This Iowa City Was Deemed One of the Best for Veterans

Veteran's Day is the time to give thanks to those who have done so much this country and its citizens. Whether they're living or deceased, it's important to recognize the men and women who selflessly dedicated themselves to this country in some way, shape, or form.

The website Lawnstarter has done their part by compiling a list of cities where veterans are the most comfortable and set up for success. They looked at areas with a high concentration of veterans and access to supportive resources, including: VA facilities, nonprofits, and PTSD recovery programs. Also factored in was housing affordability on top of employment and educational opportunities.

One Iowa City Cracked the Top Ten:

The city of Des Moines, IA came in at #6 on the list of best cities for veterans. Des Moines had an overall score of 34.67 (#1 ranking Providence, RI had a score of 46.18). Des Moines placed particularly high in medical and mental health care for our heroes, being within the top 20 on both.

Furthermore, Des Moines also saw high marks in education and training for veterans. Overall safety for veterans scored very high as well. It was the only Iowa city included on this list.

A Wisconsin City Nearly Made the Top 10:

Coming in at #11 was Madison, WI with an overall score of 32.87. Madison was praised for its mental health care ranking (#11) as well as its education and training rank (#18). The affordability of places for veterans to live in Madison was ranked high (#13), and the city scoring high in those three heavily weighted areas definitely led to its high placement on this list.

What About Illinois?:

You have to scroll down a bit to find an Illinois city on the list. Chicago, IL came in at #57 (of 200 ranked cities), with an overall score of 26.18, considerably lower than both Madison and Des Moines. Chicago ranked highest in employment and volunteering for vets (#23). Its veteran support outlets also placed #30.

However, definitely dragging the score down was the Windy City's medical health care ranking (a poor #160) as well as its housing rank (#149). The housing issue is one thing. I was particularly surprised to see Chicago's medical care ranking so poor.

The Worst City for Veterans is...:

You can't make this up. The bottom 11 cities for veterans are all located in California, including Oxnard, San Jose, and Huntington Beach all ranking #193 or lower. But rock bottom #200 is Sunnyvale, CA, which is apparently anything but sunny for America's heroes.

While the city ranked in the top 100 for employment and volunteering, it came in dead last in affordability and third-from-last in housing. Its community, support, and medical health care ranks were all dismal as well.

For Veteran Support in Dubuque:

The Veterans Freedom Center in Dubuque is a phenomenal resource center for veterans right here in Dubuque and the Tri-States. It offers veterans a place where they can converse with other veterans, play recreational games, and have a safe, comfortable environment to get the support they need.

You can find out more about Veterans Freedom Center via their website!

View the full results of Lawnstarter's 2023 Best Cities for Veterans to Live here!