Austin Is Again the No. 1 Best Place in America for Veterans to Live, WalletHub's 2026 Ranking Says
WalletHub's 2026 comparison of the 100 largest U.S. cities puts Austin at the top for veterans once again - first for its colleges for veterans, ninth for median veteran income at over $66,000, and fifth for quality of life.
Austin goes into Veterans Day week holding a title it has made a habit of winning. WalletHub's 2026 ranking of the best places in America for veterans to live, published Monday and reported by CultureMap Austin, places Austin No. 1 among the 100 largest U.S. cities - continuing what the report describes as the city's long-running streak at the top of the list.
The ranking compared the cities across 19 metrics, among them the share of military skill-related jobs, veteran income growth and the availability of VA health facilities. Austin's strongest marks were specific: the best colleges for veterans in the country, the ninth-highest median annual income for veterans at over $66,000, the fifth-best quality of life, and an economic standing for veterans ranked 11th. Its weaker categories were health, where it ranked 25th, and employment, where it ranked 44th. 'Austin, TX, is the best city for veterans, in large part because it has the best colleges for veterans in the country,' the WalletHub report said.
Texas filled out the top of the table behind it. Plano ranked No. 4 in the nation and Fort Worth No. 5, and the report's full list carried Dallas at No. 22, San Antonio at No. 25, Houston at No. 51 and El Paso at No. 67 - the most top-10 cities of any state, according to the ranking.
The report also pointed at community as part of the measure - the chance for veterans to form a community of support with others who have shared the experience. For Austin, the No. 1 ranking lands a week before Veterans Day, in a city whose largest university and community college systems both run dedicated veterans' programs - the college strength the ranking scored highest in the country.
