It's a big adjustment, moving from military to civilian life,and there are plenty of obstacles to a smooth transition.

Sometimes it's tough—or impossible—once their service ends toget the government benefits that were promised onenlistment—everything from health care to housing, employment andeducational assistance.

All too many of our military are denied disability benefits or can't find jobsor even a place to live, as promises made become promisesbroken.

Also all too often it can have a lot to do with where a veteranlives.

Problems like homelessness and unemployment are rampant in someparts of the country, and there are plenty of barriers to suchvital elements as mental health care, and access to veterans'hospitals.

Waiting times border on the obscene, with the average wait inPhoenix to see a mental health professional standing at 115 days,despite a $10 billion effort to expand veterans' accessto such care.

WalletHub took a look at the situation to seewhich cities might provide a more veteran-friendly atmosphere. Itsanalysts compared the 100 largest U.S. cities across across fourkey dimensions: employment, economy, quality of life andhealth.

Data came from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of LaborStatistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Councilfor Community and Economic Research, Department of VeteransAffairs, U.S. News & World Report and WalletHub research.

Using 17 key indicators spanning livability, affordability andveteran-friendliness, they evaluated where each city stands withregard to the availability of VA health facilities, how prevalentmilitary skill-related jobs are, the veteran unemployment rate,veteran income growth and the share of the veteran populationliving below the poverty level.

Among the cities WalletHub explored, the following turned out tobe the 5 best and the 5 worst cities for veterans.

5 Best Cities for Veterans

5. Plano, Texas.

Plano's overall score of 67.58 reflects a jobs rank of 8, aneconomy rank at a less-than-welcoming 61, a quality of life rank of7 and a health rank of 24.

Sadly, Plano doesn't do much for working veterans to boost theirincome; it finished 99^th for having the lowest veteranincome growth. But ironically, it finished 4^th forhaving the lowest percentage of veterans in poverty.

4. Raleigh, North Carolina.

Finishing with a score of 67.86, Raleigh had a respectable jobsrank of 10 and even better economy (3) and quality of life (5)ranks. When it comes to health, though, it dropped to 69—the lowestamong the top 5.

3. Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Virginia Beach scored 68.36 overall, owing most of itsthird-place finish to two factors: its economy (rank of 1) and itsquality of life (rank of 2—but then you might expect that from aplace with “beach” in its name). Neither jobs nor health didanywhere near as well, with the former only meriting a rank of 38and the latter doing even worse, at 52.

Virginia Beach is one of five cities tied for having the highestveteran population, along with Colorado Springs, Colorado; Norfolk,Virginia; Chesapeake, Virginia; and Jacksonville, Florida. It alsohas the fewest homeless veterans per veteran population.

2. Colorado Springs, Colorado.

This city's total score of 72.29 owes a lot to its first-placerank on quality of life. For jobs, it scored 16, while for economyit warranted a 6—but for health, it fell way down the scale to44.

The city is in a six-way tie for first place for having thelowest veteran unemployment rate—its companions in this happy tieare Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Seattle, Washington; OklahomaCity, Oklahoma; and Santa Ana, California. It's also in thatfive-way tie for first place for having the highest veteranpopulation.

1. Austin, Texas.

With a total score of 73.81, Austin topped the list as the mostveteran-friendly city. Its jobs rank of 4, economy rank of 5 andquality of life rank of 8 placed it higher on the list than itshealth rank of 24.

Austin is appropriately enough, as mentioned before, tied forfirst place with five other cities for having the lowest veteranunemployment rate.

5 Worst Cities for Veterans

5. Memphis, Tennessee.

No matter how much a veteran may want to be able to hang out onBeale Street, he or she would be well advised not to, or they'd endup singing the blues. Memphis has an overall score of 39.65,reflecting a jobs rank of 61, an economy rank of 69, a quality oflife rank of 90 and a health rank of 94.

4. Hialeah, Florida.

Overall, Hialeah scored 37.36, with a jobs rank of 92, aneconomy rank of 96, and a quality of life rank of 92. Its soleredeeming rank was health, at 15—a surprise considering how low itcame in in all three other categories. Pretty much a race to thebottom.

Hialeah did particularly badly when it came to militaryskill-related jobs, placing 96 out of 100. And if that's not enoughto scare you away from this particular track, it finished at theabsolute bottom for the lowest veteran income growth. But it'sapparently worked, because vets venturing there won't find many oftheir buddies; it also finished in 100^th place forhaving the lowest veteran population.

3. Baltimore, Maryland.

Sadly, Baltimore finished with an overall score of 34.12, thanksto a jobs rank of 97, an economy rank of 95, a quality of life rankof 96 and a health rank of 37—at least the ravens won't be pickingat them right away.

Baltimore, incidentally, was tied for 91^st place(with Lexington, Kentucky; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Newark, NewJersey; Orlando, Florida; and Irvine, California) for having thehighest veteran unemployment rate. And it's also in100^th place for having the highest number of veteransliving in poverty.

2. Newark, New Jersey.

Its overall score comes in at 31.74, reflecting Newark'schallenges: a jobs rank of 99, an economy rank of 72, a quality oflife rank of 100 and a health rank of 50.

Newark also, as mentioned above, was in a 6-way tie for91^st place for having the highest veteran unemploymentrate. But if vets get a job, they apparently can do well here—thecity placed second in the country for highest veteran income growthrate.

1. Detroit, Michigan.

Detroit finished in last place with an overall score of 26.94.It scored, as one might expect, poorly in every category, with arank of 89 in jobs, 93 in economy, 99 in quality of life and 95 inhealth.

It also ranked 89^th for having the most homelessveterans per veteran population.