As Granite Staters prepare for the Memorial Day weekend, a time to remember those military members who lost their lives in combat, a new report says New Hampshire is one of the best places for military retirees to live.

Data analysts at Wallethub have named New Hampshire the third-best state for military retirees, behind only South Carolina and Maryland.

Massachusetts is the only other New England state in the top 10 (#8), and both Rhode Island (#45) and Vermont (#49) are near the bottom.

“Transitioning from military to civilian life isn’t easy, but the best states for military retirees make that adjustment as smooth as possible,” said Wallethub analyst Chip Lupo. “In addition to providing the conditions necessary for our veterans to thrive financially, they also have ample resources for taking care of military retirees’ physical and mental health.”

Asked about New Hampshire’s high ranking as a home to Americans who’ve served, Gov. Kelly Ayotte was happy to hear the news.

“Coming from a military family, honoring those who have served our nation is very important to me, and I’m proud of the way we care for veterans in our state,” Ayotte said. “We’re going to keep working every day to make sure New Hampshire is the most veteran-friendly state in the nation.”

According to the Wallethub report, New Hampshire ranks high, in part thanks to economic factors like having “the highest number of veteran job opportunities in the nation.”

Veterans make up nearly seven percent of the population, the 14th-highest share in the country.

“The Granite State takes care of its military retirees, too,” the report adds, “The state not only exempts military pensions from taxation but also has the 11th-most mental health counselors per capita, making it easier for struggling veterans to find support. Additionally, New Hampshire ranks second in the nation for the share of veterans not receiving SNAP benefits, highlighting economic stability among its veteran population.

“Finally, New Hampshire has a number of policies in place to help veterans, such as allowing veterans to be preferred in hiring, having veteran treatment courts, and providing academic credit for military service.”

The findings are good news on both sides of the political aisle.

Maura Sullivan, who’s seeking the Democratic nomination in the First Congressional District, is a Marine Iraq veteran who served as VA Assistant Secretary during the Obama administration.

“We must continue to make New Hampshire one of the best states for veterans to retire and find work after active duty service,” Sullivan told NHJournal. “As my proven record of service to veterans demonstrates both in Washington and here in NH-01 on Congressman Pappas’ Veterans Advisory Committee, I will work to protect our pensions from taxation and make sure we get our fair share of funding from both VA and DOD.”

State Senate President Sharon Carson (R-Londonderry), a retired first sergeant in the Army Reserve, said this latest ranking is “more proof that New Hampshire is a leader in the nation.”

Radio host Jack Heath is an outspoken advocate for veterans, who hosted his annual “Make 12 Hours Count” radiothon for veterans’ causes on May 7. The event raised close to $75,000 to support veteran care like mental health counseling, housing support, employment assistance, and emergency aid.

Heath is happy New Hampshire received its high ranking, but says he believes the state can still do better.

“Many veterans move here and are pleasantly surprised at how friendly New Hampshire is to veterans. But we need to link the many great nonprofits that serve our veterans with the VA to help cover the gaps in therapies that work for helping PTSD too many veterans struggle with. Franklin, N.H., will soon be home to such a place where a full campus of programs that work for our veterans will be located.

“The state and our nonprofits,  led by Easter Seals and Swim With A Mission, joined forces to create a model for the nation. The VA must embrace the model in Franklin, and we must connect our VA and our nonprofits,” Heath said.

This is just the latest list to put New Hampshire at or near the top on rankings from “best place to live” to “highest return on taxpayer investment.”

Asked what she believes makes New Hampshire such a great place for military veterans to live, Carson gave a one-word answer.

“Freedom.”