Top spots for veterans

1. Pittsburgh
2. Phoenix
3. Dallas
4. Cleveland
5. Atlanta
6. Warren, Mich.
7. Ann Arbor, Mich.
8. Cincinnati
9. Columbus, Ohio
10. St. Louis

Phoenix ranks among the nation’s best cities for helping veterans make the transition back to civilian life, according to a study that evaluated job and education opportunities, living costs, quality of life aspects and more.

Pittsburgh ranked as the best place for military personnel returning to civilian life in the study commissioned by financial-services giant USAA and Military.com, a site geared to benefits, careers and other topics of interest to veterans.

The study looked at military-focused variables for 379 U.S. metro areas. The variables were weighted based on what veterans said is most important to them.

Midwestern cities dominated the most-favorable list for veterans. Phoenix was the only top city in the West.

Metro areas with significantly high jobless rates, living costs or crime rates were excluded.

USAA, which operates a large campus in north Phoenix, provides insurance, bank products, investments and more for military personnel and their families.

Click the link for the full article: http://www.azcentral.com/business/news/articles/20121108phoenix-among-best-cities-vets.html