Compare military bases / Naval Station Great Lakes → Naval Station Norfolk
Great Lakes → Norfolk
Compare Naval Station Great Lakes and Naval Station Norfolk
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Station Norfolk?
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 Station Great Lakes
- $1,854
- Naval Station Norfolk
- $1,908
- Higher BAH at Naval Station Norfolk
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Naval Station Great Lakes
- $486/mo short
- Naval Station Norfolk
- $258/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: North Chicago vs Norfolk
Rents shown on table are the 40th-percentile for 2 and 3 bedroom figures for the residential ZIP code nearest the base.
| Naval Station Great Lakes North Chicago 60088 | Naval Station Norfolk Norfolk 23505 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $159,600 | $289,900 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,426/mo | $1,321 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,340/mo | $1,650 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,010/mo | $2,290 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,781/mo | $1,713 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$486/mo | +$258/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$583/mo | +$140/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$486/mo at Naval Station Great Lakes vs +$258/mo at Naval Station Norfolk. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$583/mo vs +$140/mo.
Host-state comparison: Illinois vs. Virginia
| Illinois | Virginia | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.96% | 5.77% |
| Property tax | 1.88% | 0.78% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 3.97% effective |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 5.75% |
| Median home value | $292,979 | $416,963 |
| Branch | Navy | Navy |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,781 | $1,713 |
| Climate high/low | 60° / 43°F | 70° / 53°F |
| Annual precip | 37.9 in | 49.2 in |
| Nearby city | Great Lakes | Norfolk |
| Host state | Illinois | Virginia |
Click here for the full state comparison: Illinois → Virginia
PCS checklist for Naval Station Norfolk
- Update DEERS. BAH at Naval Station Norfolk uses MHA VA298 (ZIP 23511).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Naval Station Norfolk is $1,713/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Virginia residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Naval Station Norfolk.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Naval Station Norfolk ($2,430 vs $2,427).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $289,900 in Norfolk vs $159,600 in North Chicago (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,650 in 23505 vs $2,340 in 60088.
- Host-state wage tax is Flat 4.95% in Illinois vs Top listed rate 5.75% in Virginia (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 5.77% in Virginia vs 8.96% in Illinois.
Common questions
Is BAH different from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Station Norfolk?
DTMO CY2026 with- and without-dependents rates for every pay grade are in the BAH table on this page. E-5 with dependents: $2,427 vs $2,430; without dependents: $1,854 vs $1,908.
What is local rent like near Naval Station Norfolk?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 23505 (Norfolk) is $1,650/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,290/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,713/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Station Norfolk?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$486/mo at Naval Station Great Lakes vs +$258/mo at Naval Station Norfolk. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$583/mo vs +$140/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 Station Great Lakes to Naval Station Norfolk?
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. Illinois: Flat 4.95%. Virginia: Top listed rate 5.75%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Naval Station Norfolk compare with Naval Station Great Lakes?
Combined sales tax averages 5.77% in Virginia vs 8.96% in Illinois. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
What do homes cost in North Chicago vs Norfolk?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $159,600 in North Chicago city, Illinois vs $289,900 in Norfolk city, Virginia. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,426 vs $1,321. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Naval Station Norfolk?
New Virginia residents typically have 60 days for a license and 30 days to title a car (90 and 30 days in Illinois).
Related PCS
Naval Station Norfolk → Naval Station Great Lakes · Naval Station Norfolk → Naval Base San Diego · Naval Station Norfolk → Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
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 Station Great Lakes (IL092); Naval Station Norfolk (VA298). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Lake County $1,781; Norfolk city $1,713.
- Off-base ZIP rent (HUD Small Area FMR). FY2026 ZIP 2- and 3-bedroom 40th-percentile rents from the HUD Small Area FMR tables: 60088 (North Chicago) $2,340 / $3,010; 23505 (Norfolk) $1,650 / $2,290.
- 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 North Chicago city, Illinois ($159,600, $1,426/mo) and Norfolk city, Virginia ($289,900, $1,321/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Chicago O'Hare (NWS) (USW00094846); Norfolk Intl (NWS) (USW00013737).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Illinois and Virginia 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 Illinois and Virginia. 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 Illinois and Virginia. On-base housing is not in this figure.
- Vehicle title tax and new-resident clocks. Illinois motor-vehicle agency (license 90 days, title 30 days; title tax 6.25%); Virginia motor-vehicle agency (license 60 days, title 30 days; title tax 5.30%). 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 Illinois and Virginia. 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 Illinois and Virginia. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.