Ranking It

Austin proudly ranks among nation's 5 best cities for veterans

Austin is the fifth best city for veterans to live.

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Ahead of Veteran's Day, November 11, financial website WalletHub has released its annual survey of the best and worst cities for veterans to live, placing Austin among the five best in the country.

Analysts compared 100 of the largest U.S. cities based on 21 key indicators of veteran-friendliness, ranging from percentage of military skill-related jobs to the availability of VA health facilities, in four broad categories.

Austin ranks No. 5, up from the ninth spot in 2015, thanks to high scores in the quality of life and jobs categories. Austin comes in fourth for job growth, 11th for educational opportunities, and 11th for veteran income (adjusted for cost of living). And it's a good thing. The study projects that Austin's veteran population will increase by almost 30 percent by 2040, the second highest increase in the nation.

Austin takes the well-being of its veteran population seriously. In August 2016, the city reached "functional zero" status, effectively ending veteran homelessness; since 2014, 682 veterans have found homes in Austin.

A number of other Lone Star cities rank among the best for veterans. Laredo is second, Plano is fourth, and El Paso is sixth. Plano boasts the lowest percentage of homeless veterans and ties for the lowest percentage of unemployed veterans in the U.S.

Other Texas cities in the top 25 include San Antonio (No. 21), Arlington (No. 23), Lubbock (No. 24), and Fort Worth (No. 25). Dallas ranks 31st, and Houston is 37th. The worst Texas city for vets? Corpus Christi, No. 54.

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merry xmas atx!

Austin makes merry as one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas

City of Austin Government - Facebook

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Austinites are right at home when it comes to experiencing the best Christmas in Texas this year. The very merry state capital has jumped into the No. 23 spot on WalletHub's annual list of the best cities for celebrating Christmas in 2024.

The yearly report ranks the 100 most populous U.S. cities across five key dimensions: Traditions and fun, observance, generosity, shopping opportunities, plus travel and meal costs.

Austin previously ranked as the No. 31 best U.S. city for celebrating Christmas in WalletHub's 2023 report.

Here's how Austin performed in the five main categories in the study:

No. 19 – Traditions and fun rank
No. 20 – Shopping rank
No. 36 – Costs rank
No. 42 – Generosity rank
No. 72 – Observance rank

Austin gets to cheer itself on as the highest-ranked Texas city in 2024 thanks to its heap of holiday happenings, including numerous delightful light displays throughout town. From local restaurants and bars putting their all into creating festive feasts to-go and delightful cocktail experiences, to locals supporting small businesses at holiday markets, there is plenty to get Austinites in the holiday spirit this year.

Smaller Central Texas towns like Smithville have also transformed into fun, festive escapes for city dwellers this time of year.

Austin households also have bigger holiday budgets in 2024 than they did the year before. According to a separate WalletHub study, the average Austin household is expected to spend about $1,905 on Christmas gifts this year, versus $1,877 in 2023.

"With inflation making Christmas celebrations, gifts, food and travel more expensive, certain cities are much better for your wallet than others during the holiday," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. "In addition to being affordable, the best cities have a large number of people celebrating, plenty of places for Christians to worship, populations who give generously to charity, and plenty of fun activities to enjoy with family and friends."

In a separate report by home services provider Thumbtack, Austin was crowned the No. 1 most festive U.S. city for the third year in a row.

Elsewhere in Texas, other festive cities that earned spots in the top 50 include San Antonio (No. 30), Dallas (No. 31), and Houston (No. 41).

The top 10 best places to experience Christmas in 2024 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta, Georgia
No. 2 – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
No. 3 – Seattle, Washington
No. 4 – Las Vegas, Nevada
No. 5 – Orlando, Florida
No. 6 – San Francisco, California
No. 7 – St. Louis, Missouri
No. 8 – Miami, Florida
No. 9 – Chicago, Illinois
No. 10 – New York, New York

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