2018’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees

From WalletHub, May 21, 2018 

Retirement is typically viewed as the end of the line — a time for rest, relaxation and the pursuit of interests long ago put on the back burner. But the story is far different for military retirees who must deal with the trials of re-assimilation into civilian life. For starters, the average officer is only 45 years old — 42 for non-disability enlisted personnel — upon retirement from service. Many of those who reenter the job market face tough challenges during the transition while others struggle with more difficult problems, such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, disability and homelessness.

As such, military retirement can be a far more complicated issue than one might assume, given the extent to which state tax policies on military benefits vary, the relative friendliness of different job markets toward veterans, and other socioeconomic factors. This year, the military’s retirement system is also changing for new recruits and current personnel who opt in, going from a “defined benefit” to a “Blended Retirement System” that awards funds not just based on years served but also matches contributions to a “Thrift Savings Plan.”

With that in mind, WalletHub sought to help ease the burden on our nation’s military community by comparing the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on their ability to provide a comfortable military retirement. Their analysis uses a data set of 27 key metrics, ranging from veterans per capita to number of VA health facilities to job opportunities for veterans.

read … Military Retirees

Hawaii

• 37 -- Overall Rank (1=Best)
• 48.75 -- Total Score
• 23 -- ‘Economic Environment’ Rank
• 29 -- ‘Quality of Life’ Rank
• 43 -- ‘Health Care’ Rank
• 49 – Percentage of Homeless Veterans (tied for highest) 33 times higher than lowest percentage state, Mississippi
• 51 – Affordable Housing