog/complete-guide-to-buying-your-first-home-with-a-va-loan) and [what are the benefits of a VA loan](/blog/what-are-the-benefits-of-a-va-loan). When you want a local read on a specific Hinesville or Richmond Hill neighborhood and its Fort Stewart commute, you can ask Karla Martin, a VeteranPCS agent in Hinesville, for current listings and prices. If you plan to use your VA loan (a home loan backed by the Department of Veterans Affairs), you can also [connect with a VeteranPCS lender](https://www.veteranpcs.com/contact-lender). Know another family with orders to Fort Stewart or Hunter Army Airfield? Share this guide with your military network so they can plan their move too. For agents and lenders across the state, [connect with our VeteranPCS network in Georgia](https://www.veteranpcs.com/georgia). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What MHA or area is Fort Stewart in for BAH? Fort Stewart falls within the Hinesville and Fort Stewart Military Housing Area for BAH purposes. Your rate depends on your rank and whether you have dependents. Look up your exact figure with the official [DoD BAH calculator](https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/) using your rank and ZIP code. ### Where do military families live near Fort Stewart and Hunter AAF? Common choices include Hinesville and nearby Flemington and Midway, which are closest to Fort Stewart; Pembroke for more land; and Richmond Hill, Pooler, or Savannah, which sit closer to Hunter Army Airfield. On-post housing may also be available, so ask your sponsor and the housing office. ### Which school district will my children attend near Fort Stewart? It depends on your address. The [Liberty County School System](https://www.liberty.k12.ga.us/) serves Hinesville and the communities closest to Fort Stewart, Bryan County Schools covers Richmond Hill and Pembroke, and the [Savannah-Chatham County Public School System](https://www.sccpss.com/) serves the Savannah and Pooler area near Hunter. Confirm the assigned school for any specific home before you commit. ### Where do I get healthcare at Fort Stewart and Hunter AAF? On-post care at Fort Stewart runs through [Winn Army Community Hospital](https://winn.tricare.mil/), and the Hunter Army Airfield community is served by the [Tuttle Army Health Clinic](https://winn.tricare.mil/Clinics/Tuttle-Army-Health-Clinic). Set up your TRICARE plan early, update DEERS, and arrange referrals before you arrive so your care continues without a gap. ### Do I need to worry about hurricanes in coastal Georgia? Fort Stewart and Hunter sit on the coast, and the [National Weather Service](https://www.weather.gov/chs/tchistory) notes that most tropical cyclone activity in the region runs from August through October. Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November. Keep a plan, watch local guidance, and follow any orders to prepare or evacuate. This content is for informational purposes. Consult a professional for personal financial decisions.