Not so medal-worthy

New report marches out mediocre ranking for military retirement in Texas

Texas can take better care of its veterans.

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Texas is more like a first lieutenant than a five-star general when it comes to its ranking among the best states for military retirees.

Personal finance website WalletHub puts Texas at No. 21 on its new list of the best states for military retirees. Virginia ranks first, while Oregon sits in last place.

"Even without a pandemic, retirement from the military is always difficult, with many retirees facing major struggles including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, disability and homelessness," writes WalletHub managing editor John S. Kiernan in the report. "These veterans must also consider how state tax policies on military benefits vary, along with the relative friendliness of different job markets and other socioeconomic factors, when choosing a state in which to settle down."

To develop its rankings, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on their ability to provide a comfortable military retirement. The analysis looked at 30 key metrics, ranging from veterans per capita to number of VA health care facilities to job opportunities for veterans.

Here’s how Texas fared in seven of the categories:

No. 5 for VA health care facilities per number of veterans
No. 13 for VA benefits administration facilities per number of veterans
No. 16 for veteran job opportunities
No. 22 for housing affordability
No. 29 for percentage of veteran-owned businesses
No. 30 for percentage of homeless veterans
No. 43 for veterans per capita

Ralph Harrison, a veteran success counselor at the University of Houston, tells WalletHub that military retirees should consider whether a state is veteran- and tax-friendly when deciding where to live.

While Texas lands in the middle among the best states for military retirees, five places in the Lone Star State deserve to be saluted for their high rankings among the best cities for military veterans. Last year, WalletHub placed Austin at No. 5 on that list, with Fort Worth at No. 23, San Antonio at No. 24, Laredo at No. 28, and Plano at No. 32.

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Fun times in the city

Dallas swings a spot on new list of most fun cities in U.S. for 2024

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Dallas just wants to have fun, according to WalletHub's new ranking of the most fun cities in America in 2024.

The annual report ranked Dallas No. 31 out of 182 U.S. cities.

WalletHub's experts compared each city using 65 metrics to determine their level of "fun." Metrics were split among three main categories: entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and cost.

According to the study's findings, Dallas was 24th nationally in the category for nightlife and parties, and ranked No. 39 in the "entertainment and recreation" category. That may be especially alluring for anyone who wants to explore the city's vast entertainment opportunities (especially during the holiday season), family-friendly recreational activities, top dining destinations, and more. Plus, Dallas is home to entertainment juggernauts like the State Fair of Texas and TopGolf.

Dallas performed poorly in the overall cost category, earning No. 114 out of all 182 cities. However, this category mostly compares flat costs rather than affordability based on local cost of living.

Potential new Dallasites should do their research before deciding to move here, rather than basing their decision on short trips and vacations alone. But we won't blame them for wanting to live in one of the best cities in the world.

"The top cities offer affordable options for year-round fun for their residents, which is good for residents’ wallets and their mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo in the report.

Austin (No. 6) and Houston (No. 9) were the only Texas cities to earn a spot in the top 10 most fun U.S. cities list. Austin moved up one spot from last year, while Houston made a 10-place jump.

Other fun-filled Texas cities that made it in the top 100 are El Paso (No. 53), Fort Worth (No. 55), Plano (No. 78), Arlington (No. 79), and Corpus Christi (No. 99).

The top 10 most fun U.S. cities are:

No. 1 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 2 – Orlando, Florida
No. 3 – Miami, Florida
No. 4 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 5 – New Orleans, Louisiana
No. 6 – Austin, Texas
No. 7 – San Francisco, California
No. 8 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 9 – Houston, Texas
No. 10 – New York City, New York

Cities were evaluated based on the number of attractions per capita, nightlife activities per capita, the average prices for eating at a restaurant or buying a movie ticket, and more. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau, The Trust for Public Land, and the Council for Community and Economic Research, among others.

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