BISMARCK, N.D. (KXNET) — Memorial Day serves to honor the sacrifices of the men and women who gave their lives for our country — making it a perfect fit into Military Appreciation Month in the United States. To help honor our armed forces, it helps to give them a good place to retire once their service comes to an end. And as a recent study shows, North Dakota may be a great place to do just that.
Last week, WalletHub released its report on 2023’s Best and Worst States for Military Retirees — during which they compared the 50 states (and the District of Columbia) based on 28 key metrics related to the economic environment, quality of life, and level of health care that veterans experience in each area. Here, it was discovered that North Dakota is a strong contender for one of the best — as are quite a few other states in the Midwest.
| Overall Rank | State | Economic Environment Score | Quality of Life Score | Health Care Score | Total Score |
| 1 | Florida | 6 | 3 | 19 | 61.14 |
| 2 | South Carolina | 15 | 2 | 19 | 60.82 |
| 3 | Virginia | 4 | 5 | 17 | 60.45 |
| 4 | Minnesota | 18 | 36 | 1 | 59.22 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 35 | 21 | 2 | 57.78 |
| 6 | New Hampshire | 14 | 8 | 12 | 57.47 |
| 7 | Maryland | 23 | 1 | 29 | 57.31 |
| 8 | South Dakota | 13 | 25 | 7 | 56.99 |
| 9 | North Carolina | 5 | 16 | 21 | 56.51 |
| 10 | North Dakota | 1 | 28 | 30 | 55.11 |
While the Peace Garden State has relatively average numbers when it comes to the Quality of Life and Health Care rankings, it more than makes up for it with the Economic score. In terms of specifics, not only does North Dakota have the largest amount of job opportunities available for veterans, but it also possesses the fifth-lowest percentage of veterans who are homeless in the country.
WalletHub also identified that the political affiliation of a state may correlate to its placement on the list. As a whole, states that voted Blue in the 2020 elections featured an average rank of 30.23, while Red states placed at 21.60.
While we’re on the subject of Memorial Day, here are a few other fun facts about the holiday!
- Over 100 million households worldwide will watch the National Memorial Day parade’s broadcast on TV.
- 3.4 million people are expected to travel by plane over the Memorial Day weekend, which is up 110% over last year’s reports.
- 818 hot dogs are consumed every second from Memorial Day to Labor Day — a total of seven billion over the weekend.
- 97 members of the 118th Congress have served in the United States Military. This is only the fourth time in the last 50 years with an overall increase in the total number of veterans elected.
- Discount shoppers can expect Memorial Day weekend sales to range from 15% to 80% off.
To view the full report on the Best States for Military Retirees, visit this link.
