Setting Down Roots? The Best & Worst Cities For Veterans

By Debbie Gregory.

Personal finance website WalletHub has released the results of the best/worst cities for veterans, and the Lone Star State can lay claim to 40% of the best.

When looking at factors such as the availability of military-skills related jobs, veteran unemployment, economic health, overall veteran population and access to Department of Veteran Affairs administered healthcare, the cities of Laredo, Plano, Austin and El Paso are among the nation’s best for vets.

The six other cities in the top ten are Scottsdale, AZ, Irvine, CA, San Diego, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, Tampa, FL and Orlando, FL.

The cities at the bottom of the survey include Detroit, MI, Newark, NJ, Cleveland, OH and Memphis, TN.

Included in the study was data analyzed from a variety of sources, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the VA.

The results are slightly different when you break up cities by size.

For large cities with a population of 200,000 or more, the top ten are: San Diego, CA, Virginia Beach, VA, Colorado Springs, CO, San Antonio, TX, Honolulu, HI, Oklahoma City, OK, Seattle, WA, Aurora, CO, El Paso, TX and Denver, CO.

For medium sized cities, with populations of at least 75,000 but fewer than 200,000, the top ten are: Alexandria, VA, Arlington, VA, Centennial, CO, Pearland, TX, Columbia, MD, Lakewood, CO, Mission Viejo, CA Olathe, KS, Torrance, CA and Overland Park, KS.

For small cities, with fewer than 75,000, Maryland comes out on top. The top ten are: League City, TX, San Clemente, CA, Bethesda, MD, Kirland, WA, Ellicott City, MD, Dale City, VA, Waldorf MD, Rockville, MD, Rio Rancho, NM and Eagan, MN.

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