Fresno ranks among the bottom 10 of the nation’s 100 largest cities for veterans to live, according to a new WalletHub study released Monday.

The city placed 92nd nationally with a total score of 42.65 out of 100 in WalletHub’s 2026 Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live ranking.

Fresno’s weakest showing came in quality of life, where it ranked 94th, followed by its economy at 90th. The city performed better in employment, ranking 62nd, and health, where it placed 36th.

WalletHub compared the 100 most populated U.S. cities across 19 measures divided among employment, economy, quality of life, and health. Each of the four categories accounted for 25% of a city’s overall score.

How Fresno Compares With California Cities

Fresno finished near the bottom of the California cities included in the study.

Stockton ranked 94th nationally with a score of 39.11, two places below Fresno. Oakland ranked 88th, Santa Ana 86th, Long Beach 85th, and Los Angeles 82nd.

Other California cities performed substantially better. Bakersfield ranked 55th, Sacramento 50th, San Francisco 64th, Riverside 69th, and Anaheim 54th.

Irvine was California’s highest-ranking city at No. 10 nationally, followed by San Diego at No. 17 and San Jose at No. 27.

Nationally, Austin, Texas, topped WalletHub’s ranking with a score of 66.89. Madison, Wisconsin, ranked second, followed by Scottsdale, Arizona; Plano, Texas; and Fort Worth, Texas.

Detroit finished last with a score of 27.77, behind Newark, New Jersey; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Memphis, Tennessee; and Toledo, Ohio.

What Went Into the Ranking

WalletHub’s employment category included veteran unemployment, job growth, veteran-owned businesses, and the share of jobs that correspond with skills acquired in the military.

Economic measures included housing affordability, veteran income growth, veterans living in poverty, median veteran income, educational opportunities, and homelessness among veterans.

Quality of life incorporated the size and projected growth of the veteran population, family- and retiree-friendliness, and businesses offering military discounts.

The health category considered access to Veterans Affairs benefits and health facilities, along with measures of VA health care quality.

The data used for the rankings were collected as of Oct. 5 from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, U.S. News & World Report, and WalletHub research.

The study examined individual cities rather than their broader metropolitan areas.

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