Compare military bases / Naval Base Ventura County → Naval Station Great Lakes
NBVC → Great Lakes
Compare Naval Base Ventura County and Naval Station Great Lakes
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Naval Base Ventura County to Naval Station Great Lakes?
This calculator uses 2026 DTMO (Defense Travel Management Office) rates for selected pay grade and dependent status.
Monthly BAH at E-5 pay grade without dependents.
- Naval Base Ventura County
- $3,018
- Naval Station Great Lakes
- $1,854
- Lower BAH at Naval Station Great Lakes
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Naval Base Ventura County
- $788/mo left over
- Naval Station Great Lakes
- $486/mo short
Housing just outside the gate: Oxnard vs North Chicago
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Naval Base Ventura County Oxnard 93033 | Naval Station Great Lakes North Chicago 60088 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $652,700 | $159,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $2,032/mo | $1,426 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,230/mo | $2,340 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,020/mo | $3,010 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $2,693/mo | $1,781 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | +$788/mo | −$486/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | +$517/mo | −$583/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is +$788/mo at Naval Base Ventura County vs −$486/mo at Naval Station Great Lakes. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is +$517/mo vs −$583/mo.
Host-state comparison: California vs. Illinois
| California | Illinois | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.99% | 8.96% |
| Property tax | 0.70% | 1.88% |
| Personal property tax | Yes — 0.65% effective | No |
| Top state income tax | 13.3% | 4.95% |
| Median home value | $778,217 | $292,979 |
| Branch | Navy | Navy |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $2,693 | $1,781 |
| Climate high/low | 73° / 52°F | 60° / 43°F |
| Annual precip | 12.0 in | 37.9 in |
| Nearby city | Oxnard | Great Lakes |
| Host state | California | Illinois |
Click here for the full state comparison: California → Illinois
PCS checklist for Naval Station Great Lakes
- Update DEERS. BAH at Naval Station Great Lakes uses MHA IL092 (ZIP 60088).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Naval Station Great Lakes is $1,781/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Illinois residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Naval Station Great Lakes.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is lower at Naval Station Great Lakes ($2,427 vs $3,537).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $159,600 in North Chicago vs $652,700 in Oxnard (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $2,340 in 60088 vs $2,230 in 93033.
- Host-state wage tax is 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top) in California vs Flat 4.95% in Illinois (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 8.96% in Illinois vs 8.99% in California.
Common questions
Does BAH go down from Naval Base Ventura County to Naval Station Great Lakes?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $3,537 vs $2,427; without dependents: $3,018 vs $1,854.
What is local rent like near Naval Station Great Lakes?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 60088 (North Chicago) is $2,340/mo for a 2-bedroom and $3,010/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,781/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Naval Base Ventura County to Naval Station Great Lakes?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is +$788/mo at Naval Base Ventura County vs −$486/mo at Naval Station Great Lakes. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is +$517/mo vs −$583/mo. Use the calculator for other pay grades. Actual listings vary; BAH is untaxed housing pay, not a rent cap.
Does my state income tax change if I PCS from Naval Base Ventura County to Naval Station Great Lakes?
Usually not just because the duty station changes. Military pay generally follows legal residence under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act; spouses may have similar protection. California: 1%–12.3%, plus 1% over $1M (13.3% top). Illinois: Flat 4.95%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Naval Station Great Lakes?
New Illinois residents typically have 90 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (10 and 20 days in California).
What do homes cost in Oxnard vs North Chicago?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $652,700 in Oxnard city, California vs $159,600 in North Chicago city, Illinois. Median gross rent in those cities is $2,032 vs $1,426. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How different is the climate from Naval Base Ventura County to Naval Station Great Lakes?
Annual normals at Oxnard (NWS) are 73° / 52°F and 12.0 in of precipitation vs 60° / 43°F and 37.9 in at Chicago O'Hare (NWS) (NOAA 1991–2020).
Related PCS
Your PCS
Only destinations that share a service with the origin are listed.
Sources
Housing figures below are for the installation (MHA, HUD rent, climate). Host-state tax rates are statewide averages — not a tax return. County add-ons can differ, and wage tax on military pay follows legal residence, not the duty station.
- BAH (with and without dependents). DTMO CY2026 BAH tables for Naval Base Ventura County (CA025); Naval Station Great Lakes (IL092). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Ventura County $2,693; Lake County $1,781.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 93033 (Oxnard) $2,230 / $3,020; 60088 (North Chicago) $2,340 / $3,010.
- Off-base city home value and rent. U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year 2020–2024 tables B25077 (median value of owner-occupied homes) and B25064 (median gross rent) for Oxnard city, California ($652,700, $2,032/mo) and North Chicago city, Illinois ($159,600, $1,426/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Oxnard (NWS) (USW00023136); Chicago O'Hare (NWS) (USW00094846).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for California and Illinois from the Tax Foundation 2026 individual income-tax tables. On this page they describe the host state, not automatically the tax on a military LES (legal residence can stay put). BAH is untaxed.
- Combined sales tax near the installation. Tax Foundation January 2026 state-and-local sales-tax averages for California and Illinois. Used as an off-base shopping stand-in; city and county add-ons vary.
- Effective property tax if you buy off-base. Tax Foundation 2026 property taxes by state for California and Illinois. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. California motor-vehicle agency (license 10 days, title 20 days; title tax 7.25%); Illinois motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%). These are host-state motor-vehicle rules, not BAH.
- Vehicle personal-property tax on the host-state snapshot. WalletHub 2026 vehicle property-tax table for California and Illinois. This is a statewide car-tax flag, not real-estate tax and not BAH.
- Statewide median home value on the host-state snapshot. Experian / Zillow March 2026 state medians for California and Illinois. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.