Veterans have a variety of factors to consider when choosing where they want to retire, including access to quality VA hospitals and doctors, lifestyle factors and proximity to family.
A recent study by WalletHub examined a variety of data to rank each state in terms of its friendliness for military retirees. But are veterans actually choosing those states for their retirement?
There are about 10 million veterans aged 65 and older living in the United States, according to the National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. Not suprisingly, those veterans tend to retire in the same locations that most of the rest of the country’s retirees choose to spend their golden years.
Following is a list of the 10 states many veterans over age 65 call home:
Fort Pulaski National Monument, Georgia. (Photo: iStock)
10. Georgia
Total veterans: 752,882.
Veterans age 65+: 282,271.
Percentage of all veterans age 65+ living in Georgia: 2.87 percent.
Total adult population: 7.7 million.
Percentage of adult population made up of veterans age 65+: 3.66 percent.
Related: 10 things veterans should know about retirement benefits
Kings Mountain National Military Park, North Carolina. (Photo: iStock)
9. North Carolina
Total veterans: 775,020.
Veterans age 65+: 316,095.
Percentage of veterans age 65+ living in North Carolina: 3.21 percent.
Total adult population: 7.8 million.
Percentage of adult population made up of veterans age 65+: 4.08 percent.
Cannon and watchtower in Fort Mackinac, Michigan. (Photo: iStock)
8. Michigan
Total veterans: 658,469.
Veterans age 65+: 327,069.
Percentage of all veterans age 65+ living in Michigan: 3.32 percent.
Total adult population: 7.7 million.
Related: Survey: Military families boosting savings, cutting spending
Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois. (Photo: U.S. Navy)
7. Illinois
Total veterans: 721,575.
Veterans age 65+: 347,572.
Percentage of all veterans age 65+ living in Illinois: 3.53 percent.
Total adult population: 9.9 million.
Percentage of adult population made up of veterans age 65+: 3.51 percent.
American flags around an Operation Desert Storm memorial in Sidney, Ohio. (Photo: iStock)
6. Ohio
Total veterans: 866,481.
Veterans age 65+: 404,620.
Percentage of all veterans age 65+ living in Ohio: 4.11 percent.
Total adult population: 9 million.
Percentage of adult population made up of veterans age 65+: 4.5 percent.
Related: An expanding army: Permanent life insurance coverage in military
Fleet Week In New York City. (Photo: iStock)
5. New York
Total veterans: 892,221.