Benefits
Ranking the Best States for Retired Veterans
With the average military retirement age being 44 years old, the personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees.
May. 19, 2015
May is Military Appreciation Month and Memorial Day is less than a week away. With the average military retirement age being 44 years old, the personal finance social network WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees.
The WalletHub report analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics — ranging from job opportunities for veterans to the number of VA health facilities — that speak collectively to the economic environment, health care services and overall quality of life in each area.
Here are the top, and bottom, states:
|
Best States for Military Retirees |
|
Worst States for Military Retirees |
||
|
1 |
Wyoming |
|
42 |
Oregon |
|
2 |
Montana |
|
43 |
Illinois |
|
3 |
South Dakota |
|
44 |
Connecticut |
|
4 |
Maine |
|
45 |
Nevada |
|
5 |
Florida |
|
46 |
New Jersey |
|
6 |
Alaska |
|
47 |
New York |
|
7 |
New Hampshire |
|
48 |
Utah |
|
8 |
North Dakota |
|
49 |
District of Columbia |
|
9 |
Oklahoma |
|
50 |
Rhode Island |
|
10 |
South Carolina |
|
51 |
Indiana |
Key Stats
- The number of veterans per 100 inhabitants is two times higher in Alaska than in New York.
- The number of homeless veterans per 10,000 veterans is 17 times higher in the District of Columbia than in Virginia.
- The number of VA health facilities per number of veterans is eight times higher in New York than in Rhode Island.
- The number of VA benefits administration facilities per number of veterans is 24 times higher in Alaska than in Michigan.
- The percentage of the population aged 40 and older is two times higher in Maine than in Utah.
- The number of veteran-owned businesses per 1,000 inhabitants is two times higher in Montana than in Utah.
The full report and all ratings is at http://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-military-retirees/3915.