If you have orders to one of the naval bases in California, odds are good you are headed to San Diego. But California's Navy footprint stretches far beyond it, from jet squadrons in the Central Valley to a desert test range bigger than Rhode Island. This guide covers what each base does, which town it is near, and what 2026 BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) looks like in each area. The pay gap between bases here is wider than almost anywhere else in the country.
Want the full picture, including Army, Air Force and Marine Corps posts? Start with our hub guide, What Military Bases Are in California?
Naval Bases in California, at a Glance
| Installation | Nearest town | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Naval Base San Diego | San Diego | Homeport to 54 ships |
| Naval Base Coronado | Coronado | Carriers at North Island and Navy SEALs |
| Naval Base Point Loma | San Diego | Fast-attack submarines and Third Fleet |
| NAS Lemoore | Lemoore | Super Hornets and the Navy's F-35C |
| NAWS China Lake | Ridgecrest | Weapons research and testing |
| Naval Base Ventura County | Oxnard and Port Hueneme | Pacific Seabees and E-2 Hawkeyes |
| NSA Monterey | Monterey | Naval Postgraduate School |
| Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach | Seal Beach | Ordnance for the Pacific Fleet |
California's Navy installations at a glance. Sources: Commander, Navy Region Southwest; NAVAIR; Naval Postgraduate School.
The San Diego Bases
San Diego has three big Navy bases around one bay. All three share the same BAH rate area, so your housing pay does not change based on which one you report to.
Naval Base San Diego
Naval Base San Diego, often called 32nd Street, is the main West Coast homeport for the surface fleet. It is home to 54 ships, including 46 Navy ships, per the Naval Base San Diego history page. More than 35,000 military, civilian and contract workers support over 200 tenant commands there. In 2025, the amphibious assault ship USS America moved its homeport to San Diego after six years in Japan, per a DVIDS report on America's homeport change.
Naval Base Coronado
Naval Base Coronado is a group of nine installations, per the Naval Base Coronado About page. The two you will hear about most are Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island and Naval Amphibious Base Coronado.
North Island is known as the "Birthplace of Naval Aviation." Navy pilot training started there in 1911, per the NAS North Island page. It is also where San Diego's aircraft carriers tie up. Carrier homeports do shift over time. In October 2026, the Navy announced that USS Abraham Lincoln will move its homeport from North Island to Naval Base Kitsap in Washington, per Stars and Stripes. USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt remain San Diego-based, per KPBS.
Naval Amphibious Base Coronado covers about 1,000 acres. Its tenants include Naval Special Warfare Command, the home of the Navy SEALs, per the NAB Coronado page.
Naval Base Point Loma
Naval Base Point Loma sits on the peninsula that guards the mouth of San Diego Bay. It supports about 70 Pacific Fleet tenant commands, including Third Fleet and Submarine Squadron 11, which operates Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines, per the Naval Base Point Loma About page.
For neighborhoods and commutes, read our San Diego naval bases 2026 PCS guide. To see what your housing pay buys, check our breakdown of what San Diego BAH covers in 2026.
Trying to decide between Chula Vista, Coronado and Point Loma? Talk with a San Diego agent who works with military families. There is no cost and no obligation.
NAS Lemoore
NAS Lemoore is in Kings County, in the Central Valley, southwest of Fresno. It is home to more than half of the Navy's F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, and it is the only Navy installation that houses the F-35C, per the NAS Lemoore About page. The base has 16 strike fighter squadrons. Lemoore and Hanford are small, farm-country towns with much lower home prices than the coast. Our NAS Lemoore 2026 PCS guide goes deeper.
NAWS China Lake
Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is in the Mojave Desert next to Ridgecrest. It covers more than 1.1 million acres, which is bigger than Rhode Island, per the NAWS China Lake About page. That land makes up 85% of the Navy's land for research, development, test and evaluation. Its main tenant, the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, tests and develops weapons, per NAVAIR's NAWCWD page.
Naval Base Ventura County
Naval Base Ventura County sits about 55 miles west of Los Angeles. It has three sites: Point Mugu, Port Hueneme and San Nicolas Island, per the Naval Base Ventura County About page. It is the home of the Pacific Seabees, the Navy's construction force, and the West Coast E-2 Hawkeye squadrons. The Point Mugu Sea Range is the largest instrumented sea range in the world. See our Naval Base Ventura County PCS guide and our tips on how to buy a home in Ventura County.
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NSA Monterey and Seal Beach
Naval Support Activity Monterey is home to the Naval Postgraduate School, on a 627-acre campus about 120 miles south of San Francisco, per the NPS quick facts. Officers come here to earn graduate degrees. The Army's Defense Language Institute is nearby, too. Our Presidio of Monterey PCS guide covers the local housing market.
Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, in northern Orange County, supplies missiles, torpedoes and other ordnance to most of the Pacific Fleet, per the NWS Seal Beach About page.
One smaller site is worth knowing, too. Naval Air Facility El Centro, in the Imperial Valley, is where the Blue Angels do their winter training, per the Blue Angels FAQ.
What BAH Covers Near California's Navy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Diego, Coronado and Point Loma | CA038 | $3,975 / $3,147 | $4,446 / $3,678 | $4,518 / $4,248 |
| Seal Beach | CA037 | $3,882 / $3,048 | $4,311 / $3,582 | $4,524 / $4,074 |
| Ventura County | CA025 | $3,537 / $3,018 | $4,083 / $3,381 | $4,212 / $3,834 |
| Monterey | CA039 | $3,465 / $2,844 | $4,218 / $3,258 | $4,824 / $3,723 |
| Lemoore | CA023 | $2,139 / $1,680 | $2,337 / $1,950 | $2,451 / $2,220 |
| China Lake | CA021 | $1,563 / $1,428 | $1,905 / $1,530 | $2,154 / $1,689 |
2026 monthly BAH with dependents near California's Navy bases. Source: Defense Travel Management Office BAH rate lookup.
A few things stand out:
- An E-5 with dependents gets $2,412 more a month in San Diego than at China Lake. That gap tracks the huge difference in rents between the coast and the desert.
- Monterey pays the most for an O-3 with dependents, at $4,824 a month, even more than San Diego.
- Lemoore and China Lake pay far less, but homes there also cost far less. Many families in those areas find buying within reach.
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.
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We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.Buying a Home Near California's Navy 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. In high-cost places like San Diego, that can make buying possible years sooner.
Know the California tax rules. If your legal residence is somewhere else, California does not tax your military pay while you are stationed here, per the Franchise Tax Board's military filing page. If you are a California resident, your military pay is taxed. Starting with tax year 2025, qualified retirees can exclude up to $20,000 of military retirement pay, with income limits, per FTB Publication 1032. Veterans with a qualifying disability may also get a property tax break. See our guide to California veteran property tax exemptions.
Think about the commute and the water. In San Diego, the Coronado Bridge and Interstate 5 can turn a short distance into a long drive. In Lemoore and Ridgecrest, distance is less of an issue, but summer heat and cooling costs are real. Check both before you pick a home.
If you are also weighing a Marine Corps, Army or Air Force posting, see our guides to PCSing to Camp Pendleton, Army bases in California and Air Force bases in California.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Navy bases are in California?
California has eight main Navy installations: Naval Base San Diego, Naval Base Coronado, Naval Base Point Loma, NAS Lemoore, NAWS China Lake, Naval Base Ventura County, NSA Monterey and Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. Several of these include more than one site. Naval Air Facility El Centro is a smaller Navy airfield in the Imperial Valley.
What is the largest Navy base in California?
By land, NAWS China Lake is the largest, at more than 1.1 million acres. By ships and people, Naval Base San Diego is the biggest, with 54 homeported ships and more than 35,000 workers.
Where are aircraft carriers based in California?
San Diego's carriers are based at NAS North Island in Coronado. USS Carl Vinson and USS Theodore Roosevelt are San Diego-based. USS Abraham Lincoln is set to move to Washington state.
Where is the F-35C based in California?
NAS Lemoore is the only Navy installation that houses the F-35C.
Which California Navy base has the highest BAH?
San Diego pays the most for an E-5 with dependents, at $3,975 a month in 2026. For an O-3 with dependents, Monterey pays the most, at $4,824 a month.
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This content is for informational purposes. Consult a professional for personal financial decisions.
