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Navy · San Diego, CA

Moving to Naval Base Point Loma — A PCS Guide for Navy Families

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Plan your move to Naval Base Point Loma

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Explore the area

You know the base. Now get to know the region.

The honest character of each area around Naval Base Point Loma — who it fits, the real tradeoffs, and exactly what to verify before you sign a lease.

Point Loma & Ocean Beach

~6 min

What Point Loma and Ocean Beach are actually like for a Navy family — the coastal community right by Naval Base Point Loma, Liberty Station, the cost, the schools, and the honest tradeoffs before you sign a lease.

~2.6 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Coronado

~28 min

What living in Coronado is actually like for a Navy family at NAS North Island, NAB Coronado, or Naval Base San Diego — the island lifestyle, the very real cost, the excellent schools, and the honest tradeoffs before you sign.

~15.7 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Pacific Beach

~20 min

What Pacific Beach — San Diego's classic boardwalk beach town — is actually like for a sailor stationed at Naval Base San Diego or Coronado. The beach-lifestyle play, the boardwalk, the cost and commute reality, and the honest tradeoffs.

~7.9 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

National City

~27 min

What National City is actually like for a Navy family at Naval Base San Diego — the closest city to the 32nd Street base, the most affordable South Bay option, the honest tradeoffs, and what to verify before you sign.

~16.3 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Mission Valley

~22 min

What Mission Valley — San Diego's central apartment corridor along the river and I-8 — is actually like for a Navy family stationed in San Diego. The central, low-commute, rent-heavy play, the trolley access, the schools, and the honest tradeoffs.

~11.7 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Clairemont

~26 min

What Clairemont (and Bay Park) — San Diego's big, central, value-minded postwar neighborhood — is actually like for a Navy family stationed at Naval Base San Diego or Coronado. The affordable-central play, Mission Bay nearby, the schools, and the honest tradeoffs.

~14.7 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Chula Vista

~30 min

What Chula Vista is actually like for a Navy family stationed at Naval Base San Diego — the South Bay's value play, the master-planned east vs. the older west, schools, the honest tradeoffs, and what to verify before you sign a lease.

~19.4 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Imperial Beach

~35 min

What Imperial Beach — California's southernmost beach town, at the south end of the Silver Strand — is actually like for a Navy family stationed in San Diego. The affordable-beach play closest to NAB Coronado, the laid-back feel, the schools, and the honest tradeoffs.

~23.7 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

Tierrasanta

~27 min

What Tierrasanta — "the Island in the Hills," San Diego's classic central military neighborhood — is actually like for a Navy family stationed at Naval Base San Diego or Coronado. The family-and-schools play, Mission Trails at the doorstep, the commute, and the honest tradeoffs.

~16.7 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

East County

~27 min

What East County — La Mesa, El Cajon, Santee, Spring Valley — is actually like for a Navy family stationed in San Diego. The inland value play, the hotter climate, the longer commute, schools, and the honest tradeoffs.

~18.2 mi drive to Naval Base Point Loma

About Naval Base Point Loma

Quick facts

Type
Consolidated Navy base — submarine squadron, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC), fleet ASW training, and a fuel depot (Wikipedia)
Established
Consolidated as Naval Base Point Loma in 1998 (from several older Navy facilities) (Wikipedia)
Location
On the Point Loma peninsula, west of San Diego Bay near the harbor entrance (Wikipedia)
Other San Diego Navy bases
NB San Diego, Naval Base Coronado (North Island), NAB Coronado
Housing Market Area
San Diego MHA — among the highest-BAH and highest-cost areas in the country

Tends to fit

  • Submarine-community sailors (SUBRON 11) and their families
  • NIWC Pacific (information-warfare / engineering) military + civilian staff

Probably not for

  • Families expecting a big base footprint — Point Loma is specialized; you'll use NB San Diego or North Island for the large NEX + commissary

Every number here is sourced or we don't cite it. If a figure is missing, we haven't verified it yet — link out and double-check before you sign anything.

Look up your verified 2026 BAH at Naval Base Point Loma Real DTMO rates by pay grade and dependents — free.

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.

Vetted partners (coming)

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Local pros

Find vetted local pros near Naval Base Point Loma

Realtors, movers, lenders, and home-service pros around Naval Base Point Loma— hand-vetted so you don’t start from a Google search and a guess. We’re still vetting partners for this area; browse the directory and we’ll fill it in.

Browse local pros (coming soon) →

What to do next

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