Austin named top U.S. city for veterans

Austin has been named the best city in the United States for veterans to live in for the 2026 ranking year.

The designation comes from a WalletHub report that evaluated the 100 largest U.S. cities using 19 specific metrics. Analysts measured factors including the percentage of jobs related to military skills, veteran income growth, and the presence of VA health facilities. This continues a long streak of Austin leading the nation in livability for former service members.

The study found that Austin provides the fifth best quality of life in the country for veterans. The city’s economic standing for this demographic is the 11th best nationally. This economic rating is based on housing affordability, median income, income growth, educational opportunities, and the share of veterans living in poverty.

According to the report, Austin holds the best colleges for veterans in the country. The city also has the ninth-highest median annual income for veterans, which stands at over $66,000. The report noted that high-quality VA health facilities and strong job benefits from local employers contribute to the city’s standing. Austin ranked 25th in health metrics and 44th in employment metrics.

The report stated that it is beneficial for veterans to reside in areas where they can build support networks with others who have shared similar experiences. Texas leads the nation in the number of cities ranked in the top 10 for veteran livability. Plano and Fort Worth in North Texas ranked fourth and fifth, respectively, alongside Austin. Other Texas cities appearing in the report include Dallas at 22, Garland at 24, San Antonio at 25, Laredo at 28, Lubbock at 32, Irving at 33, Arlington at 34, Houston at 51, Corpus Christi at 58, and El Paso at 67.

The top 10 list for 2026 includes Madison, Wisconsin, at second, Scottsdale, Arizona, at third, Plano, Texas, at fourth, and Fort Worth, Texas, at fifth. Virginia Beach, Virginia, is sixth, followed by Gilbert, Arizona, at seventh, Raleigh, North Carolina, at eighth, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at ninth, and Irvine, California, at tenth.