We evaluated 577 places on veteran culture and services, economic indicators and livability factors, including 244 medium-sized cities, with populations of at least 75,000 but fewer than 200,000. The top 50 finishers are listed below.
Best medium cities: 75,000-199,999 people |
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| Rank | City | Overall adult population | Veteran population | Military population | Median home price | Median monthly rent | Nonveteran median income | Veteran median income | Civilian unemployment rate | Veteran unemployment rate | Number of installations within 25 miles (nearest) | 2015 crime reports per 1,000 people | GreatSchools rating | Area health | Best for Vets organizations within 25 miles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alexandria, Va. | 122,994 | 10,635 | 2,962 | $541,700 | $1,627 | $50,814 | $96,429 | 3.4% | no data | 13 (Headquarters, Marine Corps) | 20.8 | 4.2 |  |
C E F | |||||
| 2 | Arlington, Va. | 186,885 | 12,719 | 2,272 | $655,000 | $1,844 | $64,524 | $90,065 | 4.1% | 2.5% | 14 (Fort Myer) | no data | 7.0 |  |
C E F | |||||
| 3 | Centennial, Colo. | 85,137 | 7,226 | 121 | $369,800 | $1,570 | $45,133 | $59,372 | 3.3% | no data | 1 (Buckley AFB) | 13.2 | 5.8 | |
C E F | |||||
| 4 | Olathe, Kan. | 92,981 | 6,042 | 129 | $207,700 | $912 | $36,796 | $54,065 | 4% | 4.1% | 0 | 16.9 | 7.9 | |
C F | |||||
| 5 | Columbia, Md. | 77,933 | 6,526 | 396 | $368,300 | $1,614 | $51,794 | $66,424 | 4.4% | 9% | 9 (Fort George G. Meade) | no data | 7.9 | |
C E F | |||||
| 6 | Chesapeake, Va. | 170,226 | 29,772 | 8,191 | $259,200 | $1,218 | $34,893 | $51,149 | 5.4% | 3.1% | 9 (NSA Northwest Annex) | no data | 6.0 |  |
C T F | |||||
| 7 | Chandler, Ariz. | 192,639 | 15,870 | 301 | $273,600 | $1,153 | $37,435 | $45,101 | 4% | 1.7% | 0 | 22.7 | 5.9 | |
C F | |||||
| 8 | Overland Park, Kan. | 144,264 | 10,461 | 0 | $249,000 | $1,022 | $41,764 | $47,354 | 3.6% | 1.8% | 0 | 20.5 | 7.9 | |
C F | |||||
| 9 | Bellevue, Wash. | 111,402 | 5,382 | 135 | $645,300 | $1,693 | $50,700 | $66,250 | 3.1% | 2.4% | 1 (Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton) | 32.6 | 6.8 | |
E F | |||||
| 10 | Carlsbad, Calif. | 87,650 | 6,031 | 266 | $704,600 | $2,032 | $46,227 | $75,279 | 4.3% | 4.1% | 2 (Camp Pendleton) | 20.2 | 6.7 | |
C F | |||||
| 11 | Cary, N.C. | 121,104 | 7,426 | 0 | $322,200 | $1,085 | $46,276 | $57,754 | 3.5% | 1.8% | 0 | 13 | 6.5 | |
F | |||||
| 12 | Hampton, Va. | 102,959 | 19,638 | 4,729 | $183,700 | $1,053 | $26,914 | $47,014 | 6.1% | 4.8% | 10 (Langley AFB) | 35.7 | 4.2 |  |
C T F | |||||
| 13 | Pearland, Texas | 80,453 | 5,621 | 149 | $207,800 | $1,348 | $49,632 | $55,195 | 3.5% | no data | 0 | 22 | 6.3 |  |
C E F | |||||
| 14 | Frisco, Texas | 103,558 | 6,297 | 484 | $332,100 | $1,355 | $60,449 | $59,419 | 3.9% | 1.9% | 0 | 16.7 | 8.0 | |
C E F | |||||
| 15 | Lakewood, Colo. | 122,817 | 9,988 | 48 | $305,500 | $1,155 | $32,906 | $39,509 | 3.6% | 4% | 1 (Buckley AFB) | no data | 6.8 | |
C E F | |||||
| 16 | Carrollton, Texas | 100,068 | 5,720 | 0 | $193,400 | $1,088 | $36,121 | $51,056 | 3% | no data | 0 | no data | 8.0 | |
C E F | |||||
| 17 | Mission Viejo, Calif. | 79,253 | 4,713 | 50 | $648,600 | $1,916 | $40,927 | $52,171 | 5.6% | 3.1% | 1 (Camp Pendleton) | 12 | 7.2 | |
C F | |||||
| 18 | Gilbert, Ariz. | 171,420 | 10,817 | 0 | $284,800 | $1,323 | $39,683 | $52,030 | 3.9% | 1.8% | 0 | 14.2 | 5.9 | |
C F | |||||
| 19 | Hillsboro, Ore. | 76,570 | 6,625 | 0 | $276,600 | $1,256 | $35,762 | $42,190 | 6.8% | 3% | 1 (Portland IAP AGS) | 6 | 7.0 | |
C F | |||||
| 20 | Surprise, Ariz. | 92,849 | 11,109 | 457 | $213,900 | $1,187 | $31,868 | $47,067 | 8.4% | 5.2% | 1 (Luke AFB) | 18.3 | 5.9 | |
F | |||||
| 21 | Charleston, S.C. | 113,537 | 9,368 | 263 | $293,500 | $1,119 | $32,438 | $38,132 | 4.5% | 11.4% | 3 ((C3) Charleston NAVSTA) | 26.8 | 6.2 |  |
T F | |||||
| 22 | Huntington Beach, Calif. | 161,774 | 10,454 | 99 | $718,700 | $1,708 | $38,885 | $50,180 | 5.3% | 2.1% | 1 (Seal Beach NAVWEAPSTA) | 26.4 | 7.2 | |
C F | |||||
| 23 | Arvada, Colo. | 90,037 | 8,930 | 59 | $303,600 | $1,188 | $38,821 | $48,101 | 4.6% | 3.6% | 1 (Buckley AFB) | 27 | 4.2 | |
C E F | |||||
| 24 | Brandon, Fla. | 89,610 | 9,417 | 617 | $165,700 | $1,095 | $30,356 | $41,194 | 6.8% | 4.7% | 1 (Macdill AFB) | no data | 5.2 | |
C F | |||||
| 25 | Boise, Idaho | 165,729 | 16,004 | 578 | $209,900 | $864 | $29,329 | $37,965 | 5.4% | 9.1% | 0 | 25.8 | 6.8 | |
C F | |||||
| 26 | Tacoma, Wash. | 163,800 | 19,040 | 2,129 | $218,900 | $987 | $28,494 | $35,929 | 6.5% | 5.3% | 4 (McChord AFB) | no data | 5.5 | |
C F | |||||
| 27 | Sandy Springs, Ga. | 80,719 | 3,015 | 287 | $415,000 | $1,147 | $42,105 | $72,378 | 3.8% | no data | 0 | 25.5 | 5.2 | |
C T E F | |||||
| 28 | Rochester, Minn. | 84,418 | 6,888 | 0 | $170,800 | $864 | $34,870 | $44,343 | 4.3% | 0.1% | 0 | 24.4 | 6.2 | |
F | |||||
| 29 | Chula Vista, Calif. | 194,391 | 12,368 | 2,647 | $440,400 | $1,360 | $28,457 | $50,959 | 6.9% | 6% | 9 (San Diego NAVSTA) | 20.1 | 6.7 | |
C F | |||||
| 30 | Round Rock, Texas | 84,057 | 6,804 | 86 | $205,100 | $1,109 | $35,805 | $49,488 | 5.1% | 4.9% | 0 | 20.8 | 6.1 | |
F | |||||
| 31 | Clarksville, Tenn. | 98,274 | 20,803 | 12,036 | $145,400 | $915 | $24,958 | $35,021 | 7.2% | 5.6% | 1 (Fort Campbell) | 34.5 | 7.8 | |
C F | |||||
| 32 | North Charleston, S.C. | 80,161 | 9,651 | 2,949 | $160,000 | $940 | $25,134 | $40,352 | 6.7% | 5.4% | 3 (Charleston AFB) | 60.5 | 5.5 | |
T F | |||||
| 33 | Sioux Falls, S.D. | 129,857 | 8,658 | 124 | $166,100 | $745 | $30,833 | $39,234 | 4.1% | 1.9% | 0 | 37.9 | 5.7 | |
F | |||||
| 34 | Peoria, Ariz. | 125,748 | 13,019 | 54 | $223,000 | $1,116 | $31,744 | $43,512 | 5.4% | 3% | 1 (Luke AFB) | 21.4 | 5.9 | |
F | |||||
| 35 | Glendale, Ariz. | 176,993 | 13,241 | 1,250 | $181,000 | $867 | $26,175 | $39,084 | 6.3% | 8.5% | 1 (Luke AFB) | 57.8 | 5.9 | |
C F | |||||
| 36 | Richardson, Texas | 86,028 | 4,797 | 49 | $226,000 | $1,273 | $36,913 | $48,054 | 3.7% | 8.3% | 0 | 21.5 | 8.0 | |
C E F | |||||
| 37 | The Woodlands, Texas | 83,195 | 8,351 | 60 | $347,100 | $1,633 | $50,813 | $60,000 | 3.3% | 4.7% | 0 | no data | 5.5 | |
F | |||||
| 38 | Kent, Wash. | 95,612 | 7,985 | 0 | $282,300 | $1,178 | $30,857 | $45,838 | 6.1% | 3.3% | 2 (McChord AFB) | 51.2 | 6.8 | |
C E F | |||||
| 39 | Oceanside, Calif. | 136,317 | 18,051 | 2,291 | $421,000 | $1,505 | $29,779 | $41,534 | 7.7% | 7% | 1 (Camp Pendleton) | 30.1 | 6.7 | |
C F | |||||
| 40 | Norfolk, Va. | 171,637 | 29,445 | 25,092 | $204,800 | $987 | $25,703 | $44,542 | 9.1% | 6% | 11 (Norfolk Naval Base) | 42.4 | 3.8 |  |
C T F | |||||
| 41 | Norman, Okla. | 96,498 | 5,578 | 360 | $180,000 | $848 | $24,430 | $41,687 | 4.6% | 3.3% | 1 (Tinker AFB) | 12.6 | 6.9 | |
F | |||||
| 42 | Beaverton, Ore. | 76,119 | 4,645 | 0 | $333,000 | $1,080 | $33,071 | $44,808 | 7.8% | 5.9% | 1 (Portland IAP AGS) | 3.6 | 7.0 | |
C F | |||||
| 43 | Torrance, Calif. | 118,455 | 8,459 | 0 | $713,000 | $1,566 | $37,418 | $47,893 | 5.3% | 10% | 2 (Los Angeles AFB) | 20.7 | 5.6 | |
C T F | |||||
| 44 | Fayetteville, N.C. | 135,774 | 28,089 | 17,360 | $121,700 | $871 | $22,213 | $39,062 | 11.5% | 6.6% | 2 (Fort Bragg) | 50.8 | 5.7 |  |
C T F | |||||
| 45 | Clearwater, Fla. | 93,902 | 10,631 | 22 | $173,600 | $984 | $26,605 | $32,556 | 7% | 5.4% | 1 (Macdill AFB) | 45.2 | 5.9 | |
C F | |||||
| 46 | Huntsville, Ala. | 150,388 | 16,637 | 299 | $175,100 | $745 | $26,054 | $45,836 | 6.7% | 5.6% | 1 (Redstone Arsenal) | 51.2 | 7.0 | |
E F | |||||
| 47 | Manchester, N.H. | 88,219 | 5,473 | 46 | $209,200 | $1,064 | $29,654 | $42,955 | 5.3% | 3% | 1 (Portsmouth Naval Shipyard) | 43.5 | 5.7 | |
C F | |||||
| 48 | Newport News, Va. | 131,391 | 18,896 | 8,359 | $196,400 | $952 | $27,653 | $42,041 | 7.6% | 9.2% | 8 (Fort Eustis) | 35.1 | 3.7 | |
C F | |||||
| 49 | Naperville, Ill. | 108,556 | 4,545 | 153 | $399,200 | $1,381 | $47,652 | $56,493 | 4.5% | no data | 0 | 12.4 | 8.1 | |
C E F | |||||
| 50 | McKinney, Texas | 114,586 | 8,082 | 67 | $254,000 | $1,221 | $43,978 | $53,803 | 3.6% | 6.2% | 0 | 18.1 | 8.0 | |
C F | |||||
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