Home / Getting out in Ventura County
Your Next Chapter Starts Here on the Coast
A guide to leaving the service at Naval Base Ventura County and staying in the area. The transition timeline, who files your VA claim for free, where the jobs are, how to use the GI Bill here and what a home costs.
The timeline
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| 24 months out, retirees | Start transition assistance. Earlier is better. |
| 12 months out, everyone else | Start transition assistance. The rule is no later than 365 days before you separate. |
| 180 to 90 days out | File your VA disability claim through Benefits Delivery at Discharge so a decision is waiting when you get out. |
| 180 days out | The window opens for SkillBridge, a civilian internship on military pay. |
| 90 days out | Finish your capstone review. Line up health coverage and a place to live. |
| Separation | Take your DD-214 to the county veterans office and the DMV. |
Transition classes run through the Fleet and Family Support Center.
| Office | Where | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Port Hueneme | Building 1169 | 805-982-5037 |
| Point Mugu | Building 225 | 805-989-8146 |
Get your claim filed for free
The Ventura County Veteran Services Office files VA claims at no cost. Its staff are accredited, they know the local VA and they do not take a cut of your back pay. Never pay a company to file an initial claim.
- Main office: The Palms, 2000 Outlet Center Drive, Suite C-220, Oxnard. Call 805-477-5155. Open weekdays, 8 am to 5 pm.
- Field offices: around the county, including the Gold Coast Veterans Foundation in Camarillo on Wednesdays.
2026 VA disability pay for a veteran with no dependents:
| Rating | Monthly pay |
|---|---|
| 10 percent | $180.42 |
| 50 percent | $1,132.90 |
| 70 percent | $1,808.45 |
| 100 percent | $3,938.58 |
Dependents raise the amounts at 30 percent and above. VA disability pay is tax free.
VA health care and support
| Place | Where | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| VA clinic | 5250 Ralston Street, Ventura | 805-339-6400 |
| Ventura Vet Center, counseling | Ventura | 805-585-1860 |
| Gold Coast Veterans Foundation | 4001 Mission Oaks Boulevard, Suite D, Camarillo | 805-482-6550 |
| Veterans Home of California | 10900 Telephone Road, Ventura | Ask the county veterans office |
Larger VA medical centers are in Los Angeles. The Veterans Crisis Line is 988, then press 1.
Jobs
The bases themselves are the biggest draw. Navy commands at Port Hueneme and Point Mugu hire engineers, technicians, logisticians and tradespeople, and defense contractors cluster around both gates. The Point Mugu civilian jobs page shows how to search and apply.
- Veterans preference adds 5 or 10 points on competitive federal jobs.
- Veterans Recruitment Appointment lets an agency hire eligible veterans without competition, up to GS-11.
- America's Job Center in Oxnard is at 2901 North Ventura Road. Call 805-204-5100. Veterans get priority service.
- Work for Warriors places veterans and Guard and Reserve members with California employers at no cost. Call 916-854-4426.
Large local employers outside the gate include Amgen, the County of Ventura, the area hospitals, Haas Automation, Procter and Gamble and the Port of Hueneme.
School on the GI Bill
The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays a monthly housing allowance based on the E-5 with dependents BAH for the school's zip code. For schools here that is about $3,537 a month in 2026 for a full time, in person student at the full benefit level.
| School | Veterans office |
|---|---|
| Oxnard College | 805-678-5845 |
| Ventura College | 805-289-6060 |
| Moorpark College | 805-553-4106 |
| California State University Channel Islands, Camarillo | Ask for the veterans resource center |
| California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks | 805-493-3648. A Yellow Ribbon school. |
California also waives tuition at state colleges for the children of veterans with a service connected disability, with income rules. The county veterans office handles that application.
What it costs to stay
Ventura County is expensive, and it is better to know that going in.
- The median price of a single family home was $925,000 in August 2026.
- Median household income is about $109,800.
- Condos and townhomes in Port Hueneme and Oxnard start far lower. See homes for sale near NBVC.
What helps:
- Your VA loan goes with you. It works after you separate, with no down payment. If you used it before, you can get your entitlement back when that home is sold and the loan paid off, and in some cases you can use it again while keeping the first home.
- A disability rating waives the VA funding fee.
- A 100 percent rating cuts your property tax. See the SB 296 page.
- Military retirement pay gets a $20,000 state tax exclusion through 2029. See California military taxes.
Already own here and moving on?
If you bought during your tour and you are leaving, you have choices: sell, or keep it as a rental. Start with a number. Find out what your home is worth, then call Adam to talk through both paths.
Questions people ask
Where is the veterans office in Ventura County?
The Ventura County Veteran Services Office is at The Palms, 2000 Outlet Center Drive, Suite C-220, in Oxnard. Call 805-477-5155.
When should I file my VA disability claim?
Between 180 and 90 days before you separate, through Benefits Delivery at Discharge. The county veterans office files it for free.
Can I use a VA loan after I leave the military?
Yes. The benefit does not expire. You need your Certificate of Eligibility and income that supports the payment.
How much is the GI Bill housing allowance in Ventura County?
About $3,537 a month in 2026 for a full time, in person student at the full benefit level, based on the E-5 with dependents BAH rate.
Is there a VA hospital in Ventura County?
There is a VA clinic in Ventura at 5250 Ralston Street, 805-339-6400. The nearest full VA medical centers are in Los Angeles.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: Department of Defense Transition Assistance Program; VA Benefits Delivery at Discharge program and 2026 compensation rate tables; Ventura County Veteran Services Office; Gold Coast Veterans Foundation; VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System; California Association of Realtors August 2026 county median price; U.S. Census Bureau. Hours, prices, laws and dates change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
Keep going
Staying? Let us find the home you hang up the uniform in
Adam is a Marine veteran. He does the VA loan and the home search himself.