Best and worst states for military retirees

Published 10:00 pm Saturday, May 28, 2016

Happy Military Appreciation Month! All military personnel face tough challenges when readjusting to civilian life upon retirement, which, for the average officer, happens at age 47. Recognizing their brave sacrifices, especially those of our fallen heroes this coming Memorial Day, the personal-finance website WalletHub Monday released its report on 2016’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees.

To help ease the burden of retirement planning for our former military personnel, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics — ranging from job opportunities for veterans to number of VA health facilities per number of veterans — that collectively speak to the economic environment, health care services and overall quality of life in each area.

Best States for Military Retirees
1 Alaska
2 South Dakota
3 Montana
4 Wyoming
5 Florida
6 Maine
7 New Hampshire
8 North Dakota
9 Hawaii
10 South Carolina

Worst States for Military Retirees

42 Arkansas
43 Nevada
44 New York
45 Utah
46 Connecticut
47 District of Columbia
48 Indiana
49 Oregon
50 New Jersey

In comparing the best and worst, WalletHub found:
Alaska has the highest percentage of veterans, 10.1 percent, which is more than two times higher than in New York, where it is lowest, 4.6 percent.
Virginia has the lowest percentage of homeless veterans out of total veterans, 0.08 percent, which is nearly 18 times lower than in the District of Columbia, where it is highest, 1.37 percent.
New York has the highest number of VA health facilities per number of veterans, which is nearly eight times higher than in Rhode Island, where it is lowest.
Alaska has the highest number of VA benefits-administration facilities per number of veterans, which is 24 times higher than in Michigan, where it is lowest.
Maine has the highest percentage of the population aged 40 and older, 54.6 percent, which is more than 1.5 times higher than in Utah, where it is lowest, 35.1 percent.
South Carolina has the highest percentage of veteran-owned businesses with paid employees, 12.4 percent, which is more than two times higher than in New York, where it is lowest, 5.7 percent.
For the full report and to see where your state ranks, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-states-for-military-retirees/3915/

Submitted by WalletHub