When a soldier leaves active duty, deciding where to live and put down roots can feel very weighty. After putting their life on the line, the veteran deserves a safe and vibrant place to live while factoring in all the things they need after years of service. Veterans United has created a list of best places for veterans to live, which compared data across 25 different metrics, based on a survey of 601 veterans. The factors included quality of life factors such as access to good healthcare through the VA, community support such as the percentage of veterans already living there, financial well-being such as grants and scholarships provided to veterans, and infrastructure for enjoyment and safety. The study examined more than 500 small and large cities across all 50 states.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the number one area for veterans is based in Florida, the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area. This provides a huge quality of life with warm weather for veterans and tons of activities to amuse during the day and with nightlife. This area also gained high points for factors that veterans considered most important in the survey, such as access to fresh foods, good air quality, and good healthcare. On the financial side, Florida has no income tax, and there are property tax exemptions for disabled veterans.
The second best city for veterans is Rochester, MN. It provides four seasons and a more nature-based living style. The VA healthcare facilities are excellent, with a good number of physicians per capita. There's also low crime (the lowest of the top ten here), which means a more relaxed lifestyle—and the single factor veterans cited as the most important. It's not as great on the financial side in terms of exemptions for military retirement pay or property taxes, but the beauty of the landscape can make up for that.
Third on the list is Wichita Falls, TX. This small city has affordable home prices and community support with a sizeable veteran population. There's warm weather to boot, and big cities like Dallas and Oklahoma City are just a few hours drive away.
We hope that wherever veterans land, they are able to thrive. Thank you for your service!
The top 10 cities for veterans are:
1. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL
2. Rochester, MN
3. Wichita Falls, TX
4. Fargo, ND-MN metropolitan area
5. Virginia Beach - Norfolk - Newport News, VA-NC
6. Watertown-Fort Drum, NY
7. Charleston - North Charleston, SC
8. Medford, OR
9. Altoona, PA
10. Sioux Falls, SD