A new list of the best cities for veterans transitioning from military-to-civilian life was released this week and San Diego didn’t make the cut.
The omission of our robust military town came as a surprise considering we have multiple naval and Marine bases and a Coast Guard base.
The list, compiled by the USAA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, considered 379 metropolitan areas. Such factors taken into account include G.I. enrollment, ability to transfer military certifications and licenses, employment opportunities in industries that employ veterans and health resources.
The ranking also considered cost of living and excluded any cities where the median cost of living is 10 percent above the national average. Sorry, San Diego, that’s you. (A recent, separate ranking identified our city as the fourth most expensive place to live in the United States.)
The list named Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, as the No. 1 place for a veteran starting out. Here are the other cities that rounded out the top 10:
2. Austin, Texas.
3. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
4. San Antonio, Texas.
5. St. Louis, Missouri.
6. Columbus, Ohio.
7. State College, Pennsylvania.
8. Cincinnati, Ohio.
9. College Station, Texas.
10. Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Federal officials said the list was compiled to aid veterans starting out, in light of higher unemployment rates among the military compared to their civilian counterparts. The unemployment rate in 2013 for a veteran under the age of 25 was 21 percent, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
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Also, 53 percent of veterans reported the transition from military service as “difficult,” according to a recent survey.
