Military retirees often look for communities that are military-friendly, but also have a great quality of life.USAA, the big insurer that specializes in covering military families, teamed with Military.com, a free membership website that provides 10 million subscribers with a range of military services, to review about 380 U.S. metropolitan areas with an eye toward places with special suitability for military retirees. 

The review included indicators such as climate, health resources, health indicators, crime levels, local school performance, recreational resources, arts and culture, airport and mass transit resources, and susceptibility to natural disasters.

The review also judged how the markets lined up in terms of nearby military facilities and base amenities, VA medical services, tax policies affecting military pensions, area unemployment trends, higher education resources, overall affordability, housing costs, home price trends, and economic stability.

The results include some expected winners, but also some surprises. Places like San Diego and Honolulu, for example, are often considered nirvana for military folks. But they were excluded from the USAA-military.com list because of high living costs.

Here are the 10 best places for military retirees:

1. Waco, Texas

2. Oklahoma City

3. Austin-Round Rock, Texas

4. College Station-Bryan, Texas

5. Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa.

6. San Angelo, Texas

7. Madison, Wis.

8. Pittsburgh, Pa.

9. New Orleans-Metairie-Kenner, La.

10. Syracuse, N.Y.

 

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