As Montanans pause this Veterans Day to honor those who served, it’s worth noting just how many of our neighbors have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Montana ranks among the top states in the nation for veterans per capita.
According to 2023 data from the Veterans Administration, Montana ranks third per capita, behind only Alaska and Virginia, for the number of veterans who call the state home. According to those stats, roughly 1 in 13 Montanans has served in the military. That’s 88,543 residents overall.
Located across the Bering Strait from Russia, Alaska’s ranking stems from its strategic location and several major military installations. Virginia’s is explainable by its dense network of bases, government and defense employers adjacent to Washington, D.C.
Montana, with its single active Air Force base, Malmstrom in Great Falls, has a less-visible presence in terms of active-duty military personnel, with 3,432 active service men and women stationed in Montana as of June 2025 as opposed to 20,671 in Alaska and 122,254 in Virginia. Recruiting figures also show Montana is middle-of-the-pack in terms of the fraction of residents who sign up for active-duty service.
One theory is that Montana is an attractive destination for veterans as they retire from active military service.
Dr. Elizabeth Barrs, a retired Army officer and the director of the University of Montana’s Defense Critical Language & Culture Program, said in an interview that, while she isn’t aware of any hard data on the subject, anecdotally she hears that the state’s recreational options are a draw.
“I think a lot of service members are drawn to outdoor activities,” she said. “The military is an adrenaline-filled career and I think people are looking to fill that.”
Barrs also cited housing that has historically been less expensive than other states, veterans’ resources like Fort Harrison and a number of new VA clinics across the state as well as an active Special Forces Association chapter.
As she commemorates Veterans Day this year, Barrs said she’s thinking about the military as an example of engaged citizenship.
“I hope that Americans focus on what joins us together. In our military, millions of young people from every walk of life come together to serve one common ideal — the Constitution,” she said. “I wish Americans would look to that as an example.”
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