Naval Base Point Loma is San Diego's specialized consolidated base — home to the submarine squadron (SUBRON 11), the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC), fleet anti-submarine-warfare training, and the Navy fuel depot. It sits on the Point Loma peninsula, west of San Diego Bay near the harbor entrance. If your orders are to the submarine force or to NIWC, this is your base.
This guide covers the base and the San Diego housing reality; your command owns the operational specifics.
The base, in brief
Naval Base Point Loma was consolidated in 1998 from several older Point Loma Navy facilities. It's a specialized installation — submarines and their support on the bay side, NIWC's engineering and information-warfare campuses up the peninsula, plus the fuel depot and fleet training activities. It doesn't have the big-fleet pier complex of NB San Diego or the airfield of North Island; many family-facing services (large NEX, commissary) are a short drive away at the bigger bases.
Where to live
The same San Diego reality applies — expensive, single high-BAH Military Housing Area, plan your budget carefully. Point Loma and the nearby coastal neighborhoods (Ocean Beach, Midway, Clairemont) are convenient but pricey; many families look to the South Bay and East County for value. Our Naval Base San Diego guide breaks down the regional housing picture; Point-Loma-specific neighborhood reads are coming. Drive your commute at rush hour first.
On-base life — services
- NEX: a smaller NEX mini-mart on base; the full NEX + commissary are at NB San Diego and North Island.
- Medical: Naval Medical Center San Diego (Balboa) is the regional military hospital + TRICARE Prime hub.
- Child care: apply early via MilitaryChildCare.com — San Diego waitlists are long.
BAH, schools, and logistics
San Diego MHA BAH — pull current rates from defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm. Schools depend on where you live; pull specifics at GreatSchools. The 10-stage moving guide applies the same.
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