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Dallas ranks among best U.S. cities for military veterans to live

A veteran having a conversation in his home

Dallas has ranked as the 25th best city for veterans to live for the second year in a row, while neighboring Fort Worth improved its livability and now ranks in the top 10.

Photo by Land O'Lakes, Inc. on Unsplash

Dallas has just been declared the 25th best city for military veterans to live in America for 2025, according to a new study.

WalletHub's annual list of the "Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live" compared 100 of the largest U.S. cities based on 19 relevant metrics, such as veteran unemployment rates, veteran income growth, the quality of each city's VA health facilities, local housing affordability, quality of life, and more.

Austin topped the list for the second consecutive year. The U.S. cities that round out the top five best places for veterans are Tampa, Florida (No. 2); Madison, Wisconsin (No.3); Raleigh, North Carolina (No. 4); and Colorado Springs, Colorado (No. 5).

Dallas has maintained its rank as No. 25 for two years in a row.

Dallas received the following rankings across the four major categories in the report:

No. 20 – Health
No. 41 – Quality of life
No. 44 – Economy
No. 44 – Employment

(And that's not even getting into the generosity of many Dallas restaurants that are offering free meals and deals for veterans on Veterans Day Monday November 11.)

Elsewhere in North Texas, neighboring Fort Worth made a big leap this year to rank as the 10th best U.S. city for military veterans after previously ranking No. 20 in 2024.

Plano ranked just outside the top 10 as the No. 11 best U.S. city for military veterans to live. Other DFW-area cities that earned spots in the report include Garland (No. 30), Arlington (No. 31), and Irving (No. 39).

Irving received additional nods for having the 5th lowest percentage of its veteran population living in poverty, and it landed in a five-way tie for the lowest veteran unemployment rates nationwide with Fremont, California; Lincoln, Nebraska; Chesapeake, Virginia; and Greensboro, North Carolina.

The report also found Garland boasts the 5th highest veteran income growth in the country.

Austin claims No. 1 nationally for the second time
The report said Austin remained at the top of the list for a second consecutive year because it offers the best colleges and universities for veterans nationwide, 10th highest median annual income for veterans (about $62,000), and the 7th best job growth rate nationally.

"In addition, Austin is great for going out to eat or enjoying entertainment as a veteran," the report's author wrote. "The city has the 12th-highest number of restaurants and the 10th-most arts/entertainment establishments per capita that offer military discounts."

Most importantly, WalletHub says Austin is the perfect fit for former military members who want to find community with other veterans who have had similar experiences during their time in the armed forces.

"Austin has the third-smallest projected decrease in veterans between 2024 and 2053, so that will certainly help veterans meet each other and forge friendships," the report said.

High-ranking cities for veterans in Texas
Other Texas cities that earned spots in the top 50 include Laredo (No. 32), San Antonio (No. 34), and Lubbock (No. 46).

Only three Texas cities lagged behind in the report: Houston (No. 59), El Paso (No. 67), and Corpus Christi (No. 74).

Earlier this year, WalletHub ranked Texas as the No. 21 best state for military retirees in 2025.

The top 10 best U.S. cities for veterans to live are:

No. 1– Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Tampa, Florida
No. 3 – Madison, Wisconsin
No. 4 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 5 – Colorado Springs, Colorado
No. 6 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
No. 7 – Orlando, Florida
No. 8 – St. Petersburg, Florida
No. 9 – Irvine, California
No. 10 – Fort Worth, Texas

At the opposite end of the list, Newark, New Jersey ranked as the worst place for veterans to live in 2025 for another year in a row. Detroit, Michigan (No. 99); Baton Rouge, Louisiana (No. 98), Memphis, Tennessee (No. 97); and Toledo, Ohio (No. 96) all ranked among the bottom five.

veterans day wallethub rankings dallas

Living Well

Plano rises through the ranks as 4th best U.S. city for veterans in 2026

Female U.S. soldier wearing 2023 OCP uniform saluting in front of american flag

Getty Images

Plano is the 4th best city in America for veterans to call home.

Dallas neighbor Plano has soared into the top 10 best U.S. cities for veterans to live, a new WalletHub report says.

To assess the best and worst places for veterans to live, analysts compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across 19 relevant metrics, such as the share of military skill-related jobs, veteran income growth, the availability of VA health facilities, among others.

Plano ranked as the No. 4 best city for military retirees in the nation this year, taking a big leap from its former No. 11 rank in 2025.

Plano offers the 10th best quality of life for veterans out of all 100 cities in the report, and the city ranks 25th for its "health" rank — determined by the number of VA benefits administration and VA health facilities per veteran population and the quality of VA health facilities.

Plano's employment rank for veterans is the 28th best in the U.S., and the suburb boasts the 29th best economy for former service members based on WalletHub's analysis of veteran housing affordability, median income and income growth, educational opportunities, and the share of veterans living in poverty.

Local veterans are being honored with Veterans Day deals and discounts all across the city this; find the list here.

"When veterans return home from serving our nation, it’s important for them to live in a place that provides good education and employment opportunities, along with access to quality care for their physical and mental health," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "The best cities for veterans have all these characteristics, plus added bonuses like large veteran populations for community support, plus many restaurants and entertainment venues that offer veteran discounts."

Meanwhile, Dallas proper ranked as the No. 22 overall best U.S. city for veterans to live in 2026, moving up the list after ranking 25th for the last two years.

This is how Dallas stacked up across the study's four main categories:

No. 16 – Health
No. 32 – Economy
No. 36 – Quality of life
No. 66 – Employment

The Veterans Association reports nearly 17.2 million veterans live in the U.S., and many of them struggle in some way with transitioning from military to civilian life, including homelessness.

"While the government has pledged to support veterans with health care, housing, employment and education benefits, not everyone returning from service is able to access the care, work or housing they need," the WalletHub report said. "Veterans do have a relatively low unemployment rate of 3.6 percent, compared with 4.2 percent for the overall population. Still, homelessness remains a major concern, with over 32,000 veterans experiencing homelessness."

Elsewhere in North Texas, Fort Worth ranked as the 5th overall best city for veterans, Garland ranked 24th, Irving came in 33rd, and Arlington ranked as No. 34.

Austin's livability leads the nation
Austin was once again declared No. 1 best place in the U.S. for veterans to live in 2026, continuing the city's long-running streak leading the nation for its livability for former service members.

Austin offers veterans the fifth best quality of life in the U.S., the study found, and the city's economic standing for veterans is the 11th best in the country.

"Austin, TX, is the best city for veterans, in large part because it has the best colleges for veterans in the country, along with the ninth-highest median annual income for veterans, at over $66,000," the report said.

Austin also ranked 25th and 44th, respectively, in the health and employment categories, showing that the city provides high-quality VA health facilities and local employers provide great job benefits for service members.

"It's also good for veterans to live in a place where they can form a community of support with others who have gone through similar experiences," the report said.

Other Texas cities that earned spots in the report include San Antonio (No. 25), Laredo (No. 28), Lubbock (No. 32), Houston (No. 51), Corpus Christi (No. 58), and El Paso (No. 67).

The top 10 best U.S. cities for veterans to live are:

No. 1 – Austin, Texas
No. 2 – Madison, Wisconsin
No. 3 – Scottsdale, Arizona
No. 4 – Plano, Texas
No. 5 – Fort Worth, Texas
No. 6 – Virginia Beach, Virginia
No. 7 – Gilbert, Arizona
No. 8 – Raleigh, North Carolina
No. 9 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 10 – Irvine, California

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