Florida 5th Best State for Veterans

2015’s Best and Worst States for Military Retirees
Wallet Hub
by John S Kiernan

Retirement is typically viewed as the end of the line – a time for rest, relaxation and the pursuit of interests long ago put on the back burner. But the narrative is far different for military retirees.

For starters, the average officer is only 47.1 years old – and enlisted personnel even younger at 43.2 – upon retirement from service. Most re-enter the job market. Military retirees, veterans in particular, must also deal with the trials of assimilation, which have proven especially difficult in the wake of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Rising numbers of young vets have encountered hardship and homelessness.

Military retirement is a far more complicated issue than one might initially assume, given the extent to which state tax policies differ when it comes to military benefits, the relative friendliness of different job markets to veterans, and a variety of other important socioeconomic factors.

With that in mind, WalletHub sought to help ease the burden on our nation’s military community by identifying the Best and Worst States for Military Retirees. As a result, WalletHub took 20 key metrics into account in devising its rankings. You can check out the results, our methodology and expert commentary below.

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