Military Times evaluated 581 places on veteran culture and services, economic indicators and livability factors, including 265 small cities with populations of fewer than 75,000. The top 50 are:
Best small cities: fewer than 75,000 people |
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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 | League City, Texas | 68,447 | 6,392 | 113 | 1% | 2.1% | $204,600 | $1,244 | $41,870 | $77,844 | 2.5% | no data | 0 | 10 | 2 | 20.5 | no data | 8 |  |
C E F L | |
| 2 | San Clemente, Calif. | 51,225 | 3,519 | 215 | 3.3% | -1% | $826,900 | $1,720 | $45,045 | $73,467 | 5.5% | no data | 1 (Camp Pendleton) | 25 | 10 | 11.6 | no data | 9 |  |
F | |
| 3 | Bethesda, Md. | 46,147 | 2,476 | 666 | -9.8% | -19.1% | $873,200 | $1,798 | $76,971 | $103,972 | 3.8% | 7.8% | 13 (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) | 24 | 15 | no data | 29.3 | 9 |  |
C B E F L | |
| 4 | Kirkland, Wash. | 69,474 | 4,796 | 0 | 8% | 40.5% | $480,500 | $1,518 | $46,676 | $51,172 | 5.3% | no data | 3 (Naval Station Everett) | 12 | 7 | 24.9 | 26.3 | 8 | |
C E F L | |
| 5 | Ellicott City, Md. | 53,075 | 4,431 | 95 | 3.5% | 6.2% | $517,500 | $1,658 | $56,356 | $62,074 | 3.9% | 2.5% | 4 (Fort Meade) | 26 | 18 | no data | no data | 9 | |
C F L | |
| 6 | Dale City, Va. | 53,217 | 6,448 | 535 | 12% | -3.1% | $260,300 | $1,629 | $34,391 | $65,554 | 7.6% | 12.7% | 10 (MCCDC Quantico) | 14 | 14 | no data | no data | no data | |
C B E F L | |
| 7 | Waldorf, Md. | 51,872 | 7,819 | 347 | 2.6% | -3.7% | $247,600 | $1,689 | $40,120 | $62,881 | 6.4% | 1.8% | 12 (NAV ORD STA Indian Head) | 18 | 15 | no data | no data | 6 |  |
C B E F L | |
| 8 | Rockville, Md. | 52,153 | 2,712 | 197 | no data | no data | $480,200 | $1,802 | $48,522 | $80,591 | 5.4% | no data | 12 (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) | 26 | 15 | no data | 31.7 | 8 | |
C B E F L | |
| 9 | Rio Rancho, N.M. | 69,776 | 10,818 | 138 | 4.1% | 18.8% | $168,800 | $986 | $31,978 | $41,313 | 6.7% | no data | 1 (Kirtland AFB) | 5 | 1 | 0 | no data | 8 | |
F | |
| 10 | Eagan, Minn. | 50,884 | 3,861 | 158 | 4.7% | 25.8% | $243,200 | $1,039 | $43,521 | $50,317 | 2.3% | 3% | 1 (Fort Snelling) | 7 | 2 | 18.3 | 24.6 | 8 | |
C E F | |
| 11 | O'Fallon, Mo. | 60,534 | 5,214 | 0 | 1.2% | -7.6% | $199,800 | $980 | $40,770 | $45,405 | 4.1% | 4.8% | 1 (Naval Research Center St. Louis) | 13 | 4 | 13.6 | no data | 7 |  |
C B E F | |
| 12 | Redondo Beach, Calif. | 53,563 | 2,740 | 145 | -0.6% | -4% | $750,100 | $1,833 | $47,310 | $120,594 | 7.2% | no data | 2 (Los Angeles AFB) | 22 | 7 | 23.6 | 26.9 | 9 | |
C T B E F | |
| 13 | Newport Beach, Calif. | 71,102 | 4,940 | 35 | -0.4% | 38% | 1,000,000+ | $1,980 | $60,093 | $48,476 | 3.9% | no data | 1 (NAVWEAPSTA Seal Beach) | 25 | 9 | 22.7 | no data | 9 | |
F | |
| 14 | Highlands Ranch, Colo. | 70,946 | 4,304 | 51 | -1% | -10.3% | $371,600 | $1,741 | $53,046 | $63,750 | 2.8% | 3.1% | 1 (Buckley AFB) | 10 | 8 | no data | no data | 8 | |
C T B E F L | |
| 15 | Glen Burnie, Md. | 53,697 | 5,621 | 362 | 6% | 5.3% | $236,200 | $1,166 | $32,409 | $41,918 | 7.1% | 5.3% | 2 (Fort Meade) | 26 | 17 | no data | no data | 6 | |
F L | |
| 16 | Allen, Texas | 65,988 | 3,688 | 0 | 2.8% | -12.9% | $233,700 | $1,274 | $46,190 | $64,247 | 3% | no data | 0 | 14 | 0 | 12.8 | no data | 9 | |
C E F | |
| 17 | New Braunfels, Texas | 48,521 | 5,036 | 0 | no data | no data | $173,400 | $1,051 | $27,434 | $47,887 | 3.8% | 2% | 1 (Randolph AFB) | 17 | 5 | 35.3 | no data | 7 | |
C F | |
| 18 | Lake Forest, Calif. | 61,384 | 3,197 | 103 | 1.5% | -29.7% | $583,800 | $1,732 | $37,477 | $59,246 | 5.6% | no data | 1 (NAVWEAPSTA Seal Beach) | 25 | 9 | 9.9 | no data | 8 | |
F | |
| 19 | Centreville, Va. | 57,221 | 4,194 | 112 | 7.5% | 27.2% | $403,300 | $1,664 | $46,823 | $61,210 | 4.8% | 6.6% | 13 (Fort Belvoir) | 19 | 14 | no data | 34.5 | 6 | |
C B E F L | |
| 20 | Buena Park, Calif. | 63,260 | 3,538 | 117 | 0.6% | 5.8% | $450,500 | $1,370 | $23,810 | $41,236 | 4.4% | no data | 2 (NAVWEAPSTA Seal Beach) | 24 | 8 | 26.9 | no data | 6 | |
C T B E F | |
| 21 | Layton, Utah | 48,884 | 4,895 | 798 | 2% | 7.2% | $212,500 | $863 | $29,972 | $51,169 | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1 (Hill AFB) | 4 | 2 | 22.3 | no data | 6 | |
C F | |
| 22 | Carmel, Ind. | 63,371 | 3,973 | 71 | 5.8% | 10% | $306,400 | $1,146 | $50,647 | $55,227 | 3.2% | 8.3% | 2 (DFAS Indianapolis Center) | 6 | 1 | 9.5 | no data | 9 | |
C F | |
| 23 | Yorba Linda, Calif. | 50,642 | 3,714 | 0 | -0.2% | 10.3% | $745,900 | $1,627 | $46,388 | $55,837 | 4.9% | 38.6% | 1 (NAVWEAPSTA Seal Beach) | 26 | 6 | 11 | no data | 9 | |
C F | |
| 24 | Frederick, Md. | 52,432 | 5,922 | 222 | 2.9% | 22.3% | $258,900 | $1,273 | $35,516 | $39,409 | 4.5% | no data | 1 (Annapolis NS (Incl. USNA) Fort Detrick) | 23 | 14 | 27.4 | 29.9 | 7 | |
F | |
| 25 | Flower Mound, Texas | 50,613 | 3,456 | 38 | 3.9% | 0.8% | $288,100 | $1,496 | $50,784 | $66,048 | 2.4% | 2.9% | 0 | 12 | 0 | 9.9 | no data | 8 | |
C B E F | |
| 26 | Edmond, Okla. | 66,038 | 5,820 | 267 | 1.5% | -7.8% | $206,900 | $955 | $34,451 | $55,566 | 3% | 2.2% | 1 (Tinker AFB) | 5 | 2 | 18.3 | no data | 8 |  |
C E F L | |
| 27 | Meridian, Idaho | 63,376 | 5,639 | 0 | 8% | 24.7% | $193,900 | $958 | $31,124 | $34,251 | 2.4% | no data | 0 | 4 | 2 | no data | no data | 6 | |
F | |
| 28 | The Woodlands, Texas | 72,153 | 4,552 | 201 | 0.6% | -3.1% | $353,800 | $1,292 | $62,918 | $71,596 | 4.9% | no data | 0 | 9 | 2 | no data | no data | 10 | |
E F | |
| 29 | Silver Spring, Md. | 58,710 | 3,198 | 159 | 0% | -7.9% | $432,600 | $1,520 | $39,549 | $60,839 | 8.4% | 3.3% | 12 (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) | 24 | 15 | no data | 34.1 | 5 | |
C B E F L | |
| 30 | Bloomington, Minn. | 72,058 | 7,490 | 76 | 4.9% | 19.6% | $217,200 | $974 | $33,231 | $35,827 | 4.5% | 2.6% | 1 (Fort Snelling) | 7 | 2 | 38.5 | 21.8 | 7 | |
C E F | |
| 31 | Laguna Niguel, Calif. | 52,711 | 3,772 | 0 | no data | no data | $750,500 | $1,898 | $48,200 | $52,633 | 6.3% | 8.8% | 1 (Camp Pendleton) | 25 | 10 | 9.6 | no data | 9 | |
F | |
| 32 | Hoover, Ala. | 66,190 | 6,207 | 0 | 6% | 4% | $262,000 | $1,004 | $37,802 | $48,733 | 3.5% | 2.5% | 0 | 6 | 1 | 27.8 | no data | 10 |  |
T F | |
| 33 | Walnut Creek, Calif. | 56,843 | 5,002 | 0 | 1.7% | 11.4% | $643,700 | $1,662 | $45,793 | $49,267 | 6.6% | no data | 0 | 22 | 2 | 37.2 | no data | 10 | |
C B E F | |
| 34 | Troy, Mich. | 65,175 | 3,145 | 38 | 3.4% | 9.7% | $248,400 | $1,046 | $41,975 | $53,508 | 5.7% | 1.4% | 1 (Detroit Arsenal) | 10 | 1 | 17 | no data | 8 | |
C B E F | |
| 35 | Riverview, Fla. | 57,887 | 7,289 | 674 | 8.2% | 8.5% | $170,900 | $1,104 | $28,720 | $48,125 | 11.8% | 6.6% | 1 (Macdill AFB) | 18 | 3 | no data | no data | 6 |  |
C B F L | |
| 36 | Camarillo, Calif. | 50,203 | 4,485 | 84 | 1.5% | -31.8% | $507,700 | $1,741 | $39,400 | $60,176 | 5.2% | 6.1% | 1 (Port Hueneme NCBC) | 11 | 4 | 15.6 | no data | 8 | |
F | |
| 37 | Lakewood, Calif. | 64,665 | 3,656 | 0 | 7.7% | 21% | $448,700 | $1,536 | $31,425 | $32,387 | 6.8% | no data | 2 (NAVWEAPSTA Seal Beach) | 23 | 7 | 23.8 | 29.9 | 7 | |
C T B E F | |
| 38 | Suffolk, Va. | 63,797 | 9,895 | 1,270 | 1.4% | -4.7% | $237,200 | $1,052 | $28,193 | $57,166 | 8.5% | 4.2% | 4 (Norfolk Naval Shipyard) | 6 | 6 | 28.9 | no data | 4 | |
C B F L | |
| 39 | Newton, Mass. | 68,891 | 3,154 | 0 | 0.1% | 26% | $802,400 | $1,634 | $47,181 | $47,596 | 3.2% | 11.1% | 2 (Hanscom AFB) | 24 | 4 | 9.1 | 28.4 | 8 | |
C E F | |
| 40 | Farmington Hills, Mich. | 67,222 | 4,858 | 104 | 2.3% | 13.6% | $215,800 | $1,025 | $40,677 | $50,162 | 3.8% | 5.8% | 1 (Detroit Arsenal) | 9 | 1 | 13.3 | no data | 8 | |
C B E F | |
| 41 | Gaithersburg, Md. | 50,078 | 2,594 | 124 | 5% | -13% | $380,700 | $1,637 | $33,665 | $58,616 | 7.7% | no data | 10 (Walter Reed National Military Medical Center) | 26 | 15 | no data | 34.4 | 6 | |
C B E F L | |
| 42 | Atascocita, Texas | 52,661 | 5,405 | 0 | 15.4% | 31.4% | $162,600 | $1,236 | $45,512 | $49,455 | 5.7% | 4.9% | 0 | 10 | 2 | no data | no data | no data | |
C E F L | |
| 43 | Goodyear, Ariz. | 56,522 | 6,628 | 155 | 4.4% | 3.6% | $243,000 | $1,173 | $31,212 | $49,458 | 2.4% | 3.4% | 1 (Luke AFB) | 12 | 4 | 22.5 | no data | 5 | |
F L | |
| 44 | Millcreek, Utah | 49,106 | 3,950 | 0 | no data | no data | $290,800 | $905 | $29,935 | $37,073 | 4.3% | no data | 0 | 6 | 2 | no data | 20.2 | no data | |
C F | |
| 45 | Sugar Land, Texas | 66,251 | 2,646 | 0 | 2.4% | -11.4% | $281,300 | $1,585 | $47,036 | $41,810 | 3.7% | no data | 0 | 10 | 2 | 17.6 | no data | 8 | |
C E F L | |
| 46 | Federal Way, Wash. | 71,696 | 6,691 | 530 | 3.6% | 9.9% | $257,000 | $1,059 | $30,130 | $40,821 | 6.4% | no data | 4 (McChord AFB) | 11 | 7 | 63.5 | 33.5 | 3 | |
C E F | |
| 47 | Portsmouth, Va. | 70,535 | 12,333 | 2,890 | -1.1% | 12.6% | $171,400 | $983 | $25,201 | $41,620 | 10.9% | 2.9% | 10 (Naval Medical Center Portsmouth) | 6 | 6 | 56.5 | 23.5 | 4 | |
C T B F L | |
| 48 | Maple Grove, Minn. | 50,358 | 3,077 | 0 | 6.5% | -22.9% | $247,500 | $1,351 | $47,499 | $51,771 | 3.1% | no data | 1 (Fort Snelling) | 8 | 2 | 18.1 | no data | 7 | |
E F | |
| 49 | Bossier City, La. | 46,054 | 7,864 | 2,476 | 0.7% | 38.7% | $151,000 | $954 | $26,227 | $43,090 | 5.2% | no data | 1 (Barksdale AFB) | 3 | 0 | 53.9 | no data | 6 | |
F | |
| 50 | Missouri City, Texas | 57,006 | 3,713 | 0 | 5.6% | -6.9% | $153,400 | $1,419 | $35,602 | $75,035 | 10.7% | 11.9% | 0 | 11 | 2 | 18.2 | no data | 6 | |
C E F L | |
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