Veterans starting the post-service phase of their lives face a unique set of opportunities and challenges.
On the one hand, the post-9/11 G.I. Bill can help with getting a college education. On the other hand, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that veterans between the ages of 25 and 34 have unemployment rates nearly 4 points higher than comparable civilians.
Working with USAA Insurance and Military.com, we decided to shed some light on this issue by determining the Best U.S. Cities for Veterans.
Out of 379 major U.S. metro areas, here’s the top 10:
- Pittsburgh, PA
- Phoenix, AZ
- Dallas, TX
- Cleveland, OH
- Atlanta, GA
- Warren, MI
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Cincinnati, OH
- Columbus, OH
- St. Louis, MO
Each of the variables was weighted based on what soon-to-be or recent veterans said was important to them, and each metro area was then ranked based on its total points for all variables.
Here’s the criteria we considered:
- Military skill-related jobs
- Presence of colleges/universities
- Economic stability
- Mass transit availability
- Crime level
- Unemployment rate
- Volume of DoD conracts
- Health resources
- Affordability
- Property Tax
- Local schools
- Airport proximity
- Recent job growth
- Recreation
- Sales tax
- Climate
- Number of federal government jobs
Metro areas with the following attributes were excluded from the list: unemployment rate more than 1% above the national average, cost of living greater than the national average and total crime rate more than 25% above the national average. You can check out the study on USAA’s site here.
Also, to add to Alex’s comment, Syracuse University is Veteran friendly and also has a entrepreneur bootcamp and programs for veterans through the Whitman School of Management and University College.http://whitman.syr.edu/military/
http://veterans.syr.edu/
There is a Air National Guard Base just north of the city, which has a small BX. Fort drum is about an hour and 15 minutes away and there is a Coast Guard Station in the metro area in Oswego. There is also a Naval and Marine Reserve station near the ANG Base. Housing is affordable in the area and Veterans gets a STAR rebate(property tax exemption) through NY State. Veterans pensions are not taxed in NY State either.
Thanks for the info, I appreciated that. Here in Syracusen N.Y. there is a Veteran’s Hospital and facility which is part of the general Syracuse Medical Complex within a mile of my home. It’s good to know when I’m traveling about what comparable areas are available to me. Thanks again.
Alex Frazier