Browse detailed guides for U.S. military bases, organized by state. Find information on housing, neighborhoods, schools, commute times, and lifestyle near each installation.

MacDill AFB sits on the southern tip of the Tampa Peninsula, which means every neighborhood decision for incoming families revolves around one central question: how much commute time are you willing to trade for space, price, and schools? Tampa Bay offers a genuinely wide range of answers to that question. Here's how the most popular options actually compare.

South Tampa — Shortest Commute, Highest Price

Ballast Point, Bayshore Beautiful, and Port Tampa sit closest to MacDill's gates and offer the shortest commutes in the entire metro — often under 15 minutes. These neighborhoods feature a mix of older homes, renovated properties, and newer infill construction, with quick access to Bayshore Boulevard, downtown Tampa, and the Westshore business…

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Get orders to Fort Drum and the first reaction is usually one of two things — "where is that?" or "I heard it snows 200 inches a year." Both are fair. Fort Drum sits in the far north of New York State, about 70 miles from the Canadian border, home to the Army's 10th Mountain Division — one of the most frequently deployed divisions in the Army. The winters are genuinely no joke. But what most people don't expect going in is how affordable the cost of living is, how tight-knit the military community becomes, and how much the Adirondacks and Thousand Islands region has to offer once you adjust to the climate. Here's what you need to know about housing before you arrive.

On-Post Housing at Fort Drum

On-post housing at Fort Drum is managed by Fort Drum…

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MacDill Air Force Base consistently ranks among the most coveted duty station assignments in the Air Force — and Tampa Bay delivers on that reputation. The base sits on the southwestern tip of the Tampa Peninsula, home to USCENTCOM and USSOCOM, two of the most operationally significant commands in the U.S. military. If you're PCS'ing here, you're landing in a major metro with world-class beaches, a booming restaurant scene, professional sports, warm weather year-round, and Florida's no-state-income-tax advantage that puts more money in your pocket than most duty stations. Here's what you actually need to know about housing before you arrive.

On-Base Housing at MacDill

On-base family housing at MacDill is managed by Harbor Bay, which operates 572…

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Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station sits inside the mountain itself — the famous underground complex originally built as a NORAD nuclear bunker in the 1960s that now supports missile warning, space surveillance, and strategic command functions. It's about eight miles southwest of downtown Colorado Springs, bordering Cheyenne Mountain State Park on the Front Range. For military families PCS'ing here, one important distinction stands out immediately: there is no on-base housing at Cheyenne Mountain. Every family assigned here lives off post, which means your housing search starts in the civilian market from day one.

No On-Base Housing — What That Means for Your Search

The Housing Management Office at Cheyenne Mountain provides guidance and…

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Schriever Space Force Base sits about 10 miles east of Peterson SFB on Highway 94, making it the most geographically isolated of Colorado Springs' five military installations — but that doesn't mean it's far from everything. The east side of Colorado Springs has grown considerably over the past decade, and the neighborhoods between Schriever and the city proper give families a real range of options. Here's how to think about housing if you're PCS'ing to Schriever in 2026.

Where Most Schriever Families Live

Because Schriever sits east of the city, the neighborhood math works differently than it does for Fort Carson or Peterson families. The Powers Corridor — the major north-south corridor on the east side of Colorado Springs — is the most practical…

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Joint Base Lewis-McChord sits between Tacoma and Olympia in the South Puget Sound region of Washington State — one of the largest military installations in the country and home to I Corps, the 2nd Infantry Division, the 62nd Airlift Wing, and dozens of tenant units across both the Army and Air Force sides of the installation. For military families PCS'ing here, the neighborhood decision is genuinely consequential — the Puget Sound traffic is real, the commute options are limited, and choosing the wrong side of the installation can add 30 to 45 minutes to your daily drive. Here's how the most popular neighborhoods actually compare.

Lakewood — Best for Lewis Main Post Families

Lakewood sits directly west of the Lewis side of JBLM and is the most…

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Fort Liberty — formerly Fort Bragg — sits just outside Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is home to the 82nd Airborne Division, US Army Special Operations Command, and one of the largest concentrations of active duty soldiers in the country. For military families PCS'ing here, the neighborhood decision comes down to a familiar set of tradeoffs: commute time, school quality, home prices, and community character. Here's how the most popular options actually compare.

Spring Lake — Closest to the Main Gate

Spring Lake sits directly adjacent to Fort Liberty's main gate and offers the shortest commutes of any off-post community. It's a small town with a dense military presence and affordable housing — median home prices run well below the Fayetteville…

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Ask anyone stationed at Fort Leonard Wood where to live off post and you'll hear the same two names over and over: St. Robert and Waynesville. Both sit just north of the installation, both fall under the same school district, and both have a genuinely strong military-friendly culture. But they're not interchangeable — and which one fits your family depends on what you're actually looking for day to day.

St. Robert — Best for Convenience and Commute

St. Robert bills itself as the gateway to Fort Leonard Wood, and the name fits. It's the more residential and commercially developed of the two, with national franchises, chain restaurants, and hotels easily accessible right off I-44. If your priority is convenience — a Walmart nearby, familiar fast food…

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Two of the most common neighborhoods Fort Carson families land in are Fountain and Security-Widefield. They're both close to the base, both affordable relative to most of Colorado Springs, and both have strong military community presences. But they're not the same place — and which one fits your family depends on what you're actually prioritizing. Here's the honest comparison.

Fountain — Best for Commute and Newer Construction

Fountain sits directly south of Fort Carson and offers one of the shortest commutes to most base gates — typically 10 to 20 minutes depending on which gate you use and what time you're driving. The city has grown considerably over the past decade, with master-planned communities like Lorson Ranch bringing newer construction,…

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The United States Air Force Academy sits on the north side of Colorado Springs between Monument and the city proper, occupying a stunning stretch of terrain at the base of the Rampart Range. Assignment to the Academy carries a distinct character compared to other Colorado Springs installations — longer tours, a higher concentration of senior officers and faculty, and a surrounding community that feels more suburban and less transient than the Fort Carson corridor. Here's what military families need to know about living near the Academy in 2026.

Where USAFA Families Actually Live

The Academy draws families to the north end of Colorado Springs and into the Monument and Palmer Lake communities just north of the installation along I-25. On the Colorado…

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