City of Newport News · VA297
Newport News on the Peninsula side of the BAH line
City hall at 2400 Washington Avenue uses ZIP 23607, and the assessor's office on Town Center Drive uses 23606. Both resolve to VA297, the housing area that also covers Langley. Fort Eustis, the Army half of Joint Base Langley-Eustis, is known for Army Transportation, Army Aviation and T2COM.
Source: City of Newport News official website, checked 2026-10-09; City of Newport News, Real Estate Assessor, checked 2026-10-09; DoD BAH 2026, sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt, checked 2026-10-09; MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: Joint Base Langley-Eustis, checked 2026-10-09.
| Median house assessed value, FY 2027 | $287,100, up from $283,200; an assessment median, not a sale price |
|---|---|
| Real estate tax, FY 2027 | $1.18 per $100 |
| Solid waste fee | $31.72 a month |
| Assessment cycle | Every parcel each year, effective the following July 1 |
| School division | Newport News Public Schools |
| City hall to Fort Eustis Gate 1 | 21.3 miles, typically 20-24 minutes |
| City hall to Langley LaSalle Gate | 9.4 miles, typically 12-14 minutes |
| Population | 183,056 (2024 Census figure in the Chesapeake comparison) |
Source: Newport News City Council work session minutes, May 12, 2026, with effective tax rate presentation, checked 2026-10-09; City of Chesapeake, FY 2027 Local Tax Comparisons (PDF dated Aug 2026), checked 2026-10-09; City of Newport News, Real Estate Assessor, checked 2026-10-09; Newport News Public Schools, checked 2026-10-09.
One city hall, two installations
Newport News sits between both halves of the joint base, so two drives are measured from 2400 Washington Ave, each for a Monday, October 12, 2026, 7:00 a.m. departure:
- Northwest on I-64 W to Fort Eustis Gate 1 (Main) at 1 Dozier Rd: 21.3 miles, typically 20 to 24 minutes. Gate 1 is open 24/7; Gate 2 runs 0600-1800 weekdays.
- Across on I-664 N to Langley's LaSalle Gate on Nealy Ave: 9.4 miles, typically 12 to 14 minutes. LaSalle is open 24/7.
Each range ends at the gate and leaves out the ID check. Google lists the Eustis gate address with ZIP 23603, which also maps to VA297; that is a gate address, not a confirmed duty ZIP.
Drives: Google Maps, depart Mon Oct 12, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET, checked 2026-10-09. Gates: JB Langley-Eustis gate information, checked 2026-10-09. ZIP: sorted_zipmha26.txt.
A Fort Story note for Army families
Soldiers assigned to Fort Story, across the water in Virginia Beach, in-process at Fort Eustis first, and the listing puts the two about 50 miles apart. The assignment can change at in-processing, which is a reason to hold off on a long lease on either side until it is settled.
Source: MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, checked 2026-10-09.
The allowance on this side
For a Langley duty ZIP, 2026 VA297 pays E-5 $2,274, E-7 $2,439 and O-1 $2,301 a month with dependents; without dependents those grades draw $1,779, $2,088 and $1,884. The Fort Eustis duty ZIP is still to be confirmed from an installation source before this page labels a table for Eustis.
Source: DoD BAH 2026, rate files bahw26.dat and bahwo26.dat (May 13, 2026 revision), checked 2026-10-09; DoD BAH 2026, sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt, checked 2026-10-09.
Taxes in context
Among the seven cities in the Chesapeake comparison, Newport News' $1.18 rate is fifth, between Hampton and Norfolk. The budget office told City Council on May 12, 2026, that the median house assessment rose 4.65% for single-family homes, to $287,100, and that holding the rate adds about $46 a year at that median.
Source: City of Chesapeake, FY 2027 Local Tax Comparisons (PDF dated Aug 2026), checked 2026-10-09; Newport News City Council work session minutes, May 12, 2026, with effective tax rate presentation, checked 2026-10-09.
The median house on a VA loan
Run the $287,100 median through the same no-down-payment loan and the monthly total sits above the {V7} E-5 allowance but below O-3.
| Price used (illustration only) | $287,100: Newport News median house assessed value, FY 2027 |
|---|---|
| VA funding fee, first use, under 5% down, 2.15% | $6,173, financed |
| Loan amount | $293,273 |
| Rate: Freddie Mac 30-year average, week of Oct 8, 2026 | 7.40% |
| Principal and interest, 30 years | $2,030.56 a month |
| City real estate tax at $1.18 per $100 | About $282 a month ($3,388 a year) |
| Payment before insurance and HOA | About $2,313 a month |
| 2026 BAH VA297, E-5 with dependents | $2,274; $39 short of the payment |
| 2026 BAH VA297, O-3 with dependents | $2,475; $162 above the payment |
Not counted: insurance, association dues, the city's solid waste fee and repairs. The rate is the week's national conventional average, used only as a stand-in for a VA loan rate.
Source: Newport News City Council work session minutes, May 12, 2026, with effective tax rate presentation, checked 2026-10-09; VA.gov, VA funding fee and loan closing costs, checked 2026-10-09; Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, checked 2026-10-09; DoD BAH 2026, rate files bahw26.dat and bahwo26.dat (May 13, 2026 revision), checked 2026-10-09.
Schools
Newport News Public Schools; campus by address.
Source: Newport News Public Schools, checked 2026-10-09.
Nearby alternatives
- Hampton: Langley's city, also VA297, $1.14 rate, Buckroe Beach on the bay.
Sources and dates
- City of Newport News official website, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Newport News, Real Estate Assessor, opened 2026-10-09.
- DoD BAH 2026, sorted_zipmha26.txt and mhanames26.txt, opened 2026-10-09.
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: Joint Base Langley-Eustis, opened 2026-10-09.
- City of Chesapeake, FY 2027 Local Tax Comparisons (PDF dated Aug 2026), opened 2026-10-09.
- Newport News Public Schools, opened 2026-10-09.
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS: Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, opened 2026-10-09.
- DoD BAH 2026, rate files bahw26.dat and bahwo26.dat (May 13, 2026 revision), opened 2026-10-09.
- Google Maps, route 7, depart Mon Oct 12, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET, opened 2026-10-09.
- Google Maps, route 8, depart Mon Oct 12, 2026, 7:00 a.m. ET, opened 2026-10-09.
- Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Gate Information (official page), opened 2026-10-09.
- Newport News City Council work session minutes, May 12, 2026, with effective tax rate presentation, opened 2026-10-09.
- VA.gov, VA funding fee and loan closing costs, opened 2026-10-09.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, opened 2026-10-09.