2019 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Results are in!

The Blue Star Families annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey results, in collaboration with Syracuse University’s Institute for Veteran and Military Families , are here! With over 11,000 respondents including service members, veterans, National Guard, Reserve and their families, the #BSFSurvey received the highest response rate since its establishment in 2009! The largest survey of its kind, it is used by policymakers in D.C. and across the country to learn about and meet the most pressing needs of military families like yours.

Top issues among military families identified:

• Military Family Stability: Issues related to instability and unpredictability remain a focus for military families’ top issues this year. Time away from family, military spouse employment, dependent children’s education, military family stability/quality of life, and lack of control over military career were ranked the top-five issues of concern among military family respondents.
• Economic Stability: “Financial issues” remains a top stressor for military family respondents. This with “relocation issues” and “my/my civilian spouse’s employment/inability of our family to reliably earn two incomes” suggests that issues with financial implications are still a top-of-mind stressor.
• Sense of Belonging: Forty-percent of military family respondents do not feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community. However, when military and veteran family respondents perceive that civilians in their local communities have greater military family lifestyle competence — community awareness, appreciation, understanding, support, and respect of military families and their service — they feel greater belonging to their communities.

To view the 2019 key findings video and to download the full 2019 results for a more in-depth look, visit bluestarfam.org/survey!