Naval Base San Diego · Camp Pendleton · six towns
San Diego orders: two housing areas, one expensive county
Military OneSource puts it bluntly on the Naval Base San Diego listing: San Diego is a high cost of living area, especially for real estate. The county assessor's 2026 roll release backs that up with a median detached-home price of $997,250. This site lines that price up against the 2026 housing allowance, town by town, with a dated source next to every figure.
Source: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, Naval Base San Diego, checked 2026-10-09; San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, news release: 2026 tax roll hits record $845 billion (Jul 2, 2026), checked 2026-10-09.
Which allowance table is yours
| Installation | ZIP | 2026 housing area | E-5 with dependents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naval Base San Diego | 92136 | CA038 (SAN DIEGO, CA) | $3,975 |
| MCB Camp Pendleton | 92055 | CA024 (CAMP PENDLETON, CA) | $3,963 |
Source: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, Naval Base San Diego, checked 2026-10-09; MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, Camp Pendleton, checked 2026-10-09; DoD BAH 2026, ZIP-to-housing-area file sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt, checked 2026-10-09; DoD BAH 2026, rate files bahw26.dat and bahwo26.dat (May 13, 2026 revision), checked 2026-10-09.
The gap this site keeps measuring
Put the $997,250 county median through a no-down-payment VA loan at the Freddie Mac average of 7.40% for the week of October 8, 2026 and principal, interest and property tax come to roughly $8,040 a month in a Chula Vista tax rate area. The E-5 allowance with dependents in CA038 is $3,975. Each town page shows the arithmetic with that town's county tax rate.
Source: San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, news release: 2026 tax roll hits record $845 billion (Jul 2, 2026), checked 2026-10-09; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, checked 2026-10-09; VA.gov, VA funding fee and loan closing costs, checked 2026-10-09; County of San Diego, Table 26 Tax Rate Area Index and Table 27 Tax Rate by Tax Rate Area, FY 2025-26, checked 2026-10-09; DoD BAH 2026, rate files bahw26.dat and bahwo26.dat (May 13, 2026 revision), checked 2026-10-09.
Towns covered
Five cities whose city hall ZIPs resolve to CA038, plus Oceanside, which sits in the Camp Pendleton area CA024: Chula Vista, National City, Coronado, Imperial Beach, Santee and Oceanside.
Source: DoD BAH 2026, ZIP-to-housing-area file sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt, checked 2026-10-09; City of Chula Vista official website, checked 2026-10-09; City of National City official website, checked 2026-10-09; City of Coronado, Hours and Locations, checked 2026-10-09; City of Imperial Beach official website, checked 2026-10-09; City of Santee official website, checked 2026-10-09; City of Oceanside official website, checked 2026-10-09.
Sources and dates
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, Naval Base San Diego, opened 2026-10-09.
- San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk, news release: 2026 tax roll hits record $845 billion (Jul 2, 2026), opened 2026-10-09.
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS, Camp Pendleton, opened 2026-10-09.
- DoD BAH 2026, ZIP-to-housing-area file sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt, opened 2026-10-09.
- DoD BAH 2026, rate files bahw26.dat and bahwo26.dat (May 13, 2026 revision), opened 2026-10-09.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, opened 2026-10-09.
- VA.gov, VA funding fee and loan closing costs, opened 2026-10-09.
- County of San Diego, Table 26 Tax Rate Area Index and Table 27 Tax Rate by Tax Rate Area, FY 2025-26, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Chula Vista official website, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of National City official website, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Coronado, Hours and Locations, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Imperial Beach official website, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Santee official website, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Oceanside official website, opened 2026-10-09.