Austin, Orlando and Raleigh are the top three U.S. cities for veterans, thanks not just to jobs and income but to a sense of belonging — from top-rated VA hospitals to restaurants and arts venues that honor military service.
That’s according to the latest analysis by WalletHub, a consumer personal finance website, which published the 2025 version of its Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live list late last year.
WalletHub compared the 100 largest U.S. cities using 19 indicators of livability, affordability and veteran-friendliness.
“When veterans return home from serving our nation, it’s important for them to live in a place that provides good education and employment opportunities, along with access to quality care for their physical and mental health,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. “The best cities for veterans have all these characteristics, plus added bonuses like large veteran populations for community support, plus many restaurants and entertainment venues that offer veteran discounts.”
Austin: Live, Work, and Stay Weird (But Secure)
In Austin, veterans earn a median income of more than $59,000 — the ninth-highest in the nation — and have benefited from one of the best job growth rates in the country. But the city’s appeal goes beyond economics. Austin also ranks first for colleges that cater to veterans and second for its projected growth in veteran population through 2050, suggesting it’s becoming a hub where those who served can build both careers and community.
The live music capital of the world is also getting a new VA outpatient clinic in nearby Round Rock. Set to open in 2027, the facility is intended to expand access to care — including services like primary care, mental health and more — to thousands of veterans in the region.
Orlando: Where Service Meets Sunshine
Orlando, the runner-up, combines economic momentum with visible public appreciation for military service. Veterans there have seen incomes rise by an average of 9% each year, one of the fastest growth rates in the country. The city is also rich in cultural support. Restaurants and arts venues offering military discounts rank among the top five nationwide.
Just as importantly, Orlando boasts some of the country’s best VA facilities — third in overall quality and fourth in availability of beds. In September 2025, it was announced that the Orlando VA Healthcare System again earned a five star rating as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 2025 hospital quality ratings. This VA system’s Home-Based Primary Care (HBPC) program serves the highest number of veterans among all such programs in the nation.
Raleigh: A Home Base for Opportunity
Raleigh rounds out the top three with one of the lowest veteran homelessness rates in the nation — just one unhoused veteran per thousand. The city ranks seventh for veteran-friendly colleges; one example is North Carolina State University, a military-friendly school that offers comprehensive support through its military and veterans resource center.
Raleigh also has one of the highest job growth rates among major U.S. cities. Additionally, the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) provides a boost by offering dedicated services to veterans and the military community via job postings, training opportunities and local services.
Less Thriving Cities for Veterans
But not every city offers veterans that same sense of stability or welcome. At the other end of WalletHub’s 2025 list are what they judge as the worst three U.S. cities for veterans: Newark, New Jersey, coming in last at No. 100; Detroit at No. 99, and Memphis, Tennessee, at No. 98.
These cities were ranked worst for veterans largely because of their bleak employment opportunities. In addition, the overall economic outlook of Newark and Detroit were rated very poor (although Memphis comes in around the middle for overall economics). All three of these cities also rank very low for health and overall quality of life.
In cities with high unemployment, limited affordable housing and under-resourced health systems it’s harder for veterans – or anyone – to translate their skills into jobs or to access consistent care. Memphis, although faring somewhat better economically, continues to struggle with housing insecurity and uneven access to VA services.
Together, these challenges contribute to weaker support networks and a diminished sense of community for those returning from military life.
How Was the List Decided?
Of course, the final judgment on whether a city is good or bad is subjective. But WalletHub came up with a specific method to judge each metro’s offerings. A city’s overall employment outlook, for instance, included the job growth rate, the number of veteran-owned businesses, and the number of jobs available related to military skills, but most importantly, was double-weighted for the veteran unemployment rate.
The best city for employment – and one of the best for health – is Fremont, California, yet its overall quality of life ranks low and its overall economy even lower, so it landed at No. 36 overall out of 100.
The economy scores for each city are based on a mix of housing affordability, veteran income growth, share of veterans living in poverty (double weight), median veteran income (double weight), homeless veterans per 1,000 veterans (double weight), and educational opportunities (half weight).
The best veteran city from an economic standpoint is Laredo, Texas, where affordable housing and low unemployment rates drive strong financial scores. Yet this border town ranks low for quality of life, weighed down by limited access to healthcare, recreational opportunities and cultural amenities that help veterans feel rooted and supported.
Quality of life scores reflect factors such as the number of veterans per 1,000 residents, projected veteran population growth, family-friendliness (double weight), retiree-friendliness (double weight), and the availability of restaurants and arts or entertainment venues offering military discounts (each half weight).
Orlando came out tops for quality of life, followed by Las Vegas; Scottsdale, Arizona; Austin; and Boise, Idaho — cities that combine strong veteran communities with abundant recreation, family resources, and public appreciation for military service.
Finally, health scores were marked based on the number of VA benefits and health facilities per veteran population (each full weight) and, most heavily, the overall quality of VA health facilities (triple weight), which incorporates patient satisfaction, federal performance ratings, and the number of available hospital and nursing-home beds.
Eleven cities in California all tied for first place for health, and the No. 12 city for health is also in the Golden State – a reflection of the state’s dense network of VA medical centers and high-quality facilities.
See and sort the entire list on WalletHub’s website.
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