ALEC Ranks New York 50th for Veteran Support

A national report scores New York 15 out of 100 points on support for military families and veterans.

Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Military Jobs

Isometric editorial illustration of fifty ascending rectangular blocks on a cream field, with one short oxblood block at the end, suggesting a ranking near the bottom. — The American Legislative Exchange Council ranked New York 50th nationally for state-level veteran support in a report released November 10, scoring it 15 out of 100. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The American Legislative Exchange Council ranked New York 50th in the nation for state-level veteran support in a report released November 10. New Hampshire, Texas, Florida and Arizona ranked among the top 10.

Why it matters

The ranking highlights gaps in New York programs for veterans, including diversion options for veterans facing criminal justice issues and childcare exemptions for military families. For veterans in New York, the findings point to where state support falls short compared with other states.

New York's Department of Veterans' Services spent $36.2 million on dedicated programs, while most benefits for New Yorkers, totaling $8.2 billion, come from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The report does not show how these figures compare with spending in the higher-ranked states.

The players

American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)

ALEC is a nonprofit membership organization of state legislators and private-sector members that develops model state policy.

The details

The ALEC evaluation assessed all 50 states on support for military families, veteran transition, justice-involved veterans, and emerging approaches to treating service-related mental health conditions, including psilocybin for post-traumatic stress disorder. New York was found to lack diversion programs for justice-involved veterans, school transition programs for military-connected students, and state childcare exemptions for military families.

November 10, 2026: ALEC released the report ranking New York 50th for veteran support.

Market Landscape

The ALEC ranking places New York at the bottom of a state-by-state comparison that also places Northeast neighbors Connecticut, New Jersey and Massachusetts in the middle of the pack. Veteran support is becoming a measurable point of competition among states for military-connected residents.

New York veterans without diversion options may face different outcomes in the criminal justice system than veterans in higher-ranked states. Military families in New York currently lack state childcare exemptions, which affects day-to-day costs for those households.

The takeaway

States that rank higher on veteran support tend to offer more concrete programs in transition, education and justice diversion. Readers tracking veteran policy can compare state scores in the ALEC report to see where New York stands against its neighbors.