Posted on Apr 8, 2022
Seek Beyond Statistics - There’s more to the top 5 best places for Veterans to live than numbers
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Many articles have been written to help Veterans decide where to live once they separate from the military. Veteran Life (https://rly.pt/3jhDaD4) has an impressive analysis of the 10 best states in which to retire based on a number of factors including tax benefits, cost of living and employment. Benefits Pro (https://rly.pt/3xlzpoe) will not only tell you the top five best places to live, but they will even give you the top five places to avoid. The most comprehensive information can be found in the study WalletHub (https://rly.pt/3FVan0v) bpublished at the end of last year. Looking at 20 indicators of livability, the study evaluated 100 US cities and ranked them based on such factors as veteran unemployment rate, veteran income growth, retiree-friendliness and the quality of VA health facilities.
Since you can visit any of those links yourself when considering your destination, here we will share some unknown but perhaps useful information about the winning cities that might just give one an edge over another.
1. Tampa, Florida: Tampa ranked highest amongst the best places for military retirement. Sure, you should be able to easily find a job, keep your benefits from being taxed and have access to great health care, but did you know you can also visit Carol Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue Sanctuary? That’s right, the Tiger King’s nemesis is right there in Tampa. You might only know of the sanctuary from your pandemic Netflix binging, but it doesn’t make the mission or the scope of the rescue any less impressive. If cats aren’t your thing, try the world’s longest sidewalk along Bayshore Boulevard. At nine miles on a round trip, you can walk, run or bike along the bay and admire the beautiful scenery while enjoying the warm sun and salty breeze.
2. Austin, Texas: Coming in much higher in the quality of life category but ranking second overall in the best city ranking is the “weird” Austin. The self-proclaimed city of strange boasts a unique migration of over 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Not creeped out yet? Take one of the city’s many ghost or murder tours and walk the route of America’s first serial killer. Ok, spooky stuff aside, Austin is also home to world-renowned cuisine such as the first barbeque pitmaster to win a James Beard award and over 6,600 restaurants and bars from which to choose whatever pleases your palette.
3. Scottsdale, Arizona: With 330 average days of sunshine, it's not hard to figure out why Scottsdale ranked so high in the health score in WalletHub’s study. Boasting many of the world’s most popular luxury Golf resorts, the city also has 103 trails on which to bike, run, walk or just meander while enjoying the beautiful desert surroundings. You can also immerse yourself in a rainforest and be surrounded by over 3,000 butterflies at one of the city’s most popular attractions: Butterfly Wonderland.
4. Raleigh, North Carolina: You might be retiring from the military but perhaps you aren’t quite willing to give up working just yet. Good news, Raleigh is just the place for you! Ranking quite high in the employment area of WalletHub’s study, Raleigh has ample jobs and a reasonable cost of living. But that’s not all! From the many craft beer breweries to the city scavenger hunts and the plethora of museums, you will never be bored in the city dubbed “America’s best kept secret '' by Australian expat bloggers on their This is Raleigh site: https://rly.pt/38q9GAH
5. Gilbert, Arizona: You’ve put in your time, looking for a place to relax? Head to Gilbert which scored low for employment but high in the quality of life and health categories. It’s nothing if not brutally honest, you can even head to livinginphoenixaz.com for a complete pros and cons list to settling in the city. Between the near perfect weather and the overabundance of outdoor activities, Gilbert is a diamond in the rough (somewhat literally, as it boasts the lowest crime rate in the entire state). Bird watching, theaters in the round, clay shooting…it’s not a tourist hub but there is plenty to keep the locals occupied.
There is more to choosing a place to retire or live after leaving the service than just numbers. Hopefully this post will inspire you to expand your research during transition to learn more about a city than just its stats.
Since you can visit any of those links yourself when considering your destination, here we will share some unknown but perhaps useful information about the winning cities that might just give one an edge over another.
1. Tampa, Florida: Tampa ranked highest amongst the best places for military retirement. Sure, you should be able to easily find a job, keep your benefits from being taxed and have access to great health care, but did you know you can also visit Carol Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue Sanctuary? That’s right, the Tiger King’s nemesis is right there in Tampa. You might only know of the sanctuary from your pandemic Netflix binging, but it doesn’t make the mission or the scope of the rescue any less impressive. If cats aren’t your thing, try the world’s longest sidewalk along Bayshore Boulevard. At nine miles on a round trip, you can walk, run or bike along the bay and admire the beautiful scenery while enjoying the warm sun and salty breeze.
2. Austin, Texas: Coming in much higher in the quality of life category but ranking second overall in the best city ranking is the “weird” Austin. The self-proclaimed city of strange boasts a unique migration of over 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats. Not creeped out yet? Take one of the city’s many ghost or murder tours and walk the route of America’s first serial killer. Ok, spooky stuff aside, Austin is also home to world-renowned cuisine such as the first barbeque pitmaster to win a James Beard award and over 6,600 restaurants and bars from which to choose whatever pleases your palette.
3. Scottsdale, Arizona: With 330 average days of sunshine, it's not hard to figure out why Scottsdale ranked so high in the health score in WalletHub’s study. Boasting many of the world’s most popular luxury Golf resorts, the city also has 103 trails on which to bike, run, walk or just meander while enjoying the beautiful desert surroundings. You can also immerse yourself in a rainforest and be surrounded by over 3,000 butterflies at one of the city’s most popular attractions: Butterfly Wonderland.
4. Raleigh, North Carolina: You might be retiring from the military but perhaps you aren’t quite willing to give up working just yet. Good news, Raleigh is just the place for you! Ranking quite high in the employment area of WalletHub’s study, Raleigh has ample jobs and a reasonable cost of living. But that’s not all! From the many craft beer breweries to the city scavenger hunts and the plethora of museums, you will never be bored in the city dubbed “America’s best kept secret '' by Australian expat bloggers on their This is Raleigh site: https://rly.pt/38q9GAH
5. Gilbert, Arizona: You’ve put in your time, looking for a place to relax? Head to Gilbert which scored low for employment but high in the quality of life and health categories. It’s nothing if not brutally honest, you can even head to livinginphoenixaz.com for a complete pros and cons list to settling in the city. Between the near perfect weather and the overabundance of outdoor activities, Gilbert is a diamond in the rough (somewhat literally, as it boasts the lowest crime rate in the entire state). Bird watching, theaters in the round, clay shooting…it’s not a tourist hub but there is plenty to keep the locals occupied.
There is more to choosing a place to retire or live after leaving the service than just numbers. Hopefully this post will inspire you to expand your research during transition to learn more about a city than just its stats.
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Posted >1 y ago
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I think most go back to their own stomping grounds when the finish their enlistment/retire. I did like so many of my fellow Marines. Many years later I moved my family to Tennessee. No income tax (but they make up for it in sales tax, up to 9.75% depending on which county you live in) and lower property tax. Jobs don't pay as good but the cost of living is generally lower also. We moved to be in a rural area. I had enough of Chicago and the big city. Never say never but it would take a lot to get me to move again! House paid off, no debt other than my monthly utility bills. No more mortgages or car payments for me!
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Cpl Vic Burk
SSG Gerald King - To each their own and nothing wrong with moving to the city if that is what you want. The only things I miss about Chicago is the food and the mom and pop hardware stores where everything didn't have to be prepackaged. They can keep the rest of the city as far as I am concerned! I like having my little thirteen acre piece of land with a few acres of woods and a pond (that doesn't hold water very well!). Something I would never be able to have in the city.
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PO1 (Join to see)
I decide to just skip out on moving back to CA and instead moved to Chile, but I notice both are a lot alike. I mean the temps are alike everyone speaks Spanish at times I forget I'm in Chile.
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1SG Stephen Hattle
I stayed in Washington State after retirement. Primarily because I had teenage daughters that was in high school, and I wanted them to have a chance to finish before leaving. However, I fell in love with the mountain views and mild summers so decided to stay.
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Cpl Vic Burk
1SG Stephen Hattle - I love the Tennessee Mountains and knew I wanted to move here since I was ten years old. In 1991 when my son was a year old and daughter that was less than a month we made the jump across state lines to 10-e-c. Never say never but I can't see myself moving back to the city for nothing. As long as you are happy where you are, why move?!
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