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Some 18 million military veterans now live in the United States, according to the Veterans Association. A new report from the personal finance website WalletHub finds that many veterans face challenges when reentering civilian life, including the ability to secure jobs, shelter or health care.

In October, the 2.9% unemployment rate for veterans was better than the 3.9% rate for the overall population, the report said. However, homelessness remains a major problem, with more than 33,000 unhoused veterans.

Some cities offer better conditions for veterans than others.

In order to determine the best places for veterans to live, WalletHub compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities based on these characteristics:

  • Employment, including share of military skill-related jobs and veteran employment rate;
  • The local economy, including housing affordability, veteran income growth and educational opportunities;
  • Quality of life, including projected veteran population growth, and family and retiree friendliness; and
  • Health care, including VA health facilities in relation to the area’s veteran population and the quality of VA health facilities

Researchers evaluated these issues using 19 relevant metrics and graded each one on a 100-point scale — with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for veterans. They also considered only the “city proper” in each case, excluding surrounding cities in the metro area.

See the accompanying gallery for the 12 best cities for veterans to live.

(Credit: Adobe Stock)