If you have orders to one of the naval bases in Florida, you could land in a big city, a small Panhandle town, or an island at the end of the Keys. Florida's Navy bases cluster in three areas: Jacksonville in the northeast, Pensacola and Milton in the western Panhandle, and Key West in the far south. Each area has its own job, its own housing market, and its own BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) rate. This guide walks through each base and what 2026 housing pay looks like nearby.
Want the full picture, including Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard sites? Start with our hub guide, What Military Bases Are in Florida?
Naval Bases in Florida, at a Glance
| Installation | Nearest town | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| NAS Jacksonville | Jacksonville | P-8A Poseidon patrol squadrons |
| Naval Station Mayport | Jacksonville | Destroyers, littoral combat ships and 4th Fleet |
| NAS Pensacola | Pensacola | Naval aviation training and the Blue Angels |
| NAS Whiting Field | Milton | Primary and helicopter flight training |
| NAS Key West | Key West | Air combat training |
| NSA Panama City | Panama City | Navy diving and research |
| Blount Island Command | Jacksonville | Marine Corps prepositioning ships |
Florida's Navy installations at a glance. Sources: Commander, Navy Region Southeast; Blount Island Command.
The Jacksonville Bases
Jacksonville has two major Navy bases and a Marine Corps logistics site. All three share the same BAH rate area.
NAS Jacksonville
Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville sits on the St. Johns River on the city's south side. It hosts seven active P-8A and P-3C maritime patrol squadrons, three reserve squadrons and five helicopter squadrons, per the NAS Jacksonville About page. More than 120 other commands work here, too. They include Navy Region Southeast headquarters, Fleet Readiness Center Southeast and Naval Hospital Jacksonville. The base adds more than $2 billion a year to the local economy.
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is at the mouth of the St. Johns River. It covers 3,409 acres and supports more than 80 commands, including about 20 ships and three helicopter squadrons, per the Naval Station Mayport About page. Its harbor can hold 34 ships.
Mayport is home to Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and littoral combat ships, small and fast warships built for coastal waters. USS Cleveland, the final Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, arrived at its Mayport homeport in June 2026, per the Navy's report on Cleveland's arrival. The same report notes Mayport is headquarters for U.S. 4th Fleet.
Mayport no longer has an aircraft carrier. Its last one, USS John F. Kennedy, was retired in 2007, per the Navy's report on the former Kennedy.
Blount Island Command
Blount Island Command is a Marine Corps site in Jacksonville. It runs the Corps' prepositioning programs, keeping ships loaded with gear ready to deploy, per the Blount Island Command About page.
For neighborhoods and commutes, read our Mayport and NAS Jacksonville 2026 PCS guide and our picks for the best neighborhoods near NAS Jacksonville.
Not sure whether to live near the beaches, Orange Park or the Westside? Talk with a Jacksonville agent who works with military families. There is no cost and no obligation.
The Panhandle Bases
NAS Pensacola
NAS Pensacola is known as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation." Flight training for Navy pilots, naval flight officers and enlisted aircrew starts here, per the NAS Pensacola About page. About 23,000 aviation personnel train here in technical fields. The base also includes Corry Station, headquarters of the Center for Information Warfare Training, per Naval Education and Training Command.
NAS Pensacola is home to the Blue Angels, the Navy's flight demonstration squadron, which flies from Sherman Field, per the NAS Pensacola history page. In July 2026, the Navy's final C-2A Greyhound landed here to go on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum, per the Navy's report on the last Greyhound flight. Our NAS Pensacola 2026 PCS guide covers housing in the area.
NAS Whiting Field
NAS Whiting Field is in Milton, in Santa Rosa County, east of Pensacola. More than 60% of all Navy primary flight training happens here, per the NAS Whiting Field About page. Every Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard helicopter pilot gets initial helicopter training at Whiting. The base has 12 outlying landing fields and calls itself the busiest naval air station in the world.
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NSA Panama City
Naval Support Activity Panama City sits on St. Andrew Bay. It focuses on research, testing and Navy diving, per the NSA Panama City About page. Its tenants include the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center and the Navy Experimental Diving Unit. Tyndall Air Force Base is nearby, so many families compare notes across branches. See our Tyndall AFB and Panama City PCS guide.
NAS Key West
NAS Key West is the Navy's premier training site for tactical aviation squadrons, per the NAS Key West About page. Training airspace is just minutes from the runway, so jet squadrons from all services come here for air combat practice. The Navy's ties to Key West go back to 1823, per the NAS Key West history page. Housing in the Keys is scarce and costly, so start your search early.
What BAH Covers Near Florida'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville (NAS Jax, Mayport) | FL058 | $2,181 / $1,803 | $2,283 / $2,049 | $2,364 / $2,211 |
| Pensacola and Milton | FL064 | $1,863 / $1,644 | $2,256 / $1,791 | $2,271 / $2,097 |
| Panama City | FL063 | $2,163 / $1,863 | $2,538 / $2,058 | $2,709 / $2,337 |
| Key West | FL069 | $3,969 / $3,459 | $4,350 / $3,819 | $4,872 / $4,017 |
2026 monthly BAH with dependents near Florida's Navy bases. Source: Defense Travel Management Office BAH rate lookup.
A few things stand out:
- Key West pays far more than anywhere else in Florida. An E-5 with dependents gets $1,788 more a month there than in Jacksonville.
- NAS Jacksonville and Mayport share one rate area, FL058, so your BAH is the same at either base.
- Panama City pays more than Jacksonville at E-7 ($255 more) and O-3 ($345 more).
- Pensacola and Milton have the lowest E-5 rate of the four areas.
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 Florida'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. Florida has a few extra perks for veteran buyers, covered in our guide to Florida VA loan benefits.
Know the tax picture. Florida does not have a personal income tax, per the Florida Department of Revenue. Veterans with a total and permanent service-connected disability can get a full property tax exemption on their homestead, per Florida's PT-109 veterans exemption guide. Service members can also rent out their homestead without losing the exemption. See our full guide to Florida veteran property tax exemptions.
Budget for storms. Hurricane season runs every summer and fall. Insurance can cost more near the coast, and some homes need flood coverage. Ask for insurance quotes before you make an offer. Our hurricane prep guide for Florida military families has a checklist.
If you are also weighing an Air Force or Army posting, see our guides to Air Force bases in Florida and Army bases in Florida.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Navy bases are in Florida?
Florida has six main Navy installations: NAS Jacksonville, Naval Station Mayport, NAS Pensacola, NAS Whiting Field, NAS Key West and NSA Panama City. The Navy also runs a training systems center in Orlando, and the Marine Corps runs Blount Island Command in Jacksonville.
What is the largest Navy base in Florida?
Naval Station Mayport and NAS Jacksonville are the two biggest. Mayport supports about 20 ships, while NAS Jacksonville hosts more than 120 tenant commands and a large aviation community.
Is there an aircraft carrier at Mayport?
No. Mayport's last carrier, USS John F. Kennedy, was retired in 2007. Today Mayport is home to destroyers and littoral combat ships.
Where do Navy pilots train in Florida?
Flight training starts at NAS Pensacola. NAS Whiting Field in Milton handles more than 60% of the Navy's primary flight training and all initial helicopter training for Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard pilots.
Which Florida Navy base has the highest BAH?
NAS Key West. An E-5 with dependents gets $3,969 a month there in 2026, and an O-3 with dependents gets $4,872.
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This content is for informational purposes. Consult a professional for personal financial decisions.
