Best Places to Retire

Wichita, KS - Best Large Military City For Retirement

Wichita, Kansas is the largest city in Kansas. With a population of 603,236, it is located in Sedgwick County in the south of Kansas. At a size of 138.9 square miles and an elevation of 1299 feet, Wichita is located the Central Standard Time zone of the United States (UTC-6). The city was founded in 1863 and incorporated in 1870. Its current mayor is Carl Brewer from the Democratic Party.

There are a large variety of reasons why Wichita, KS, is a very good place to retire from the military. Some of these positive aspects are the low cost of living, the educational offerings, the cultural highlights, the availability of VA medical services, and the fact that there is a local military institution.

A first and foremost reason is the cost of living there. In 2008, Wichita was ranked 1st in a list of "most affordable cities" by MSN Real Estate. Its median house price is a mere $120,400, and the unemployment rate is a modest 8.0% which is lower than the national average. In addition, your federal pension is not taxed in Kansas. Wichita's largest industries are manufacturing and health care.

Another good point about living in Wichita is its educational offerings. It has four major universities in the city, as well as a variety of two-year colleges and other education institutions. Wichita's largest college is Wichita State University, or WSU. WSU is a four-year public university, and has its main campus in northeast Wichita. It also has four satellite campuses scattered around the metro area. It is the third largest university in Kansas, boasting more than 14,000 active students. The other three major universities in Wichita are Newman University (a private Catholic university), Friends University (located in west Wichita, a private non-denominational Christian school), and the Wichita branch of the University of Kansas School of Medicine.

The city of Wichita has a wide variety of cultural offerings and in general interesting things to do. It is a home to a vast number of restaurants, museums, shopping centers, nightclubs, and parks.

One of its more unique points is the Intrust Bank Arena. The Intrust Bank Arena is a multi-purpose arena that can sit 15000 people. It features over 300 premium seats, 22 suites, and 2 party suites. It is the largest indoor arena in Kansas. Wichita is also home to several performing arts groups, including the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and the Music Theater of Wichita. The city also hosts a variety of festivals, such as the Wichita River Festival and the Tallgrass Film Festival.

For veterans, getting quality healthcare in Wichita shouldn't be a problem. Located locally in Wichita is one of the hospitals run by the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, or the VA.

There is a local military institution, the McConnell Air Force Base. There are more than 5000 active duty personnel stationed there. It is located southeast of Wichita's central business district. It boasts a base exchange, a commissary, and a medical clinic.

This is just a small sample of the reasons you may want to consider retiring to Wichita Kansas. You can plan a few days vacation to see for yourself how much you like this large military city for retirement.

Wichita Travel Guide

Check out the resources below to help you through your military retirement:

Free military retirement calculators

Military retirement system

USAA Military Retirement Planning

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