Duty Station Decider
Your assignment window can be as short as two weeks. Rank the bases on your dream sheet with sourced data, or let it surface your best-fit stations.
Every number sourced
Data Sources & Methodology
Scores compare up to 299 U.S. military housing markets using Stanford SEDA school achievement, FBI crime reporting, HUD and DoD BAH housing data, Census, BLS, EPA, FAA and NOAA sources. Grades use fixed bands, and each factor discloses its comparison pool and any missing data.
Read the full methodology →Last reviewed: September 18, 2026
Dream Sheet Questions, Answered
What is a military dream sheet?
A dream sheet is the ranked list of duty stations a service member submits when new assignments open. Every branch runs its own version: the Army preferences assignments in the IPPS-A marketplace, the Air Force and Space Force bid on billets in the Talent Marketplace after the vulnerable-to-move list drops, sailors apply to billets in MyNavy Assignment, and the Coast Guard ranks openings from its shopping list. Decision windows can be as short as two weeks.
How should I rank the bases on my assignment list?
Rank by what matters to your household, backed by data: school-district achievement, crime rates, estimated market housing cost, childcare costs, the spouse job market, walkability, and distance from family. Housing cost averages a HUD 3-bedroom gross-rent benchmark and a fixed BAH market index on HUD's dollar scale. It is a three-bedroom, 40th-percentile-anchored benchmark. Lower estimated cost scores better, with the same estimate and score for every pay grade and dependency status. Your published BAH is shown separately because DoD housing profiles vary by grade and dependency status; the tool does not compute a BAH coverage verdict. The Duty Station Decider scores each base against markets with eligible evidence for the factors you rank highest.
Does putting a base on my list mean I will get it?
No. Assignments follow the needs of the service: vacancy counts, your marks and endorsements, tenure, and specialty all factor in. One strategy families use: a station with many openings anywhere on your list is likely to take you, so avoid listing high-vacancy locations you do not actually want.
What if I do not know which bases to consider?
Choose "Show me my options" instead of entering a list. Answer the same household and priority questions, and the tool scores every stateside installation we track as a PCS destination for your branch (admin headquarters, closed posts, and overseas bases are excluded) and surfaces the markets that fit your family best, so you can research a shortlist instead of a map. And if the list you already have scores poorly on your own priorities, the tool points out better-fitting installations in your branch worth a look.
Buying at your next base?
The Should I Buy calculator runs the full rent-vs-buy math for any station on your list.
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