Listen to this article 4 min
As Veterans Day approaches, WalletHub has studied the best places for retired veterans to live in 2023 and Tampa is among the top five.
The report looks at the 100 largest U.S. cities across certain indicators of livability, affordability and veteran friendliness. They range from the share of military skill-related jobs to veteran income growth to the availability of VA health facilities.
Tampa ranked fourth in the nation among the best cities where veterans could live. The city ranked highly in quality of life and health. In terms of economy and employment, the Big Guava ranked in the middle of the pack at No. 44 and 45, respectively.
Currently, there are over 18.2 million veterans living in the U.S. who face the challenge of re-entering civilian life, but the issue is being lessened in Tampa as nonprofits are organizing affordable housing for veterans. Habitat for Humanity of Hillsborough County will start its yearly Veterans Build Week of Service from Nov. 3 to 11 to focus on homeownership and preservation projects for veterans and their families.
There are over 90,000 military veterans living in Hillsborough County, according to the Housing Assistance Council. The data shows that 26% are considered cost burdened, and 11% are severely cost burdened, spending more than half of their household income on rent or mortgage.
This project will spotlight affordable homeownership opportunities and services offered through its Veterans Initiative program.
According to WalletHub, the U.S.’s unemployment rate for veterans is 3.6%, compared to 3.8% for the overall population. However, veteran homelessness is still an issue, as there are over 33,000 homeless veterans.
In Tampa, the Tampa Green Beret Association joined Chapter LX of the Special Forces Association to break ground on a new veterans center to ease the transition from military life to civilian life. Once completed, the center will connect veterans from all branches to resources like networking, counseling, job training and more.
© 2023 American City Business Journals. All rights reserved. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated January 24, 2023) and Privacy Policy (updated June 27, 2023). The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of American CityBusiness Journals.
Tampa ranks as one of the best cities for veterans to live – Tampa … – The Business Journals
Leave a comment