Mississippi is No. 1 for vets in one category, but near bottom in others, report says
Mississippi is doing something right when it comes to ensuring military vets have a roof over their heads, a new report shows.
The report, released Monday by personal finance website WalletHub, shows Mississippi has the lowest share of homeless veterans in the nation at 0.04%. Virginia ranked second, followed by Iowa, Alabama and Idaho, according to the results.
Washington, D.C., had the most homeless vets at 1.02%, data show.
The findings are part of a nationwide survey ranking states “based on their ability to provide a comfortable military retirement” for those who have served.
WalletHub analyzed data across more than two dozen key metrics, including job opportunities, state tax on military pensions, quality of VA hospitals and housing affordability. A weighted scoring system helped determine a state’s “retirement-friendliness” toward military personnel, according to the report.
“Even without a pandemic, retirement from the military is always difficult, with many retirees facing major struggles including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, disability and homelessness,” according to WalletHub. “These veterans must also consider how state tax policies on military benefits vary, along with ... other socioeconomic factors, when choosing a state in which to settle down.”
While the Magnolia State boasts the lowest rate of homelessness among military retirees, the poll shows it struggles in other areas, including quality of life and health care for vets — trailing at No. 51 for the latter.
The state is slightly better in the “economic environment” category, which analyzes factors such as cost of living, share of veteran-owned businesses, job opportunities for veterans and others, the report says.
Overall, Mississippi ranks 46th on WalletHub’s list of best and worst states for military retirees.
Nationally, Virginia took the top spot as the best state for military retirees, with Florida and South Carolina coming in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Maryland and New Hampshire round out the top five, according to the report.
So what’s the worst? Washington, D.C., came in dead last on the list, behind New York, Vermont and Oregon.
More than 37,000 veterans experienced homelessness in January 2019, a slight decrease from the year before, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, citing an annual report from the U.S. Housing Department.
It’s the most recent estimate of homelessness nationwide, which is used to direct necessary resources to those in need, the department says.