Compare military bases / Naval Station Great Lakes → Naval Submarine Base New London
Great Lakes → New London
Compare Naval Station Great Lakes and Naval Submarine Base New London
Will my BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) go up or down if I move from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Submarine Base New London?
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 Submarine Base New London
- $2,148
- Higher BAH at Naval Submarine Base New London
BAH vs typical 2-bedroom rent nearby.
- Naval Station Great Lakes
- $486/mo short
- Naval Submarine Base New London
- $168/mo left over
Housing just outside the gate: North Chicago vs Groton
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 Submarine Base New London Groton 06340 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value (city) | $159,600 | $306,600 |
| Median gross rent (city) | $1,426/mo | $1,250 |
| HUD ZIP 2-BR rent | $2,340/mo | $1,980 |
| HUD ZIP 3-BR rent | $3,010/mo | $2,550 |
| HUD metro 2-BR rent (wider area) | $1,781/mo | $1,866 |
| E-5 without dependents minus 2-BR | −$486/mo | +$168/mo |
| E-5 with dependents minus 3-BR | −$583/mo | +$30/mo |
E-5 without dependents vs a HUD 2-bedroom is −$486/mo at Naval Station Great Lakes vs +$168/mo at Naval Submarine Base New London. E-5 with dependents vs a 3-bedroom is −$583/mo vs +$30/mo.
Host-state comparison: Illinois vs. Connecticut
| Illinois | Connecticut | |
|---|---|---|
| Sales tax | 8.96% | 6.35% |
| Property tax | 1.88% | 1.54% |
| Personal property tax | No | Yes — 2.07% effective |
| Top state income tax | 4.95% | 6.99% |
| Median home value | $292,979 | $444,038 |
| Branch | Navy | Navy |
| HUD 2-BR FMR | $1,781 | $1,866 |
| Climate high/low | 60° / 43°F | 59° / 44°F |
| Annual precip | 37.9 in | 39.3 in |
| Nearby city | Great Lakes | Groton |
| Host state | Illinois | Connecticut |
Click here for the full state comparison: Illinois → Connecticut
PCS checklist for Naval Submarine Base New London
- Update DEERS. BAH at Naval Submarine Base New London uses MHA CT049 (ZIP 06349).
- Look up your exact rate on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- HUD 2-bedroom FMR near Naval Submarine Base New London is $1,866/mo. On-base housing is separate.
- New Connecticut residents typically have 30 days for a license and 60 days to title a car.
- Reporting: Naval Submarine Base New London.
Biggest differences
- E-5 with-dependents BAH is higher at Naval Submarine Base New London ($2,580 vs $2,427).
- Median owner-occupied home value in the off-base city is $306,600 in Groton vs $159,600 in North Chicago (Census ACS 5-year, 2020–2024).
- HUD ZIP 2-bedroom rent just outside the gate is $1,980 in 06340 vs $2,340 in 60088.
- Host-state wage tax is Flat 4.95% in Illinois vs Top listed rate 6.99% in Connecticut (military pay usually follows legal residence, not the duty station).
- Combined sales tax averages 6.35% in Connecticut vs 8.96% in Illinois.
Common questions
Does BAH go up from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Submarine Base New London?
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 $2,580; without dependents: $1,854 vs $2,148.
What is local rent like near Naval Submarine Base New London?
HUD FY2026 Small Area FMR for ZIP 06340 (Groton) is $1,980/mo for a 2-bedroom and $2,550/mo for a 3-bedroom. The wider metro 2-BR FMR is $1,866/mo.
Will BAH cover off-base rent if I PCS from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Submarine Base New London?
E-5 without dependents minus a HUD 2-bedroom is −$486/mo at Naval Station Great Lakes vs +$168/mo at Naval Submarine Base New London. E-5 with dependents minus a 3-bedroom is −$583/mo vs +$30/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 Submarine Base New London?
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%. Connecticut: Top listed rate 6.99%. BAH is not taxed. Sales tax and titling a car follow the state you live in.
How does sales tax near Naval Submarine Base New London compare with Naval Station Great Lakes?
Combined sales tax averages 6.35% in Connecticut vs 8.96% in Illinois. This follows where you live, not legal residence for military pay.
How long do I have for a license and car title if I PCS to Naval Submarine Base New London?
New Connecticut residents typically have 30 days for a license and 60 days to title a car (90 and 30 days in Illinois).
What do homes cost in North Chicago vs Groton?
Census ACS 5-year (2020–2024) median value of owner-occupied homes is $159,600 in North Chicago city, Illinois vs $306,600 in Groton city, Connecticut. Median gross rent in those cities is $1,426 vs $1,250. These are city medians (owners’ reported values), not last month’s sale prices.
Related PCS
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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 Submarine Base New London (CT049). Confirm current rates on the DTMO BAH lookup.
- 2-bedroom Fair Market Rent. HUD FY2026 FMR — Lake County $1,781; Southeastern Connecticut Planning Region $1,866.
- 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; 06340 (Groton) $1,980 / $2,550.
- 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 Groton city, Connecticut ($306,600, $1,250/mo). Owner-reported values, not transaction prices.
- Climate normals (1991–2020). NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals — Chicago O'Hare (NWS) (USW00094846); Groton-New London (NWS) (USW00014707).
- Host-state wage tax. Statewide listed rates for Illinois and Connecticut 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 Connecticut. 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 Connecticut. 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%); Connecticut motor-vehicle agency (license 30 days, title 60 days; title tax 6.35%). 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 Connecticut. 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 Connecticut. Backdrop for off-base purchase prices; on-base housing and BAH are separate.