Should you live on post or base? Or, should you live out in town? What is the best thing to do? Where will you have a better life? Most families have this debate several times throughout a military career. They wonder if base living is the best route to go, or if they should experience life in one of the surrounding communities.

With any big decision, making a list of pros and cons is a good starting point. Then you can see on paper what would make the most sense to you and your family.

Here are some of the pros and cons of living on post or base:

Pros to living on post or base

Community

If you are on post or base, you will be a lot closer to the military community. This is one of the best things about living on post. You can be around other military families and military spouses. This can make for a much better experience during a deployment as everyone around you knows what that is like.

Close to work

When you live on post or base, you will be close to your service member’s place of work. They will have more opportunities to come home for lunch and see you during the day. They won’t have as long of a commute, you should be able to save gas money, and traffic won’t be as much of an issue.

Close to playgrounds

If you have small children, being close to a lot of playgrounds is a nice perk of living on post or base. You will be able to walk to at least one of them, if not more than one. This makes it much easier to get your kids outside and arrange playdates.

Save on utilities

Overall, living on post or base will allow you to save money on utilities. Sometimes living off post means paying a lot more for these each month. This is one way living on post will allow you to save money.

Save on rent

Depending on where you are stationed, living on post can save you money on rent. While you won’t receive any BAH for living on post or base, you won’t have to spend more than the BAH amount like you might if you live off post or base.

Cons to living on post or base:

Closer to people

Being on post or base means you are going to be closer to the people you live near. This isn’t always a good thing. You will probably have to share a wall, and that can get old fast. There will always be people coming and going, and if you are used to having more space, you may feel cramped.

Loud

Because there are more people in a closer area, living on post or base can be louder than living off. There will always be something going on, and people love to get together. If you want a quieter life, post or base might not be the best place for you.

Can’t get away from work

Because you are closer to work, your service member might not be able to get the distance they want during their off hours. Living off post or base can put more miles between you and the military. Some families prefer to have some space, and you simply can’t find that when you are on post or base.

Not as much of a choice

By living on post or base, you won’t have as much of a choice on the home you will live in. For one thing, they are divided by rank. They also can look quite similar. If there are a lot of families on the waiting list, you might have to take the first available unit.

Kids everywhere

While having kids nearby for your children to play with is a good thing, having so many kids around can also get a little frustrating. There will always be a child knocking on your door to play, and they don’t always follow the same play hours that your house does. You will have to set firm limits and make sure your children understand the rules about playing in your local neighborhood.

During your time as a military family, you may live on and off post or base depending on where you live. Some places might be better for base living, while others would be best to live away from the installation. Think about the pros and cons of living on post or base, and make a decision that is best for your own family.

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