Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live (2026)

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial WriterNov 3, 2025

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer
Nov 3, 2025

According to the Veterans Association, there are nearly 17.6 million veterans currently living in the U.S. These veterans often face a host of challenges when re-entering civilian life. Despite Uncle Sam’s promises to provide health care as well as housing, employment and educational assistance upon their return from service, some cannot secure healthcare, jobs or shelter..

Fortunately, the unemployment rate for veterans is relatively low at 3.1%, compared to 4.3% for the overall population. However, veteran homelessness is still a big problem, and there are around 33,000 homeless veterans. Some states offer better conditions for those who have served our country, though.

To help military veterans find the best places in which to settle down, WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 19 key indicators of livability, affordability and veteran-friendliness. They range from the share of military skill-related jobs to veteran income growth to the availability of VA health facilities.

“When veterans return home from serving our nation, it’s important for them to live in a place that provides good education and employment opportunities, along with access to quality care for their physical and mental health. The best cities for veterans have all these characteristics, plus added bonuses like large veteran populations for community support, plus many restaurants and entertainment venues that offer veteran discounts.”

Chip Lupo, WalletHub Analyst

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Best Cities for Veterans to Live

Overall Rank	City	Total Score	Employment Rank	Economy Rank	Quality of Life Rank	Health Rank
1	Austin, TX	68.54	19	20	5	35
2	Tampa, FL	67.45	53	32	9	13
3	Madison, WI	67.39	5	3	15	47
4	Raleigh, NC	66.68	10	4	19	49
5	Colorado Springs, CO	66.67	45	8	12	26
6	Virginia Beach, VA	66.62	36	2	10	66
7	Orlando, FL	65.97	73	19	1	21
8	St. Petersburg, FL	65.34	11	53	16	16
9	Irvine, CA	64.86	3	60	33	1
10	Fort Worth, TX	64.66	8	6	39	35
11	Plano, TX	64.63	31	50	7	35
12	Gilbert, AZ	64.40	20	5	25	59
13	Miami, FL	64.22	15	38	36	14
14	Chesapeake, VA	64.19	22	1	24	66
15	Pittsburgh, PA	63.82	18	34	18	28
16	Scottsdale, AZ	63.52	74	11	4	59
17	San Diego, CA	62.64	46	64	6	31
18	Jacksonville, FL	62.35	48	25	29	16
19	Chandler, AZ	62.29	30	14	17	59
20	Boise, ID	62.21	16	48	3	84
21	Durham, NC	61.36	2	52	28	45
22	Henderson, NV	60.71	43	16	14	82
23	Las Vegas, NV	58.99	49	37	2	93
24	Denver, CO	58.96	56	55	8	57
25	Dallas, TX	58.96	44	44	41	20
26	Lincoln, NE	58.70	6	24	38	88
27	Lexington-Fayette, KY	58.41	26	30	37	55
28	Oklahoma City, OK	57.88	13	9	39	77
29	Charlotte, NC	57.75	33	33	45	49
30	Garland, TX	57.57	29	15	63	35
31	Arlington, TX	57.52	40	10	65	35
32	Laredo, TX	57.44	9	7	81	35
33	Minneapolis, MN	57.35	81	36	22	34
34	San Antonio, TX	57.28	65	12	31	53
35	Mesa, AZ	56.87	21	29	53	59
36	Chula Vista, CA	56.79	64	41	64	1
37	Anchorage, AK	56.26	39	17	42	71
38	Fremont, CA	55.58	4	95	58	1
39	Irving, TX	55.33	34	31	70	35
40	Hialeah, FL	54.60	1	87	75	16
41	Omaha, NE	54.38	52	23	43	75
42	Glendale, AZ	54.25	25	27	73	59
43	North Las Vegas, NV	53.91	50	21	51	82
44	Tulsa, OK	53.80	70	22	62	48
45	St. Paul, MN	53.39	57	54	26	94
46	Lubbock, TX	53.24	23	51	78	35
47	San Jose, CA	53.17	35	94	54	1
48	Cincinnati, OH	53.10	72	76	30	44
49	St. Louis, MO	53.08	68	70	52	23
50	Washington, DC	52.98	32	63	21	95
51	Seattle, WA	52.75	7	84	34	87
52	San Francisco, CA	52.74	58	99	13	24
53	Columbus, OH	52.73	55	26	48	79
54	Louisville, KY	52.31	14	42	61	78
55	Greensboro, NC	51.99	17	35	90	49
56	Albuquerque, NM	51.91	24	49	56	76
57	Milwaukee, WI	51.75	66	43	77	32
58	Bakersfield, CA	51.45	62	57	89	1
59	Houston, TX	51.40	69	45	57	56
60	Winston-Salem, NC	51.38	27	40	87	49
61	Sacramento, CA	51.33	85	79	46	19
62	Atlanta, GA	51.31	60	81	11	90
63	Buffalo, NY	50.69	97	18	80	15
64	Kansas City, MO	50.46	37	58	66	73
65	Tucson, AZ	50.37	61	46	44	81
66	Boston, MA	50.25	41	92	60	30
67	El Paso, TX	49.98	84	28	59	70
68	Norfolk, VA	49.82	70	65	50	66
69	Anaheim, CA	49.80	42	85	86	1
70	Phoenix, AZ	49.26	51	62	35	97
71	Riverside, CA	48.66	91	59	88	1
72	Aurora, CO	48.57	95	39	74	26
73	Santa Ana, CA	48.51	80	75	85	1
74	Corpus Christi, TX	48.41	63	69	76	35
75	Los Angeles, CA	48.21	86	97	32	22
76	Philadelphia, PA	48.13	54	71	69	64
77	Jersey City, NJ	47.69	12	61	82	99
78	Nashville, TN	47.65	67	73	47	85
79	Cleveland, OH	47.61	75	74	83	29
80	Oakland, CA	47.40	28	98	84	1
81	Long Beach, CA	46.83	94	100	49	12
82	Portland, OR	46.52	83	91	23	74
83	San Bernardino, CA	46.51	38	78	99	1
84	Wichita, KS	46.31	78	13	91	72
85	Fort Wayne, IN	46.15	47	67	72	91
86	Honolulu, HI	46.13	88	96	20	69
87	Birmingham, AL	46.06	77	68	71	65
88	New York, NY	45.66	59	93	67	54
89	New Orleans, LA	45.55	89	82	68	46
90	Reno, NV	44.66	93	77	27	96
91	Chicago, IL	44.32	87	72	55	86
92	Fresno, CA	43.98	82	86	92	25
93	Stockton, CA	43.10	92	83	96	1
94	Baltimore, MD	42.97	79	80	97	33
95	Indianapolis, IN	41.27	76	56	94	89
96	Toledo, OH	38.14	90	66	95	92
97	Memphis, TN	34.75	99	47	93	98
98	Baton Rouge, LA	33.43	100	88	79	58
99	Detroit, MI	28.33	98	90	98	80
100	Newark, NJ	27.35	96	89	100	99

Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of that city, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for that metric category.

% of Military Skill-Related Jobs

Highest

Highest
T-1. Fremont, CA
T-1. Madison, WI
T-1. Durham, NC
4. Boston, MA
5. Seattle, WA

Lowest

Lowest
96. Irving, TX
97. Hialeah, FL
98. North Las Vegas, NV
99. Las Vegas, NV
100. Miami, FL

Veteran Unemployment Rate

Lowest

Lowest
T-1. Fremont, CA
T-1. Lincoln, NE
T-1. Chesapeake, VA
T-1. Irving, TX
T-1. Greensboro, NC

Highest

Highest
96. Buffalo, NY
97. Newark, NJ
98. Long Beach, CA
T-99. Detroit, MI
T-99. Baton Rouge, LA

Veteran Income Growth

Highest

Highest
1. Miami, FL
2. Atlanta, GA
3. Boston, MA
4. Madison, WI
5. Garland, TX

Lowest

Lowest
96. Kansas City, MO
97. Corpus Christi, TX
98. Lincoln, NE
99. Birmingham, AL
100. Baton Rouge, LA

% of Veterans in Poverty

Lowest

Lowest
1. Chula Vista, CA
2. Gilbert, AZ
3. Chesapeake, VA
4. Virginia Beach, VA
5. Irving, TX

Highest

Highest
96. Baltimore, MD
97. Hialeah, FL
98. Cleveland, OH
99. Newark, NJ
100. Detroit, MI

Homeless Veterans per Veteran Population

Fewest

Fewest
1. Virginia Beach, VA
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Colorado Springs, CO
4. Buffalo, NY
5. Jacksonville, FL

Most

Most
88. Boston, MA
T-89. Portland, OR
T-89. Atlanta, GA
T-89. Long Beach, CA
T-89. San Francisco, CA

Veteran Population

Highest

Highest
T-1. Virginia Beach, VA
T-1. Colorado Springs, CO
T-1. Chesapeake, VA
T-1. Norfolk, VA
T-1. Anchorage, AK

Lowest

Lowest
96. Miami, FL
97. New York, NY
98. Jersey City, NJ
99. Santa Ana, CA
100. Hialeah, FL

In-Depth Look at the Best Cities for Veterans

Austin, TX

Austin, TX, is the best city for veterans, in large part because it has the best colleges for veterans in the country, along with the 10th-highest median annual income for veterans, at around $62,000. In addition, Austin has the seventh-best job growth rate in the country.

It’s also good for veterans to live in a place where they can form a community of support with others who have gone through similar experiences. Austin has the third-smallest projected decrease in veterans between 2024 and 2053, so that will certainly help veterans meet each other and forge friendships.

In addition, Austin is great for going out to eat or enjoying entertainment as a veteran. The city has the 12th-highest number of restaurants and the 10th-most arts/entertainment establishments per capita that offer military discounts.

Tampa, FL

Tampa, FL, is the second-best city for veterans, and rising income expectations for veterans are among the top reasons for this. The median annual income for veterans grows by an average of over 6% per year, the 24th-highest percentage in the country. The current median income is also decent, at around $53,000, which ranks 38th out of 100 of the most populous cities.

In addition, Tampa has the 29th-highest number of arts and entertainment establishments that offer military discounts per capita, as well as the eighth-highest number of restaurants offering discounts. This shows that the population appreciates people who have served our country.

When it comes to veterans’ services, Tampa has the 6th-most VA benefits facilities per capita and the 3rd-most VA health facilities per capita. In addition to quantity, the city has quality: Its VA medical facilities are rated as the 2nd-best in the country and also have the 11th-most available beds per capita.

Madison, WI

Madison, WI, is the third-best city for veterans, in large part because veterans’ median annual income grows by an average of around 9% per year, the fourth-highest percentage in the country. In addition, no one should be homeless, especially people who have served our nation, and Madison has cut the homelessness rate to only 2 homeless individuals for every 1,000 veterans.

One likely reason why veteran homelessness is low is that Madison offers great education and job opportunities for veterans. It has the 3rd-best colleges for veterans, plus the 14th-highest median annual veteran income, at nearly $60,000.

Finally, Madison has the eighth-lowest veteran unemployment rate among 100 of the largest U.S. cities.

Ask the Experts

Transitioning from active military duty to ordinary life can be difficult for many veterans. For advice on overcoming certain issues faced by veterans undergoing this process, we asked a panel of experts to share their thoughts on the following key questions:

What are the biggest issues facing veterans today?
What factors, financial or otherwise, should a veteran consider when choosing a city in which to live?
How can the government help veterans succeed financially? How can policy and programs help veterans better manage their finances?
How should governments and nonprofits help homeless veterans?
How should the VA reform their health care system to better serve the needs of this population? How can veterans evaluate the quality of their local VA health system?

Ask the Experts

Jason Burke
Asst. VP for Student Experience, Executive Director of Veterans and Military Affairs - Quinnipiac University
Read More

J. Scott Parrott
Ph.D. – Director, Rutgers School of Health Professions Methodology and Statistics Support Team; Professor, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Rutgers, School of Health Professions; Adjunct Professor, Department of Biostatistics & Epidemiology, Rutgers, School of Public Health; Adjunct Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine - Tufts Medical School
Read More

Daryl Griffin
Student Life Manager - Veteran Services - LaGuardia Community College/CUNY
Read More

Mark Kato
DHA, MBA, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences - Saginaw Valley State University
Read More

Stephen Curda
Ph.D. – Associate Professor and Special Advisor to the President on Veterans Education, Learning Sciences Education, National College of Education – National Louis University
Read More

Joe Welker
Associate Professor, Accounting, Faculty Promotions Committee – College of Western Idaho
Read More

More Experts

Methodology

In order to determine the best places for veterans to live, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities across four key dimensions: 1) Employment, 2) Economy, 3) Quality of Life and 4) Health.

We evaluated those dimensions using 19 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for veterans. For metrics marked with an asterisk (*), the square root of the population was used to calculate the population size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across cities. Data for metrics marked with two asterisks (**) were available at state level only.

Finally, we determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample. In determining our sample, we considered only the “city proper” in each case, excluding surrounding cities in the metro area.

Employment – Total Points: 25

Share of Military Skill-Related Jobs: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Veteran Unemployment Rate: Double Weight (~10.00 Points)
Job Growth: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average annual rate of job growth between the years 2020 and 2024.
Veteran-Owned Businesses per Veteran Population: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)

Economy – Total Points: 25

Housing Affordability: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
Note: This composite metric comprises the following calculations: Median Home Price / Median Annual Veteran’s Income and Median Annual Rent Price / Median Annual Veteran’s Income.
Veteran Income Growth: Full Weight (~2.94 Points)
Note: This metric measures the average annual rate of veteran income growth between the years 2018 and 2023.
Share of Veterans Living in Poverty: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
Educational Opportunities: Half Weight (~1.47 Points)
Note: This metric is based on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges for Veterans” ranking.
Median Veteran Income: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the local cost of living.
Homeless Veterans per 1,000 Veterans: Double Weight (~5.88 Points)

Quality of Life – Total Points: 25

Veteran Population: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: “Veteran Population” refers to the number of veterans per 1,000 residents.
Projected Veteran Population Growth: Full Weight (~3.57 Points)
Note: This metric measures the projected increase in the veteran population between the years 2024 and 2053.
Family-Friendliness: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Places to Raise a Family” ranking.
Retiree-Friendliness: Double Weight (~7.14 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Places to Retire” ranking.
Restaurants That Offer Military Discounts per Veteran Population*: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)
Arts & Entertainment Establishments That Offer Military Discounts per Veteran Population*: Half Weight (~1.79 Points)

Health – Total Points: 25

VA Benefits Administration Facilities per Veteran Population**: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: The square root of the veteran population was used to calculate its size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.
VA Health Facilities per Veteran Population**: Full Weight (~5.00 Points)
Note: The square root of the veteran population was used to calculate its size in order to avoid overcompensating for minor differences across states.
Quality of VA Health Facilities: Triple Weight (~15.00 Points)
Note: This composite metric includes:
- “Patients’ Willingness to Recommend the Veteran Hospitals” score from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
- VA hospital performance star rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ “Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning” (SAIL) performance improvement tool
- VA hospital and nursing-home beds data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ database of inpatient beds by facility

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of October 6, 2025 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Council for Community and Economic Research, Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. News & World Report, Yelp, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and WalletHub research.

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