Ever wonder where to live after you leave the service or retire? I do. My grandparents chose to remain in Maryland after my grandfather left the service, because he had a civilian job there. However, when their real retirement occurred, they moved to a state that was more financially friendly to military retirees. As my husband's time in service increases, the prospect of retirement becomes more real. Concerns about taxes and commissaries and health care all contribute to the discussion of where to live after the military stops deciding for you.
Thankfully, Military.com and USAA have joined together with Sperling's Best Places to figure out the best places for veterans to live. They evaluated 17 criteria that veterans said were important to them, and came up with a thoughtful and sensible list of places that veterans might want to live. The criteria include:
- Military skill-related jobs
- Unemployment rate
- Airport proximity
- Volume of DoD contracts
- Recent job growth
- Presence of colleges/universities
- Health resources
- Recreation
- Economic stability
- Affordability
- Sales tax
- Mass transit availability
- Property tax
- Climate
- Crime level
- Local schools
- Number of federal government jobs
What a great list of things considered! I especially love that it looked at mass transit and the presence of higher education establishments.
Wondering what city came out on top? Check out the article at USAA for the big winner, as well as the runners-up. Who knows - you might just find your new home!
