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DALLAS (KDAF) — The new year is only one month and a half away, man oh man, where has the time gone? But it’s another year to be thankful for our active-duty military and veterans for keeping us safe.

Coming home from serving isn’t an easy thing for veterans and as a country, it’s a part of our duty to help them transition back into civilian life. One of those things is finding out the best spots to live in the country in order to thrive as a veteran.

We checked out a report from Lawn Starter on 2023’s Best Cities for Veterans; it compared the 200 biggest cities in the U.S. come to their rankings.

“We looked for cities with high populations of veterans and access to support resources like VA facilities, nonprofits, and PTSD recovery programs. We also considered housing affordability, as well as employment and educational opportunities, among 37 total metrics,” the report said.

The Lone Star State has cities all over this list, here is a look at where they landed:

  • No. 13 San Antonio
  • No. 19 McAllen
  • No. 25 Waco
  • No. 34 Midland
  • No. 38 Laredo
  • No. 43 Killeen
  • No. 44 Austin
  • No. 49 Amarillo
  • No. 55 Houston
  • No. 60 El Paso
  • No. 63 Arlington
  • No. 64 Dallas
  • No. 84 McKinney
  • No. 86 Fort Worth
  • No. 89 Lubbock

Texas cities also landed at the top of specifics for veterans: Killeen ranked the best for the highest share of the veteran population, Waco ranked best for most VA benefits claims assistants per 1,000 veterans, McAllen fifth-best for most VA health facilities per 10,000 veterans, and McKinney fifth-best for the highest median veteran income.

“Southern cities Atlanta (No. 8), San Antonio, Texas (No. 13), and Arlington, Texas (No. 63), are great options for job-seeking vets. All three cities tied for the highest number of veteran job fairs. 

Atlanta comes out on top at No. 1 in Employment and Volunteering. A-Town has the most on-the-job training opportunities per 1,000 veterans.

It’s no surprise that San Antonio, aka Military City, USA, has a large vet population. SA tied with two other cities for the most VET TEC providers. Additionally, Alamo City has many VSOs, USOs, and military bases, which can provide employment resources for transitioning service members.” 

Lawn Starter