Best Cities for Veterans to Live [Study + Statistics & Facts]

Table of Contents

• Top 10 Cities for Veterans to Live in 2020
• Table 1: Breakdown of Veteran Livability Factors (Percentages)
• Figure 1: Breakdown of Military Survey Participants
• Table 2: Top 50 Places for Veterans to Live in 2020
• Research Methodology

Let’s take a closer look at the cities that topped the list for best cities for veterans and military families.

Top 10 Cities for Veterans to Live in 2020

#1 - San Antonio

#2 - Lincoln, NE

Lincoln is the capital city of Nebraska and is home to home to over 250,000 thousand people. The city was actually named after Abraham Lincoln, and offer veterans a nice place to consider settling down.

#3 - Arlington, TX

Arlington is a city that offers great shopping, restaurants, and public art.

#4 - Raleigh, NC

Raleigh is the capital of the state of North Carolina and is definitely a place that veterans should consider when thinking about places to live. This city is one of the fastest growing cities in the U.S that offers a humid subtropical climate.

#5 - Oklahoma City, OK

Oklahoma City is the capital of the state of Oklahoma and is known for its rich cowboy culture. Oklahoma City is filled with attractions and a wide range of experiences to enjoy.

#6 - Colorado Springs, CO

#7 - Boise City, ID

Boise is the capital city of Idaho and is the largest city in the state. Boise has a fairly mild climate that attracts tons of tourists each year to the city.

#8 - Jacksonville, FL

Jacksonville is a large city in Florida that has an attractive downtown, 22 miles of beaches, extensive park systems, world-class fishing, historic neighborhoods, vibrant street art, creative coastal cuisine, delicious craft beer, and a vibrant nightlife.

#9 - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth is a city in North Central Texas that offers more than 92 attractions in a 10-mile radius of downtown.

#10 - Columbus, OH

Columbus is Ohio’s state capital, and has a world-class Columbus Zoo and Aquarium that is great to visit any time of the year. This city has plenty of sports events to enjoy all year long, from Columbus Crew SC to the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets to the MLB AAA Columbus Clippers.

Table 1: Breakdown of Veteran Livability Factors (Percentages)

The survey suggest that the top factors that veterans consider when relocating is having access to quality VA health facilities in the area, and being able to afford purchasing a home in the area.

Figure 1: Breakdown of Military Survey Participants

Survey Participants. Of the 1,500 military participants that were surveyed, a large majority of them were veterans. (Figure 1)

Table 2: Top 50 Places for Veterans to Live in 2020

Research Methodology

In order to determine the best cities for Veterans to live, Veterans United’s analysts first compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities across 4 key dimensions: Economic Wellness, Employment, Availability of VA Benefits and Quality of Life for Veterans.

Next, we evaluated the strength of each city across those dimensions using 20 relevant variables, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Metrics were gathered from a social media survey of Veterans and other similar studies.

Then, each city was scored and ranked in each of the 20 variables by multiplying the city’s rank by that variable’s weight. The final rankings were determined by the city’s total score, with the lowest score representing the best city for Veterans to live.

(For our data sample, we only considered the city proper and excluded the metro area. Data for variables marked with an asterisk (*) were only available at the county level.)

Variables

Economic Wellness

Percentage of Monthly Income Spent on Monthly Mortgage Payment (Double Weight)

(Note: This metric was measured using the average county property tax rate, the national average interest rate of 4.75%, a 2.15% funding fee with no down payment.)

Percentage of Monthly Income Spent on Rent (Double Weight)

(Note: This metric was measured using the average county property tax rate, the national average interest rate of 4.75%, a 2.15% funding fee with no down payment.)

Median Veteran Income Adjusted for Local Cost of Living

(Note: This metric calculated the percentage of an individual’s income spent on the estimated cost of living expenses.)

Homeless Veterans per 1,000 Veterans (Half Weight)

Note: This metric uses Continuum of Care data from the Department of Housing and Development’s PIT and HIC Counts.

Cost of Living Compared to the National Average (Full Weight)

Housing Affordability (Full Weight)

(Note: This metric includes the H +T index score to account for a household’s two largest costs: housing and transportation.)

Veteran Income Growth Since 2012 (Full Weight)

(Note: This metric measures the rate of growth for median veteran income since 2012 compared to 2017.

Employment

Veteran Unemployment Rate (Double Weight)

5 Year Rate of Job Growth (Double Weight)

(Note: This metric measures the rate of job growth since 2012.)

Number of Veteran-Owned Businesses per 1,000 Veterans (Half Weight)

Civilian Unemployment Rate (Half Weight)

Availability of VA Benefits

Quality of VA Health Facilities * (Double Weight)

(Note: This metric uses the Department of Veterans Affairs’ End of Year Hospital Star Ratings from its “Strategic Analytics for Improvement and Learning” (SAIL) tool. Data was recorded for the nearest VA Medical Center facility.)

Number of Higher Education Facilities Approved for VA Benefits (Double Weight)

(Note: This metric measures the number of secondary education facilities within a city that are approved by the VA for VA Benefit Funding.)

Number of VA Health Facilities per 1,000 Veterans (Full Weight)

(Note: Data taken for number of facilities within 50 miles radius.)

Number of Veterans Benefits Administration Facilities per 1,000 Veterans (Full Weight)

(Note: Data taken for number of facilities within 50 miles radius.)

5 Year Compounded Annual Growth Rate of VA Loans (Half Weight)

(Note: This metric measures the weighted rate of growth of VA loans issued in a city from 2012 – 2017.)

Quality of Life for Veterans

Percentage of Veterans Living Below the Poverty Line (Double Weight)

Veteran Population as a Percentage of the Total Population (Full Weight)

Projected Veteran Population Growth from 2016 – 2045 * (Full Weight)

Violent Crime Rate (Half Weight)

(Note: The national average score is 31.1. Scores below the national average represent safer cities.)

Sources

Data was collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Veterans Affairs, Center for Neighborhood Technology’s H+T Index, Sperling's Best Places, U.S Department of Veteran Affairs and Veterans United Home Loans.