San Antonio has found its way back into the top 25 best cities for veterans to live, a new WalletHub report says.

To assess the best and worst places for veterans to live, analysts compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 19 relevant metrics, such as the share of military skill-related jobs, veteran income growth, the availability of VA health facilities, among others.

San Antonio returned among the top 30 for the first time since 2024, landing in the No. 25 spot after previously ranking 34th last year.

Across the study's four main categories, San Antonio ranked 16th nationally for its economy for military retirees. This ranking was based on housing affordability, median income and income growth, educational opportunities, and the share of veterans living in poverty.

San Antonio's quality of life for veterans ranks 28th nationwide, and the city's "health" standing ranks 39th. San Antonio's lowest ranking was among its employment for veterans, landing at No. 72 out of 100 cities.

"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 WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "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."

The Veterans Association reports nearly 17.2 million veterans live in the U.S., and many of them struggle in some way with transitioning from military to civilian life, including homelessness.

"While the government has pledged to support veterans with health care, housing, employment and education benefits, not everyone returning from service is able to access the care, work or housing they need," the WalletHub report said. "Veterans do have a relatively low unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, compared with 4.2 percent for the overall population. Still, homelessness remains a major concern, with over 32,000 veterans experiencing homelessness."

Austin's livability leads the nation
Austin was once again declared No. 1 best place in the U.S. for veterans to live in 2026, continuing the city's long-running streak leading the nation for its livability for former service members.

Austin offers veterans the fifth best quality of life in the U.S., the study found, and the city's economic standing for veterans is the 11th best in the country.

"Austin, TX, is the best city for veterans, in large part because it has the best colleges for veterans in the country, along with the ninth-highest median annual income for veterans, at over $66,000," the report said.

Austin also ranked 25th and 44th, respectively, in the health and employment categories, showing that the city provides high-quality VA health facilities and local employers provide great job benefits for service members.

"It's also good for veterans to live in a place where they can form a community of support with others who have gone through similar experiences," the report said.

Elsewhere in Texas
Overall, Texas is home to the most cities ranked among the top 10 best places for veterans to live. The North Texas cities of Plano and Fort Worth ranked 4th and 5th nationwide, joining Austin at the top of the list.

Other Texas cities that earned spots in the report include Dallas (No. 22), Garland (No. 24), Laredo (No. 28), Lubbock (No. 32), Irving (No. 33), Arlington (No. 34), Houston (No. 51), Corpus Christi (No. 58), and El Paso (No. 67).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for veterans to live are:

• No. 1 – Austin, Texas
• No. 2 – Madison, Wisconsin
• No. 3 – Scottsdale, Arizona
• No. 4 – Plano, Texas
• No. 5 – Fort Worth, Texas
• No. 6 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
• No. 7 – Gilbert, Arizona
• No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
• No. 9 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• No. 10 – Irvine, California