Norfolk ranked 15th worst city for veterans

And the best city for veterans is…

WalletHub ranked Irvine, CA as the best city for veterans and Detroit, MI as the worst out of 100 cities surveyed.

WalletHub spokeswoman Jill Gonzalez says Bakersfield made number eleven on the list. Ones related to the economy are percentage of military skill-related jobs; vet unemployment rate; vet job and income growth; housing affordability, and veterans’ incomes adjusted for cost of living.

To determine the top city for veterans, the website explored two main categories for each city: “Economic Wellness” and “Environment, Education and Health”. “So, great quality here when we are looking at VA hospitals and a good number of them as well”. In individual category rankings, New Orleans was 97th in the highest percentage of veterans living below the poverty line.

Veteran Advocate Barry Bernier says Laredo is a welcoming city, but blue-collar wages can be low.

Texas and California, which have the largest veteran populations, are a mixed bag with a few of the best and worst cities on the list. The city ranks 11th in crime rate and 32nd in the rate of veteran income growth, according to the study.