If you have orders to one of the naval bases in Washington state, you are headed to one of the Navy's busiest corners of the country. Washington has four main Navy installations, all around Puget Sound. Each one has a different job, and each sits in a different kind of town. This guide covers what each base does, where it is, and what 2026 BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) looks like nearby.
Want the full picture, including Army and Air Force posts? Start with our hub guide, What Military Bases Are in Washington?
Naval Bases in Washington State, at a Glance
| Installation | Nearest town | Best known for |
|---|---|---|
| Naval Base Kitsap (Bremerton) | Bremerton | Puget Sound Naval Shipyard |
| Naval Base Kitsap (Bangor) | Silverdale | Ohio-class submarines |
| Naval Base Kitsap (Keyport) | Keyport / Poulsbo | Undersea warfare testing |
| NAS Whidbey Island | Oak Harbor | EA-18G Growler and P-8A Poseidon |
| Naval Station Everett | Everett | Destroyer homeport |
| Naval Magazine Indian Island | Port Hadlock | West Coast Navy ammunition port |
Washington's Navy installations at a glance. Sources: Commander, Navy Region Northwest; Naval History and Heritage Command; U.S. Navy.
Naval Base Kitsap
Naval Base Kitsap is the largest Navy command in the state. It was formed on June 4, 2004, by joining several Navy sites on the Kitsap Peninsula under one command, per the Naval History and Heritage Command's Naval Base Kitsap page. Those sites include Naval Station Bremerton, Naval Submarine Base Bangor, the undersea warfare center at Keyport, Manchester Fuel Depot, and Jackson Park housing. The same page says the base supports about 70 tenant commands.
If you are moving here, our Bremerton and Naval Base Kitsap 2026 PCS guide goes deeper on the move itself.
Bremerton
The Bremerton side is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. The shipyard handles dry dock and overhaul work on Navy ships. Per Navy Region Northwest, Naval Base Kitsap supports all types of submarines, too.
Bremerton has long been a carrier town, and that picture is shifting. USS Nimitz left Naval Base Kitsap for the last time on March 7, 2026, for a homeport shift to Norfolk, Virginia, per the Navy's report on the Nimitz departure. Carriers still come here for shipyard work. A Navy photo from August 2026 shows USS Ronald Reagan in scheduled maintenance at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The Navy has also completed an environmental review for homeporting the new carrier USS John F. Kennedy at Bremerton. If carrier plans affect your move, ask your gaining command for the latest.
Bangor
Bangor sits on Hood Canal near Silverdale. It is the West Coast homeport for the Navy's Ohio-class ballistic and guided-missile submarines, per the Submarine Group 9 submariner resources page. That page also lists Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific (SWFPAC), the Trident Training Facility, and Submarine Squadrons 17 and 19 as commands here. It notes Bangor is the only Pacific Fleet base that can support the Trident II (D5) missile.
Keyport and Manchester
Keyport is home to the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division, Keyport. A 2026 Navy article on NUWC Keyport describes its work as test and evaluation, engineering, maintenance, and industrial support for undersea warfare.
Manchester Fuel Depot, near Port Orchard, is a smaller Naval Base Kitsap site that stores and ships fuel for the fleet.
Looking for a place to live? See our picks for top communities near Naval Base Kitsap and five things to know before a PCS to Kitsap County.
Trying to choose between Bremerton, Silverdale and Poulsbo? Talk with a Kitsap-area agent who works with military families. There is no cost and no obligation.
NAS Whidbey Island
Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island is in Oak Harbor, on the north end of Whidbey Island. It is the Navy's main home for electronic attack squadrons. Per the Electronic Attack Wing page from Navy Region Northwest, Whidbey is home to the majority of the Navy's squadrons flying the EA-18G Growler, with 12 operational squadrons based there.
Whidbey is also home to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 10, whose squadrons fly the P-8A Poseidon, a maritime patrol aircraft. Expect jet noise near the airfield. That is worth checking before you sign a lease or make an offer.
Oak Harbor is a small, Navy-focused town. You can reach it by bridge from the north or by ferry from Mukilteo to Clinton on the south end. For more, read our NAS Whidbey Island and Oak Harbor 2026 PCS guide.
Planning Your Next Move?
Connect with Veteran & Military Spouse Real Estate Agents and VA Loan Experts You Can Trust.
Naval Station Everett
Naval Station Everett sits on the water in Everett, north of Seattle. It is a homeport for surface ships. When USS Benfold (DDG 65) arrived in November 2025, Everett grew to seven Navy ships, per the Naval Surface Force Pacific report on Benfold's arrival. The others named are USS Barry, USS John Paul Jones, USS John S. McCain, USS Kidd, USS Gridley, and USS Sampson. Benfold and the others are guided-missile destroyers.
Everett is part of the larger Seattle metro area. That means more jobs for spouses, but also higher home prices.
Naval Magazine Indian Island
Naval Magazine Indian Island is near Port Hadlock, in Jefferson County. It is a 2,700-acre island with a deep-water ammunition pier. It provides munitions support to Navy, joint, and allied ships, per Navy Region Northwest's Naval Magazine Indian Island page.
What BAH Covers Near Washington'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bremerton, Bangor and Keyport | WA306 | $2,364 / $2,091 | $2,844 / $2,265 | $3,045 / $2,595 |
| Whidbey Island | WA312 | $2,073 / $1,905 | $2,877 / $2,157 | $3,105 / $2,499 |
| Everett | WA307 | $2,748 / $2,277 | $3,363 / $2,574 | $3,567 / $3,063 |
2026 monthly BAH with dependents near Washington's Navy bases. Source: Defense Travel Management Office BAH rate lookup.
A few things stand out:
- Everett has the highest BAH at every grade shown. An E-5 with dependents gets $675 more a month in Everett than on Whidbey.
- Bremerton pays more than Whidbey at E-5. Whidbey pays a little more at E-7 and O-3.
- The gap between with and without dependents is widest for an E-7 in Everett, at $789 a month.
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.
Free First-Time Homebuyer Guide
Make your move less stressful with our step-by-step first-time homebuyer guide.
We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.Buying a Home Near Washington'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. You also do not need private mortgage insurance.
Know the tax picture. Per the Washington Department of Revenue income tax page, Washington does not currently have an individual income tax. A new 9.9% tax on income over $1 million starts in 2028, so it will not touch most military families. Your military pay is taxed based on your state of legal residence, so check with a tax pro. Veterans with a service-connected disability may also want to read about Washington veteran property tax exemptions.
Map the water before you pick a town. Puget Sound sits between these bases. A home that looks close on a map can mean a ferry ride. The Seattle to Bremerton ferry, for example, takes about an hour. Drive your commute at rush hour before you commit.
If you are weighing an Army or joint posting too, see our guides to Army bases in Washington state and PCSing to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Navy bases are in Washington?
Washington has four main Navy installations: Naval Base Kitsap, NAS Whidbey Island, Naval Station Everett, and Naval Magazine Indian Island. Naval Base Kitsap itself covers several sites, including Bremerton, Bangor, Keyport, and Manchester.
Where are the submarines based in Washington?
Ohio-class ballistic and guided-missile submarines are based at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on Hood Canal, near Silverdale. Other submarines come to Bremerton for work at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard.
Is there an aircraft carrier in Bremerton?
Carriers still come to Bremerton for work at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. USS Ronald Reagan was there for scheduled maintenance as of August 2026. USS Nimitz, Bremerton's longtime carrier, left in March 2026 for Norfolk. The Navy has finished an environmental review for homeporting USS John F. Kennedy at Bremerton, so check with your command for timing.
Which Navy base in Washington has the highest BAH?
Naval Station Everett, in rate area WA307, has the highest 2026 BAH of the three main rate areas. An O-3 with dependents gets $3,567 a month there.
Is NAS Whidbey Island the same as Oak Harbor?
The main base sits in Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island. Most families who live off base choose Oak Harbor or nearby towns on the island.
Know a Sailor with Washington orders? Share this guide with your military network.
This content is for informational purposes. Consult a professional for personal financial decisions.
