In honor of the 80th anniversary of the G.I. Bill and its benefits for military families, Realtor.com identified the top 10 U.S. metropolitan areas most suitable for military households.
With affordability a major factor for this buyer pool as well, knowing which markets offer lower home prices, high military homeownership rates, and a lower forecasted unemployment rate can help military households find the best town for their family.
"Veterans have many benefits when it comes to real estate, thanks to the G.I. Bill and other important legislation. Unfortunately, seven in 10 veterans are unaware they qualify for a zero-down home loan," says Mickey Neuberger, chief marketing officer for Realtor.com. "The best way for military home buyers to be certain they are taking advantage of all their benefits is to work with a buyer's agent who specializes in working with the military community and can provide insights into the best local markets, the right home, and loan options."
To determine the following metro ranking, the Realtor.com team considered several factors, including VA loan use, homeownership accessibility, affordability, availability of homes for sale, and job stability.
Based on the above criteria, the top 10 military-friendly markets for 2024 are:
- Des Moines-West Des Moines, Iowa
- Augusta-Richmond County, Georgia-South Carolina
- Columbia, South Carolina
- Birmingham-Hoover, Alabama
- Palm Bay-Melbourne- Titusville, Florida
- Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, Arkansas
- Indianapolis-Carmel-Anderson, Indiana
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Richmond, Virginia
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas
"Having a buyer's agent in your corner who understands the unique needs and circumstances of veterans is essential in the home buying process," says Barby Wulff, executive director for Veterans United Realty. "A buyer's agent will help veterans navigate the challenges of today's real estate market to best take advantage of their hard-earned home buying benefit. The VA home loan is a time-proven resource that has helped over 28 million veterans and military families realize and succeed at the American dream of homeownership."
