Military Times evaluated 581 places on veteran culture and services, economic indicators and livability factors, including 76 large cities with populations of 200,000 or more. The top 25 are:
Best large cities: 200,000 people or more |
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Population |
Population Growth |
Median income |
Unemployment rate |
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| Rank | City | Overall | Veteran | Military | Overall | Veteran | Median home price | Median monthly rent | Nonveteran | Veteran | Civilian | Veteran | Number of installations within 25 miles (nearest) | Number of VA health facilities within 50 miles | Number of VA benefits facilities within 75 miles | 2014 crime reports per 1,000 people | Average travel time to work in minutes | Great- Schools rating | Area health | Best for Vets organizations within 25 miles | |
| 1 | San Diego | 1,071,555 | 95,559 | 27,297 | 4.3% | 7.1% | $489,000 | $1,412 | $31,662 | $46,112 | 7.3% | 5.2% | 9 (Naval Medical Center San Diego) | 13 | 8 | 23.4 | 23.7 | 7 |  |
C B F L | |
| 2 | Virginia Beach, Va. | 325,443 | 61,078 | 22,651 | -0.1% | 3.1% | $261,800 | $1,203 | $32,731 | $51,439 | 5.3% | 5.3% | 8 (NAS Oceana) | 6 | 5 | 23.3 | 23.8 | 6 |  |
C B F | |
| 3 | Colorado Springs, Colo. | 331,186 | 52,555 | 11,348 | 3.1% | -1.9% | $217,200 | $923 | $27,813 | $45,086 | 7.3% | 5.1% | 4 (Peterson AFB) | 4 | 8 | 41.2 | 21.8 | 6 |  |
C F | |
| 4 | San Antonio | 1,061,292 | 107,681 | 6,343 | 1.9% | 6.3% | $119,000 | $873 | $23,333 | $39,043 | 7.1% | 8.1% | 3 (Fort Sam Houston) | 15 | 5 | 59.6 | 23.2 | 5 |  |
C E F | |
| 5 | Urban Honolulu, Hawaii | 285,267 | 22,671 | 5,230 | 2.3% | -4.4% | $591,600 | $1,379 | $30,942 | $45,436 | 4.1% | 3.7% | 9 (Fort Shafter) | 5 | 10 | no data | 23.6 | no data | |
C B F | |
| 6 | Oklahoma City | 459,435 | 40,735 | 3,695 | 0.7% | -3.2% | $139,100 | $768 | $26,897 | $41,745 | 6.2% | 3.8% | 1 (Tinker AFB) | 4 | 3 | 52.1 | 21.2 | 5 |  |
C E F L | |
| 7 | Seattle | 567,034 | 33,659 | 1,466 | 3% | 9.1% | $473,300 | $1,202 | $39,546 | $40,413 | 4.5% | 6% | 3 (Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton) | 11 | 7 | 67.5 | 27.9 | 9 | |
C E F L | |
| 8 | Aurora, Colo. | 259,698 | 21,847 | 991 | 2.9% | -5.1% | $196,000 | $1,048 | $30,264 | $44,172 | 6.5% | 6.7% | 1 (Buckley AFB) | 8 | 8 | 32.4 | 29.7 | 5 | |
C T B E F L | |
| 9 | El Paso, Texas | 483,220 | 43,466 | 11,938 | 2.5% | -3.9% | $119,200 | $745 | $20,318 | $40,179 | 7.8% | 5.4% | 1 (Fort Bliss) | 5 | 1 | no data | 21.7 | 6 | |
C T F | |
| 10 | Denver | 525,185 | 32,277 | 230 | 2.5% | 3.4% | $283,100 | $993 | $32,156 | $36,722 | 4.7% | 2.9% | 1 (Buckley AFB) | 9 | 8 | no data | 24.9 | 5 |  |
C T B E F L | |
| 11 | Anchorage, Alaska | 216,952 | 29,955 | 9,094 | 0% | 15.7% | $289,400 | $1,251 | $36,027 | $50,189 | 5.7% | 7.4% | 2 (Fort Richardson) | 4 | 8 | 46.9 | 18.2 | 6 | |
F | |
| 12 | Plano, Texas | 211,347 | 14,128 | 220 | 3.1% | 17.3% | $236,000 | $1,152 | $43,981 | $50,744 | 5.7% | 8.4% | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21.5 | 26.6 | 8 | |
C E F | |
| 13 | Corpus Christi, Texas | 238,182 | 23,700 | 1,189 | 1.7% | -8.2% | $118,100 | $900 | $25,490 | $43,370 | 5.9% | 2.9% | 1 (NAS Corpus Christi) | 4 | 1 | 50.8 | 19.4 | 5 |  |
F | |
| 14 | St. Petersburg, Fla. | 204,966 | 21,823 | 473 | 1.1% | 11.6% | $151,000 | $946 | $26,232 | $34,381 | 6.5% | 7.1% | 1 (Macdill AFB) | 18 | 3 | 65.1 | 23.1 | 4 | |
C F L | |
| 15 | Raleigh, N.C. | 341,838 | 20,451 | 299 | 2.7% | 5.3% | $215,000 | $937 | $30,879 | $38,390 | 5.6% | 1.6% | 0 | 10 | 3 | no data | 23.2 | 7 | |
F | |
| 16 | Tampa, Fla. | 277,217 | 21,111 | 2,697 | 0.5% | -10.2% | $162,700 | $951 | $26,096 | $34,727 | 8.8% | 6.2% | 1 (Macdill AFB) | 19 | 3 | 30.1 | 24.2 | 6 | |
C B F L | |
| 17 | Lincoln, Neb. | 210,089 | 14,812 | 300 | 1.5% | 0.2% | $145,900 | $754 | $25,918 | $36,968 | 4.2% | 4.4% | 0 | 5 | 1 | no data | 18.5 | 6 | |
C F | |
| 18 | Mesa, Ariz. | 348,259 | 30,998 | 394 | 1.1% | -4.5% | $171,400 | $888 | $27,169 | $35,103 | 6.5% | 9.2% | 0 | 12 | 4 | 32.6 | 23.9 | 6 | |
C B F L | |
| 19 | Omaha, Neb. | 334,504 | 25,065 | 283 | 2.6% | -0.9% | $134,900 | $817 | $27,097 | $36,634 | 6% | 7.6% | 1 (Offutt AFB) | 5 | 1 | 49.1 | 18.8 | 5 | |
C B E F | |
| 20 | Jacksonville, Fla. | 644,639 | 76,188 | 10,946 | 1% | -0.2% | $131,600 | $937 | $25,564 | $37,465 | 8.5% | 5.7% | 2 (Jacksonville NAS) | 6 | 3 | 46.2 | 23.9 | 5 | |
F | |
| 21 | Arlington, Texas | 279,774 | 20,029 | 196 | 1.7% | 1.4% | $133,500 | $883 | $27,417 | $38,851 | 6.8% | 9.5% | 1 (NASJRB Fort Worth) | 12 | 0 | 40 | 26.6 | 5 | |
C B E F | |
| 22 | Henderson, Nev. | 220,438 | 25,688 | 138 | 4.1% | 2.9% | $243,600 | $1,122 | $31,367 | $37,212 | 7.9% | 5.2% | 1 (Nellis AFB) | 8 | 0 | 21.4 | 23.1 | 8 | |
F | |
| 23 | Fort Worth, Texas | 582,814 | 41,801 | 1,545 | 3.3% | -0.3% | $127,300 | $913 | $26,665 | $40,801 | 6.4% | 7.3% | 1 (NASJRB Fort Worth) | 13 | 0 | 43.5 | 26.6 | 4 | |
C B E F | |
| 24 | Albuquerque, N.M. | 426,641 | 37,164 | 1,064 | 0.3% | -12.2% | $185,000 | $804 | $26,507 | $37,888 | 8.3% | 6.2% | 1 (Kirtland AFB) | 4 | 1 | no data | 21 | 6 | |
F | |
| 25 | Phoenix | 1,123,268 | 74,120 | 868 | 1.3% | 1.2% | $178,800 | $883 | $26,933 | $36,600 | 8.2% | 9.7% | 1 (Luke AFB) | 10 | 4 | no data | 24.1 | 4 | |
C B F L | |
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