Study: No state tops Virginia in what’s best for vets
(The Center Square) – May is military appreciation month and no state seems to be better for military retirees than Virginia, according to a recently released study.
WalletHub, a personal finance website, named the commonwealth the best state in the nation for military retirees based on 30 key indicators of retirement-friendliness toward veterans. The data covered things such as job opportunities for vets to affordable housing and the quality of VA hospitals.
“Even without a pandemic, retirement from the military is always difficult, with many retirees facing major struggles, including post-traumatic stress disorder, disability and homelessness,” wrote John Kiernan, WalletHub managing editor. “These veterans must also consider how state tax policies on military benefits vary, along with the relative friendliness of different job markets and other socioeconomic factors, when choosing a state in which to settle down.”
Virginia ranked fifth for economic environment and quality of life and 12th for health care. The state has the third-most veterans per capita, trailing only Alaska and Montana.
Virginia had the second-lowest percentage of homeless veterans, behind only Mississippi, and it ranked fourth with the most job opportunities for vets. Virginia also has the third-highest percentage of veteran-owned businesses.
“In terms of quality of life, Virginia has the third-largest share of veterans – 8.7% and almost 96% of them have no need for SNAP benefits. Plus, the state has a large number of VA benefits administration facilities, and the second-lowest share of homeless veterans in the country, just 0.05%,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst.
South Carolina ranked second in the nation, followed by Florida, South Dakota and Alaska. The nation’s worst places for veterans were Oregon, Vermont, the District of Columbia, Nevada and Rhode Island.
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