Skip to Content

Veterans United Home Loans releases third annual Best Cities for Veteran Homebuyers National Study

November 8, 2018

COLUMBIA, Mo. For the second consecutive year, San Antonio ranked No. 1 in Veterans United Home Loans' Best Cities for Veterans Homebuyers study. The study compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities across 4 key dimensions: Economic Wellness, Employment, Availability of VA Benefits and Quality of Life for Veterans.

"Our research shows that being part of a community that understands the unique needs of military families is a huge benefit," said Dr. Shelley Kimball, research director of the Military Family Advisory Network. Access to affordable housing and gainful employment for both the service member and spouse are critical not just for financial health, but also extends to mental health, stable relationships and overall happy families. This study offers a fascinating glimpse of what cities across the country have to offer to our veterans and service members.

The report looked at 20 metrics relevant to the lives of Veterans to determine how well these cities provide opportunities for Veterans and their families to transition back into civilian life. Cities were scored in each of the 20 variables and the final rankings were determined by calculating the sum of each city's scores, with the lowest score representing the best city for Veterans to live.

The top 10 cities for Veterans to live are:

1. San Antonio, TX
2. Lincoln, NE
3. Arlington, TX
4. Raleigh, NC
5. Oklahoma City, OK
6. Colorado Springs, CO
7. Boise, ID
8. Jacksonville, FL
9. Fort Worth, TX
10. Columbus, OH

Veterans United Facts

  • $34 billion
    in loans financed in 2022
  • Defense Employer Support Freedom Award Recipient
    by the Secretary of Defense
  • More than 4,300 employees
    in more than 36 states
  • More than $130 million
    raised for nonprofit charitable arm, Veterans United Foundation since Nov. 2011
  • No. 8 Best Place to Work
    according to Glassdoor Best Places to Work in 2022

Featured In

  • Chicago Tribune
  • Los Angeles Times
  • Yahoo! Finance
  • US News & World Report
  • CNN Money
  • The New York Times
  • INC 500

Newsroom

Media Team

Chad Moller
Communications Manager
(573) 876-2600 ext. 6924
communications@vu.com

Tierre Banks
Sr. Media Relations Specialist
(800) 814-1103 ext. 3220
Tierre.Banks@vu.com

Meet The Expert

Chris Birk, Director of Education at Veterans United Chris Birk
Author, The Book on VA Loans

Chris is the nation’s leading expert on VA Loan benefits. He authored The Book on VA Loans in 2011, and maintains the VA Loans Insider blog. His analysis and articles have appeared at a host of sites and publications, including the Washington Post, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, ABC News, USA Today, the Houston Chronicle and more. Members of the media may request a free copy of The Book on VA Loans to learn more about the VA loan program.

See Chris' Bio »