For Veteran’s Day, we’ve drawn a statistical sketch of Alaska veterans, using figures from the Census Bureau.
As you may have heard, Alaska has the highest rate of veterans in the nation. Not the most vets — our 70,000 is a drop in the bucket compared to bigger states with more retirees, like California and Florida.
But nearly 14 percent of Alaska’s adults have served in the military, far higher than a national rate just under 8Â percent.
Alaska’s vets are also younger. More than half served since the first Gulf War. Nationwide, about a quarter of the veterans are from that period.
Alaska Veterans earn more than vets in any other state. The median income of Alaska vets is $51,060 — that’s a lot higher than the nationwide median vet income of about $37,000. And, the unemployment rate among Alaska vets is lower than among vets nationwide.
Though veterans make up a disproportionately high share of Americans experiencing homelessness, Alaska has one of the lowest rates of veteran homelessness in the nation. State policies have cut the number of homeless vets by about two-thirds in recent years.
Zachariah Hughes reports on city & state politics, arts & culture, drugs, and military affairs in Anchorage and South Central Alaska.
@ZachHughesAK About Zachariah
