12 Best States for Military Retirees: 2023

With Memorial Day just a week away, personal finance site WalletHub on Monday published a comparison of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to find the most and least friendly states for military personnel on the cusp of retirement. Understanding how welcoming a state is for veterans is important because those leaving the service can have a hard time adjusting to civilian life, whether or not they have faced active combat. Many retirees also struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder, physical disability and homelessness. Veterans have to consider the job market and other socioeconomic factors in the states where they want to settle down, as well as how state tax policies on military benefits vary. WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across the key dimensions of economic environment, quality of life and health care, using 28 relevant metrics, each of which researchers graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for military retirees. They then determined each state's and the District of Columbia's weighted average across all metrics to calculate the overall score. See the gallery for the 12 best states for military retirees, according to WalletHub. (Image: Shutterstock)