With the highest military population in California, San Diego County is bracing for missed paychecks and a run on local food banks during the federal government shutdown, now in its second week.
Last week armed service members and federal employees were furloughed or notified that they’ll have to work without pay after Senate Democrats and Republicans faced off over health care spending and other issues.
California has the most service members of any state, with about 213,000 active duty military and reserve, according to federal data. More than half of those – 117,000 service members – are based in San Diego County, along with 34,000 civilian military employees, who “would be forced to work without pay during a shutdown,” three local Congress members stated.
The county hosts five military installations, including the West Coast powerhouses of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and Naval Base San Diego. It’s also one of the priciest areas, with the city of San Diego ranked as the 9th most expensive urban area by the Council for Community and Economic Research this year.
That adds up to a big headache for military personnel and their families, many of whom stretch their dollars under normal circumstances and may go without pay this month. Officials said they were paid as usual Oct. 1, but many could miss out on their next paycheck on Oct. 15. Others who are paid monthly could see their wages frozen Nov. 1.
“We know that because of the cost of living in San Diego that active duty troops are already having a hard time getting by,” Rep. Scott Peters, a San Diego Democrat, said. “We’d like to get this over as quickly as possible. This is no way to support them.”
Rep. Mike Levin, a Democrat from Carlsbad and Dana Point, said Congress members have proposed a bill called the “Pay our Troops Act,” which would extend military pay during the shutdown.
“I don’t think our service members should be caught in the middle of that,” he said.
There’s been no movement on passing that bill, but Levin signed a letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson to bring it to a vote.
Military families prepare for pay loss
Local groups that support military families are gearing up in case the shutdown stretches from weeks to months.
“Rent still needs to be paid, food needs to be put on the table, cars need to be paid for, and our military families are now in the stress of uncertainty,” said Maggie Meza, executive director for the San Diego Chapter of Blue Star Families.
The group’s annual survey found that most military families nationwide have less than $3,000 in savings, and one in four service members struggle to put food on the table. That’s a big problem for newer service members at the lower end of the pay scale, advocates said.
“That is an immediate impact for many people living paycheck to paycheck, like many of our junior troops are,” said Janessa Goldbeck, CEO of Vet Voice Foundation.
With grocery prices up because of inflation and tariffs, food is a top concern. San Diego’s inflation rate in July was the highest in the country at 4%, driven by rising costs of food, fuel, health care and cars. To make up for the growing gaps in food access, the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding San Diego plan to expand food distribution and add pop-up food banks near military installations.
The San Diego Food Bank serves 400,000 people each month, and about 10% of those are military members and their families, CEO Casey Castillo said. That could rise by tens of thousands if the shutdown persists.
“We have reserves on hand and we also have a financial reserve policy that allows us to respond to emergencies like this,” Castillo said. “We have already started to place orders, in case demand spikes during the shutdown. And it’s also an opportunity to work with the community on food drives.”
Allison Glader, a spokesperson for Feeding San Diego, said the organization saw an uptick in food bank use last week, which could represent people stocking up in anticipation of a pay freeze next week. Economic conditions in San Diego put many service members on edge, even before the shutdown, she said.
“You don’t get to choose where you’re stationed,” she said. “Maybe what was okay in another city is not able to stretch enough to make ends meet (in San Diego.) Then you’re choosing between putting gas in the car, food on the table, or paying the electricity bill. One missing paycheck: that’s life-changing.”
More government shutdown woes
The status of federal food assistance complicates the picture. Both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) have money for this month, but aren’t funded after that, Levin said
Military child development centers, base commissaries and health care facilities could also cut services or hours. The Naval Medical Center San Diego stated online that it would provide routine and emergency care, but claims could be delayed during the shutdown.
“There’s a lot of dual military families that rely on childcare services,” Goldbeck said. “So you’re asking people to show up for work without pay, and potentially with no childcare for their kids.”
She said the shutdown could also have foreign policy impacts if financial uncertainty undermines morale and weakens force readiness.
“If you are stationed across the world and you’re trying to focus on being on a mission and you’re having to think about the fact that your family might not have food on the table, it’s a very stressful scenario,” Glader said.
Public lands and beyond
San Diego has no national parks, but Cabrillo National Monument and Cleveland National Forest are both closed to the public. A notice on the monument website stated that “All events (including education programs) are cancelled while the lapse of appropriations continues.”
Monument staff did not respond to questions during the closure, but Goldbeck, whose organization organizes veterans to support public lands, said dozens of school field trips and weddings were called off.
