Salute to service members

Texas earns middling rank in new list of best states for military retirees

veteran military man saluting an American flag

Retired veterans in Texas only have it OK.

NewsFixNow.com

Texans might claim their state is the best for retired veterans, but a new WalletHub report places the Lone Star State at No. 28 in the U.S. when it comes to the "Best & Worst States for Military Retirees" in 2024.

The annual report examines all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on each state's capability of providing a comfortable lifestyle for our nation's military retirees.

Texas' middling rank earned it a score of 51.22 out of 100 total possible points, only 12.6 points off from South Carolina, which was named 2024's best state for military retirees.

The Lone Star State ranked No. 34 out of all 50 states in both the Quality of Life and Healthcare categories, and ranked No. 13 overall in the Economic Environment category.

More specifically, Texas has the fifth highest number of VA health facilities per number of veterans. But the quality of those health facilities only warranted a mediocre No. 30 rank out of all 50 states, illustrating that Texas has some work to do to improve its veteran healthcare. Separately, Texas scored No. 13 in the ranking for the highest number of Veteran Benefits Administration (VBA) facilities per number of veterans.

Here's the breakdown of Texas' other military retirement rankings:

No. 20 – Percentage of veteran-owned businesses
No. 22 – Housing affordability
No. 28 – Percentage of homeless veterans
No. 35 – Veteran job opportunities
No. 43 – Veterans per captia

Retired veterans in Texas looking for a better retirement quality of life would be better off in No. 1-ranking South Carolina, which doesn't enact a tax on military pensions (like Texas), but has many policies and programs in place to aid veterans in their retirement.

"Transitioning from military to civilian life isn’t easy, but the best states for military retirees make that adjustment as smooth as possible," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. "In addition to providing the conditions necessary for our veterans to thrive financially, they also have ample resources for taking care of military retirees’ physical and mental health."

On the opposite end of the spectrum, retiring veterans should steer clear from Oregon (No. 51), New Mexico (No. 50), Vermont (No. 49), the District of Columbia (No. 48), and Nevada (No. 47), which were all ranked the worst states for military retirees in 2024.

The top 10 best states for military retirees are:

No. 1 – South Carolina
No. 2 – Florida
No. 3 – Virginia
No. 4 – Maryland
No. 5 – North Dakota
No. 6 – Minnesota
No. 7 – Alaska
No. 8 – Connecticut
No. 9 – New Hampshire
No. 10 – South Dakota

WalletHub determined its rankings by analyzing all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 28 metrics in three key dimensions: Economic Environment, Quality of Life, and Healthcare. Factors that helped determine each state's score include the state tax on military pensions (if applicable), the share of veterans not receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, the quality of VA hospitals, and more.

The full report can be found on wallethub.com.

texas rankings wallethub veterans

gas price news

This is how much Texas gas prices have fallen since May 2026

Close-Up of Woman Paying For Gas With Credit Card

Getty Images

Millions of Americans will be traveling for the Fourth of July weekend.

Houstonians planning to travel over the holiday weekend will be relieved to know Texas is among the top 10 states with the biggest dips in gas prices since May.

A new SmartAsset study analyzed the changes in average gas prices across all 50 states between May 21 and June 28, 2026, and used the data to determine each state's "gas-price burden" — meaning the cost of filling a 15-gallon tank represented as the share of the estimated median weekly household income.

Texas had the fifth highest surge in gas prices in April, and prices across the U.S. continued soaring until reaching an annual peak in late May. On May 21, regular gas prices peaked at $4.09 in Texas, and the latest data has revealed statewide gas prices have dipped nearly 24 percent since then.

Now as of June 29, Texas gas prices have eased by 79 cents and now stand at $3.30 per gallon. Unfortunately, prices have not dwindled as much in Harris County. Many Houston residents will be seeing gas prices at around $3.38 on average.

Based on a Texas household's median weekly income of $1,617, the cost of filling up a 15-gallon tank of gas eats up 3.1 percent those earnings, the report added. That means Texas' gas-price burden is the 9th lowest in the U.S.

Texas has the second-cheapest price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. (behind Indiana) and it ranks 6th in the national comparison of states with the biggest gas price declines since May.

Colorado led the nation with the biggest dip in the price of gas since May, with prices declining by 29.2 percent. Gas now costs $3.89 per gallon, down from $4.77.

Declining gas prices are a welcome relief for commuters and for Texas residents hitting the road for the Fourth of July weekend. But that isn't the case for residents in other states like Hawaii, Alaska, or Washington, where gas prices have not seen as much relief.

"Lower prices and higher household incomes make a fill-up relatively affordable in some states, while gas costs consume a larger share of household income in others," the report said. "Three Pacific states continue to have the nation’s highest pump prices. A gallon of regular gasoline averages $5.52 in Hawaii, $5.46 in California and $5.20 in Washington."

The top 10 states with the biggest gas price drops since May 21 are:

No. 1 – Colorado
No. 2 – Kentucky
No. 3 – Indiana
No. 4 – Tennessee
No. 5 – Ohio
No. 6 – Texas
No. 7 – Iowa
No. 8 – Wisconsin
No. 9 – Oklahoma
No. 10 – Illinois

gas prices texas smartasset reports fourth of july

Salute to service members

Texas earns middling rank in new list of best states for military retirees

Growing Houston cafe's new location bakes up comfort and convenience

Shuttered Corpus Christi Schlitterbahn will become $800M seaside community

9 new bars shaking up Houston with posh rooms and clarified sips

gas price news

This is how much Texas gas prices have fallen since May 2026