Ranked: The Best Places for Veterans & Military Families to Put Down Roots 

For veterans and military families, choosing where to establish roots can be a major decision and quite life-changing. When the time comes for active duty service members to return to civilian life, they may experience additional stress due to attemtping to navigate the complex U.S. housing market.

The top metro areas for veterans, active duty members, and military families were ranked in Veterans United Home Loans’ 2026 Best Places for Veterans to Live list. The list is dominated by rapidly expanding Sun Belt metropolitan areas, such as three in Florida and two in Texas, which combine sizable military and veteran populations with reasonably priced housing, robust employment markets, access to high-quality healthcare, and close proximity to military facilities.

This year, Virginia Beach, VA, San Antonio, and Jacksonville, FL, topped the list due to their well-established veteran support networks, availability to VA treatment, reasonably priced housing as compared to many big markets, and state-level tax incentives for veterans. Additionally, each is notable for its lifestyle appeal, which combines outdoor recreation or seaside access with robust local economies and a variety of career options for veterans and military families.

“As a military family stationed in Virginia Beach for 15 years, we’ve seen firsthand what makes this area so special. With one of the largest military communities in the U.S., it offers a strong sense of connection and support,” said Christy Powell, a real estate agent at Iron Valley Real Estate in Virginia Beach, VA. “From excellent schools and safe neighborhoods to year-round festivals, beaches and spots like Mount Trashmore Park, there’s always something to do. With its affordability, mild climate and diverse lifestyle options, Virginia Beach truly offers something for all ages, making it a great place to raise a family or enjoy life after military service.”

To establish this year’s ranking, Veterans United examined 23 characteristics from the 50 most populated metro regions, including those that a recent poll found to be most significant to veterans.

Top 10 Best Places for Veterans to Live (2026):

To provide veterans more options when thinking about moving to a smaller community, Veterans United ranked the top small and midsize markets in addition to the top metro areas.

“Choosing where to put down roots is one of the biggest decisions Veterans and military families make after service, and this year’s list shows how important it is to look beyond home prices alone, ” said Chris Birk, VP of Mortgage Insight at Veterans United. “The top metros for 2026 stand out because they combine affordability, strong Veteran communities, access to care, employment opportunity and the kind of quality of life that can support long-term stability. Places like Virginia Beach, San Antonio and Jacksonville reflect what many Veterans are looking for—communities where military service is understood, support networks are already in place and homeownership can feel more attainable.”

Note: **Median home prices were sourced from Realtor.com.

What Makes Living in a Metro the Ideal Option for Veterans?

The answer to the question posed can be defined by a few factors, one of the most significant being an overall lower cost of living. This year’s rankings were heavily influenced by affordability, particularly for veterans and military families hoping to optimize long-term purchasing power with a VA loan. The lowest median listing price among the top ten large metro areas was $237,500 in St. Louis, followed by $318,450 in Oklahoma City and $323,950 in San Antonio. In comparison to many other large metropolitan areas, Jacksonville, FL ($385,000), and Tampa, FL ($400,000), also remained reasonably accessible, assisting in striking a mix between robust Veteran support networks and more affordable housing expenses.

At an estimated $565,500, Salt Lake City had the highest median listing price among the top-ranked large metro areas on the upper end of the market, followed by Nashville at $529,000. Among the priciest markets on the list were Austin, Texas ($470,000), and Dallas ($420,000). Higher housing costs may pose extra hurdles for Veterans trying to buy a home, even while these metro areas did well due to variables like healthcare availability, economic opportunities, and general quality of life.

Veterans may have a more steady route to homeownership and long-term financial security thanks to the financial advantages shared by many of the top 10 metro areas. Policies like no state income tax, no taxes on military retirement income, and property tax exemptions for eligible injured veterans helped states like Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma bolster their attractiveness.

Overall lifestyle and entertainment also played a significant role in this year’s rankings. The top-ranked metro areas were notable for their lifestyles and opportunities outside of employment and military life, in addition to their affordability and support systems. While Nashville, TN, drew veterans with its well-known music scene, easy access to healthcare, and expanding cultural influence, coastal cities like Tampa, FL, and Jacksonville, FL, combined waterfront life with beaches, boating, and year-round outdoor activities.

Additionally, a number of metro areas stood out for their access to the outdoors and professional prospects. Austin’s growing tech industry, live music scene, and active lifestyle focused on parks, trails, and lakes make it a top choice for veterans. Veterans who value outdoor life and year-round activities found Salt Lake City particularly enticing due to its robust healthcare system and easy access to hiking, skiing, and mountain sports. Other highly regarded metro areas provided a good mix of daily livability, culture, and entertainment. Veteran-friendly infrastructure was integrated with beaches, waterfront leisure, entertainment, and food options in coastal locations including the aforementioned Virginia Beach, Jacksonville, and Tampa.

Another large influence on veteran homebuying is community. Finding a location with a well-established military presence and a robust support system can help many veterans feel more at ease and connected as they adjust to civilian life. Because military service is still ingrained in the community’s identity and helps veterans stay connected to resources, healthcare, and other former service members, many of this year’s top-ranked metro areas stood out. Due to their sizable veteran populations, close proximity to significant military sites, and availability of veteran-focused services, Virginia Beach, San Antonio, and Jacksonville were all placed highly. However, with approximately 325,572 veterans, the popular Dallas metro had the highest number of veterans in the top 10, followed by Tampa and San Antonio.

Many of the highest-ranked metro areas in the top 10 had one thing in common: well-established military ties that support veterans by providing access to VA healthcare, local support networks, and communities where military service is still a part of daily life. Whether they are centered by Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, Joint Base San Antonio, MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, or Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, these metro areas remain popular with veterans seeking stability, familiarity, and support following their service.

Note: *Scores were weighted to reflect the importance of each factor to Veterans. Higher scores indicate a greater contribution to the composite score. Some shown metrics, such as “Quality of Life Score,” are a combination of multiple variables. “Veteran Community Score” was given extra weight compared with other scores to ensure the list reflects places that are especially relevant to Veterans.

To read the full report, click here.