By Christopher Ortiz, Managing Editor of Albuquerque Business First:

New Mexico is one of the better states for military retirees, according to a new study.

In WalletHub's 2016’s Best & Worst States for Military Retirees list, New Mexico ranked 17th, ahead of Colorado and Arizona. The research and personal finance website compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 20 key metrics — ranging from job opportunities for veterans to the number of VA health facilities per number of veterans.

When it came to health care for military retirees, New Mexico was 11th. Alaska topped the list, followed by South Dakota and Montana. New Jersey and Rhode Island were at the bottom of the list. See the full list in the interactive graphic below.

May is Military Appreciation Month and Monday is Memorial Day.

In March, Business First reported on the New Mexico Veterans Business Outreach Center being recognized as the best in the nation by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Click here to read the full article.