When it comes to quality of life and other factors important to military retirees, Maine ranks among the top 15 most desirable states, according to a new analysis by financial website WalletHub.
To determine the best and worst states for military retirement, researchers compared the economic environment, quality of life, and health care in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, which were further broken down into 28 relevant metrics.
The economic environment was evaluated based on measures including state taxes on military pensions and the share of veteran-owned businesses, while quality of life took into account the strength of a state’s public university system and the proportion of homeless veterans.
South Carolina, North Dakota and Wyoming were No. 1, 2 and 3 on the list, respectively. Holding its own at No. 14, Maine was sandwiched between Alabama (No. 13) and North Carolina (No. 15). At No. 51, Oregon was at the back of the pack. Alaska was listed as the state with the most veterans per capita, while New Jersey has the fewest.
Veterans make up an estimated 8% of Maine’s adult population.
The WalletHub report, available on the company’s website, was released ahead of Memorial Day, a federal holiday devoted to mourning and honoring those who died while serving their country in the U.S. Armed Forces.
