Study Ranks Wyoming The Third Best State For Veterans
Just in time for Veteran's Day, a new study has named Wyoming one of the best states for veterans to live in.
The study ranked Wyoming as the third-best state for veterans with a composite score of 67.1 out of 100, based on a 2.8 percent unemployment rate for veterans, an average annual income of just over $40,000, low cost of living, and access to VA services.
North Dakota finished first in the study with a score of 67.9, thanks primarily to their VA hospitals, which ranked as the best in the country. Hawaii is the second-best state for veterans (67.7) with Wyoming, Alaska (66.9), and Virginia (62.5) rounding out the top five.
Other states in the Mountain West region also ranked among the best for vets. Idaho finished sixth in the study, South Dakota was eighth, Montana came in 11th, Colorado ranked 16th, and Nebraska was rated 19th.
New Jersey was ranked as the worst state for veterans with a composite score of 22.8, followed by New York (28.1), California (32.1), Illinois (29.9), and Oregon (32).
The nationwide rankings were based on the percentage of veterans in each state, economic factors, and the number of VA centers per-capita along with patient ratings for the care they provide. Only 14 states finished with a composite score of over 50.