VIENNA, Va.–With a quarter-million military members transitioning out of the service every year, Navy FCU has partnered with Operation Homefront to compile a list of the Best Cities After Service 2020.
Transitioning out of the military involves every aspect of life, from having to move to finding a job to reevaluating financial plans and everything in between, noted Navy Federal.
“The shift to civilian life is no easy feat, and servicemembers and their families deserve added support and resources to help them through this significant life change,” the world’s largest credit union said.
Navy Federal said in revisiting the Best Cities list—which it established in 2018—and keeping in mind an unprecedented global pandemic, it found people’s needs, interests and general quality of life measures are shifting, especially those of servicemembers and their families.
‘A Big Leap’
“Making the transition to civilian life is a big leap, and where you want to live is often your first decision,” said Retired Marine Corps Colonel and Manager at Navy Federal Clay Stackhouse. “That’s why we created this list with input from real veterans who have made the transition themselves. For anyone leaving the military, this list is a great resource to add to your arsenal.”
The Best Cities After Service 2020 list showcases a diverse group of cities across the country so that every servicemember can find the right fit for their next hometown, Navy Federal said.
To understand where servicemembers may want to live when they leave the military, the survey asked 1,000 individuals (veteran and non-military civilians) to weigh the importance of things like cost of living, price of housing, crime rates, community diversity and outdoor recreational opportunities.
‘An Important Calculation’
“We arrived at an important calculation to illustrate how veterans weigh trade-offs as they select the best place to live,” Navy Federal stated. “We then used those factors to rank over 400 cities in the United States and conclude which cities best meet the needs of transitioning servicemembers.”
For additional info, including on the cities themselves, go here.