2 California Cities Among Worst for Veterans

Can You Guess Which 2 California Cities Rank Among Worst for Veterans?

With Veterans Day approaching and the veteran unemployment rate at 3.1%, the personal-finance company WalletHub released its report on 2025’s Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live. Two California cities ranked among the worst places. Do you agree?

The report compares the 100 largest U.S. cities across 19 key metrics, ranging from the share of military skill-related jobs to housing affordability and the availability of VA health facilities.

If you are a veteran living in Stockton or Fresno, WalletHub says you are living among the worst cities for Veterans. Sorry to break it to you.

Below are highlights from the reports, along with a Q&A.

Best Cities for Veterans
1. Austin, TX
2. Tampa, FL
3. Madison, WI
4. Raleigh, NC
5. Colorado Springs, CO
6. Virginia Beach, VA
7. Orlando, FL
8. St. Petersburg, FL
9. Irvine, CA
10. Fort Worth, TX

Worst Cities for Veterans
91. Chicago, IL
92. Fresno, CA
93. Stockton, CA
94. Baltimore, MD
95. Indianapolis, IN
96. Toledo, OH
97. Memphis, TN
98. Baton Rouge, LA
99. Detroit, MI
100. Newark, NJ

“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,” Chris Lupo, WalletHub analyst, writes in his analysis.  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.”

Austin, Texas is the best city for veterans, in large part because it has the best colleges for veterans in the country, along with the 10th-highest median annual income for veterans, at around $62,000, according to Lupo. It’s also good for veterans to live in a place where they can form a community of support, and Austin has the third-smallest projected decrease in veterans between 2024 and 2053. Finally, Austin has the 12th-highest number of restaurants and the 10th-most arts/entertainment establishments per capita that offer military discounts.”

To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-veterans/8156