Ranking It
How San Antonio stacks up to America's best cities for veterans
In honor of Veteran's Day, November 11, financial website WalletHub has released its annual survey of the best and worst cities for veterans to live, placing San Antonio among the best in the country.
Analysts compared 100 of the largest U.S. cities based on 21 key indicators of veteran-friendliness, ranging from percentage of military skill-related jobs to the availability of VA health facilities, in four broad categories.
San Antonio ranks No. 21, thanks to high scores in the quality of life and economy categories. San Antonio boasts one of the highest veteran incomes (adjusted for cost of living) and lowest percentages of vets living below the poverty line. And it's a good thing: The study projects that the city's veteran population will increase by 27 percent by 2040, the third highest increase in the nation.
A number of other Lone Star cities rank among the best for veterans. Laredo is second, Plano is fourth, Austin is fifth, and El Paso is sixth. Plano boasts the lowest percentage of homeless veterans and ties for the lowest percentage of unemployed veterans in the U.S.
Other Texas cities in the top 25 include Arlington (No. 23), Lubbock (No. 24), and Fort Worth (No. 25). Dallas ranks 31st, and Houston is 37th. The worst Texas city for vets? Corpus Christi, No. 54.