MyPerfectMortgage.com, an industry-leading mortgage and real estate resource, released a study based on a meticulous methodology that has determined the top 15 states for military retirees.

The analysis looked at vital aspects of retired military life, such as the amount the Department of Veterans Affairs spends per veteran, the density of VA healthcare facilities, whether military retirement income is taxed, veteran-friendly initiatives, home prices, and more.

The Top 5 states are:

• West Virginia
• Alaska
• Mississippi
• Wyoming
• Hawai’i

“We hope that our list of top states for ex-military is not only interesting but can be used by our nation’s heroes to find the best place to live after separating from service,” said Tim Lucas, Senior Editor at MyPerfectMortgage.com. “These men and women truly deserve a great resource based on deep research and an impeccable methodology.”

One of the most important aspects of military retirement, according to veterans, is whether a state taxes military retirement income. As a result, this was a pass/fail test. No state was eligible unless it had no income tax or exempted military retirement income from taxation.

Veteran healthcare is also vital, and the density of VA healthcare facilities compared to the veteran population—not just the number—accounted for 15.4% of the score. Similarly, the density of military installations also came into play, since retired veterans can still enjoy the benefits of on-base amenities like discounted shopping, military events, and more.

Cost of living, home prices, and the number of VA home loans issued per veteran also helped these states make the cut. The full methodology is available in the study

In all, the team at MyPerfectMortgage.com reviewed more than 9,200 pieces of data to determine the top 15 states for military retirees.

See the full case study.