Moving to Naval Station Great Lakes
Housing, neighborhoods, schools, and 2026 BAH for families PCSing to North Chicago, Illinois.
Also known as: Great Lakes, RTC
Naval Station Great Lakes, on Lake Michigan north of Chicago, is the Navy’s only boot camp and its largest training installation. Families PCSing here, largely instructors and staff, settle in Gurnee, Waukegan, or Libertyville, in a Chicago-suburb market with strong schools and a range of prices.
Last updated: 2026-07-19
On-base vs off-base housing
On-base housing serves permanent-party families, with the usual waitlists. Off-base, Waukegan sits closest to the gate with the most affordable inventory, Gurnee offers newer suburbs and strong schools, and Libertyville and Vernon Hills to the south are pricier and highly rated. Lake County prices range widely, so both renting and buying are common.
Where military families live near Naval Station Great Lakes
Families PCSing to Naval Station Great Lakes most often settle in Gurnee, Waukegan, Libertyville / Vernon Hills. The table below shows typical rents, home prices, and drive time to the gate for each.
| Area | 3-bed rent | Home prices | To gate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gurnee | $1,600-$2,200 | $300k-$430k | 10-20 min | Newer suburbs and strong schools; the family favorite. |
| Waukegan | $1,350-$1,850 | $220k-$320k | 5-15 min | Closest to the gate with the most affordable inventory. |
| Libertyville / Vernon Hills | $1,900-$2,600 | $400k-$580k | 15-25 min | Pricier, highly rated suburbs to the south. |
2026 BAH near Naval Station Great Lakes
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) at Naval Station Great Lakes is set by the IL092 (Great Lakes NAVTRACEN, IL) military housing area. Rates below are monthly, by pay grade, for 2026.
| Pay grade | With dependents | Without dependents |
|---|---|---|
| E-5 | $2,427 | $1,854 |
| E-7 | $2,853 | $2,211 |
| O-3 | $3,018 | $2,637 |
Source: DoD/DTMO 2026 BAH rate table (travel.dod.mil), effective January 1, 2026.
Schools near Naval Station Great Lakes
| School | Level | District | Town |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warren Township High School | High | Warren Township HSD 121 | Gurnee |
| Libertyville High School | High | Community HSD 128 | Libertyville |
| Woodland Elementary | Elementary | Woodland CCSD 50 | Gurnee |
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Where do staff and families live near Naval Station Great Lakes?
Gurnee is the family favorite for its newer suburbs and strong schools, about 10 to 20 minutes from the gate. Waukegan sits closest with the most affordable housing. Libertyville and Vernon Hills to the south are pricier and highly rated. All are Chicago suburbs in Lake County with a wide range of prices.
How far is Great Lakes from Chicago?
Naval Station Great Lakes is about 35 miles north of downtown Chicago, roughly an hour by car or Metra train. Most families live in the nearby Lake County suburbs like Gurnee and Waukegan for shorter commutes, while still being able to reach Chicago for jobs, sports, and big-city amenities on weekends.
Related bases
Scott Air Force Base
O'Fallon, Illinois
Air ForceWright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dayton, Ohio
Side-by-side comparisons: Naval Station Great Lakes vs Scott Air Force BaseNaval Station Great Lakes vs Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
More: Navy bases · Bases in Illinois