US Veterans by State Statistics 2026 | Key Facts

Veterans by State in America 2026

America’s veteran population is one of the most closely tracked demographic groups in the country — and for good reason. These are the men and women who served in the United States Armed Forces, and understanding where they live, how they’re supported, and what challenges they face is fundamental to shaping national policy. As of 2026, there are roughly 17.3 million living U.S. veterans, a number that spans all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ VetPop2023 projection model — the most authoritative federal tool for veteran population tracking — that figure is expected to decline steadily to just 11.2 million by FY 2053, driven largely by the aging of Vietnam-era and earlier veterans. Each state holds a unique share of this population, shaped by factors like proximity to military bases, climate, cost of living, and the strength of state-level veteran support programs.

What makes US veterans by state 2026 statistics particularly important is not just the raw population numbers — it’s the full picture that comes with them. Some states lead in total veteran headcount while ranking far lower in veterans per capita. Others punch above their weight, with small populations but disproportionately high concentrations of former military personnel. At the same time, data on VA disability compensation, veteran unemployment, veteran homelessness, and VA spending by state reveal sharp disparities in how well different parts of the country support those who served. This article brings together the latest, most verified data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development to give you the most complete and up-to-date view available for 2026.

Interesting Facts: US Veterans by State 2026

Before diving into state-by-state breakdowns, here are some of the most compelling and surprising veteran statistics confirmed for 2026 — facts that set the context for everything that follows.

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs VetPop2023; VA VBA Annual Benefits Report FY 2024; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); HUD 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR); U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024.

The headline number — 17.3 million veterans — is both a tribute and a challenge. It represents millions of lives shaped by service, but it also represents an enormous administrative and social responsibility distributed unevenly across the country. Texas alone accounts for roughly 8% of the entire national veteran population, while states like Wyoming and Vermont each hold fewer than 53,000 veterans combined. Meanwhile, Alaska’s veteran concentration of 7,766 per 100,000 residents dwarfs every other state in relative terms, a reflection of the state’s historically close ties to military operations and installations in the Pacific region. The data on disability compensation tells its own story: just 1 in 3 veterans receives any VA disability compensation at all, even as the VA processed a record-breaking 2.5 million claims in FY 2024 — a 27% increase over the previous year’s all-time high.

Top 10 States by Total Veteran Population in 2026

Understanding which states hold the largest veteran communities is foundational to every other metric in this article. The figures below are drawn from the most recent available data, primarily from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (2024) and the VA’s VetPop2023 projection model, which together represent the gold standard for state-level veteran population estimates.

TOP 10 STATES BY TOTAL VETERAN POPULATION — 2024/2026
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Texas        ████████████████████████████████████████  1,402,360
California   ██████████████████████████████████████    1,305,450
Florida      ████████████████████████████████████████  1,327,070
Pennsylvania ████████████████████████                    632,183
Virginia     ███████████████████████                     629,500
North Carolina ██████████████████████                    615,509
Ohio         ██████████████████████                      605,840
Georgia      ████████████████████                        601,304
New York     ██████████████████████                      581,776
Washington   ████████████████████                        473,124
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Population in thousands (approximate)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates, 2024; compiled via World Population Review citing VA Veteran Population data.

Texas, Florida, and California together account for roughly 25% of the entire U.S. veteran population, making them the undisputed heart of the veteran community in terms of raw numbers. This concentration is no accident — all three states have long histories of major military installations, veteran-friendly tax policies, and relatively affordable housing options that attract service members settling after discharge. Texas alone is home to more than 1.4 million veterans, supported by a network of 15 active military installations spread across its vast geography. The Southern and Sun Belt states dominate the top ten, with Virginia and North Carolina reflecting the gravitational pull of active-duty installations like Fort Bragg, Naval Station Norfolk, and Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

What is striking is the gap between total population and per-capita concentration. New York and California, two of the most populous states in the country, rank near the bottom in veterans per 100,000 residents despite their large absolute numbers. Conversely, smaller states like Virginia (ranked #5 by total count) punch far above their weight when population size is considered. The data confirms a pattern identified across multiple VA studies: veterans disproportionately settle in Southern and Western states, particularly those with lower costs of living, warmer climates, and robust state veteran benefit programs.

Veterans Per Capita by State in 2026 (Top and Bottom 10)

Raw population counts only tell part of the story. Veterans per 100,000 residents reveals which states have the deepest veteran presence relative to their overall population — a metric that’s critical for understanding service delivery needs, healthcare access, and community integration.

VETERANS PER 100,000 RESIDENTS — TOP 10 STATES (2024)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Alaska       ██████████████████████████████████  7,766
Virginia     █████████████████████████████████   7,144
Montana      ████████████████████████████████    6,978
Wyoming      ██████████████████████████████      6,850
Maine        █████████████████████████████       6,762
S. Carolina  ████████████████████████████        6,276
New Hampshire████████████████████████████        6,155
New Mexico   ████████████████████████████        6,119
Hawaii       ███████████████████████████         6,064
Nevada       ██████████████████████████          5,999
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Rate per 100,000 population

Source: World Population Review, citing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Population data, 2024.

Alaska’s rate of 7,766 veterans per 100,000 residents makes it the undisputed leader in veteran concentration, nearly double the national average of 4,761 per 100,000. The state’s strategic military geography, combined with a culture of military service deeply embedded in Alaskan communities, drives this exceptional figure. Virginia’s rate of 7,144 reflects its status as home to some of the largest military installations in the world, including the Pentagon, Naval Station Norfolk, and Fort Belvoir. States like Montana, Wyoming, and Maine — rural, sparsely populated, and historically tied to military culture — all exceed 6,500 veterans per 100,000 residents.

The bottom of the per-capita list tells an equally important story. California, New York, and New Jersey — three of America’s most densely populated states — rank among the lowest precisely because their enormous general populations dilute the veteran share. Yet these states still host hundreds of thousands of veterans in absolute terms, creating massive demand for VA healthcare, housing assistance, and disability compensation services. This disconnect between per-capita rates and absolute need is one of the central resource allocation challenges facing the Department of Veterans Affairs heading into 2026 and beyond.

Full State-by-State Veteran Population Table 2026

This is the most comprehensive single reference point for all 50 states plus DC — sorted alphabetically for easy lookup.

STATE VETERAN POPULATIONS AT A GLANCE (2024)
All figures rounded; national average = 4,761 per 100k
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Above national average:  Alaska, Virginia, Montana, Wyoming, Maine,
                         S. Carolina, NH, New Mexico, Hawaii, Nevada,
                         Arizona, Washington, West Virginia, Oklahoma,
                         Alabama, Idaho, S. Dakota, Oregon, Colorado,
                         Florida, Delaware, Arkansas, N. Carolina,
                         Missouri, Tennessee
Below national average:  All remaining states
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Source: World Population Review, citing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran Population data, 2024; U.S. Census Bureau ACS 2024.

The complete state roster reveals a clear geographic pattern: Southern, Mountain West, and Pacific Northwest states consistently rank highest in veterans per capita, while the densely populated Northeast and urban Midwest rank lowest. 25 out of 50 states exceed the national average concentration rate of 4,761 per 100,000, confirming that rural and mid-sized states carry a disproportionate share of veteran residents relative to their population. The national total figure of 16.185 million in the 2024 census-based count is somewhat lower than the VA’s VetPop2023 projection of 17.9 million for FY 2024, a difference largely attributable to how each model defines and counts veteran status, survey universe differences, and varying methodological approaches to non-institutional populations. Both figures point unambiguously to the same truth: America’s veteran population is large, geographically dispersed, and in a gradual but irreversible long-term decline as older service eras age out.

VA Disability Compensation by State — 2026 Key Statistics

VA disability compensation is the most significant federal financial benefit available to veterans, providing tax-free monthly payments to those with service-connected conditions. As of FY 2024, the VA delivered $173 billion in compensation and pension benefits to 6.7 million veterans and survivors — an all-time record in both volume and dollar value.

VA DISABILITY COMPENSATION — NATIONAL SNAPSHOT (FY 2024)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Total recipients nationwide     ████████████  5,992,967
100% disabled veterans          ██            1,547,842  (25.83%)
Veterans with NO compensation   ████████████████████████  ~12 million
Average disability rating       ████████████████  70%
Claims processed (FY 2024)      ██████████████████████████  2.5 million+
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VBA Annual Benefits Report FY 2024; VA Office of Data Governance and Analytics.

The FY 2024 compensation data reveals a system under unprecedented strain and expansion simultaneously. The VA processed more than 2.5 million disability compensation and pension claims — a figure 27% higher than the previous all-time record set in FY 2023. This surge is directly tied to the PACT Act of 2022, which expanded eligibility for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, radiation, and other toxic substances. Of the roughly 6 million veterans receiving disability compensation, Texas, California, and Florida predictably lead in absolute recipient counts given their dominant share of the overall veteran population. The average disability rating of 70% granted in FY 2024 — equating to more than $20,000 per year in tax-free compensation — reflects both the severity of conditions being claimed and the VA’s stated goal of granting benefits rather than denying them wherever evidence supports a favorable decision.

Perhaps the most striking stat in this section is the inverse one: roughly 12 million veterans — about 2 in 3 — receive no VA disability compensation at all, despite being eligible to apply. Many of these veterans either don’t know they qualify, were separated without adequate transition counseling, or have undiagnosed service-connected conditions. The gap between those who receive benefits and those who could is one of the most consequential ongoing challenges in U.S. veteran policy as of 2026.

Veteran Unemployment by State in 2026

Veteran employment outcomes are a critical measure of post-service economic integration. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service (VETS) track veteran unemployment on a monthly basis, providing the most reliable ongoing picture of how veterans are faring in the labor market.

VETERAN vs. NON-VETERAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATES — 2026
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
                        Mar 2026  Feb 2026  Jan 2026   Dec 2025
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
All Veterans (S.A.)     3.8%      3.9%      4.5%       3.9%
Post-9/11 Veterans      4.8%      4.8%      5.9%       5.1%
Non-Veterans (S.A.)     4.1%      4.3%      4.3%       4.0%
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Female Veterans         7.1%  (April 2025–March 2026 average)
Male Veterans           3.3%  (April 2025–March 2026 average)
Veterans w/ Disability  5.4%  (April 2025–March 2026 average)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Seasonally adjusted, civilians 18+. Source: BLS/DOL VETS

Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics — Employment Situation of Veterans 2024 (March 2025 release); DOL VETS Monthly Employment Situation, March 2026.

The overall veteran unemployment rate of 3.8% in March 2026 continues a long-standing pattern of veterans outperforming the general civilian workforce in employment. The national non-veteran unemployment rate of 4.1% during the same period confirms that veterans remain more likely to be employed, a result of military training, discipline, and the transferable skills developed during service. However, the headline number masks serious inequities. Female veterans face an unemployment rate of 7.1% — nearly double the rate for male veterans and well above the non-veteran rate for women — pointing to persistent barriers around childcare, recognition of military credentials, and workplace bias.

Post-9/11 veterans — those who served after September 2001 — carry a notably higher unemployment rate of 4.8% as of February 2026, compared to the broader veteran average. This cohort is also younger, more likely to have service-connected disabilities, and more likely to be navigating a transition from high-tempo combat environments to civilian careers. The data from the BLS 2025 annual report confirms that the jobless rate for all veterans rose from 3.0% in 2024 to 3.5% in 2025, a modest but notable uptick that mirrors broader softening in the U.S. labor market during the same period. State-level unemployment data for veterans is not individually broken out in the same granular way, but federal employment — a major sector for disabled veterans — is concentrated in states like Virginia, Maryland, Texas, California, and Florida, which also lead in total veteran population.

Veteran Homelessness by State in 2026

Perhaps no statistic more starkly illustrates the gap between the sacrifice of military service and the American social safety net than veteran homelessness. The HUD Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR), based on the January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, provides the most reliable national and state-level snapshot of this crisis — and it carries some genuinely encouraging news.

VETERAN HOMELESSNESS TREND — NATIONAL (2009–2024)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
2009  ████████████████████████████████████████████  ~76,000
2012  ██████████████████████████████████████        ~62,000
2015  ██████████████████████████████                ~48,000
2018  ████████████████████████████                  ~37,000
2020  ████████████████████████████                  ~37,252
2023  ██████████████████████                        ~35,574
2024  ████████████████████                          ~32,882 ← RECORD LOW
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
55.6% total reduction since 2009

Source: HUD 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report to Congress, Part 1 (Point-in-Time Estimates); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VA.gov News Release, December 2024.

The 32,882 veterans experiencing homelessness counted on a single night in January 2024 represents the lowest number ever recorded since HUD began systematic tracking in 2009 — a 55.6% reduction over 15 years. Veterans were the only major demographic group to see a continued decline in homelessness in 2024, even as overall U.S. homelessness rose by 18% across the same period. This is a direct result of targeted federal intervention through programs like HUD-VASH (HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing), which connected nearly 90,000 veteran households to stable rental homes in FY 2024, and the VA’s own housing programs which permanently housed 47,925 veterans during the fiscal year — the largest single-year count since 2019.

The geographic concentration of veteran homelessness is a persistent challenge, however. California accounts for a disproportionately large share of the national total, with more than 10,000 homeless veterans — a reflection of the state’s broader housing affordability crisis rather than a failure of veteran-specific programming. States with high costs of living, limited affordable housing, and large absolute veteran populations — California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington — consistently rank highest in unsheltered veteran homelessness. By contrast, rural states with smaller veteran populations and lower housing costs tend to report far lower absolute numbers, though access to VA healthcare and support services in those areas can be limited. The VA’s 95.9% housing retention rate for veterans placed in permanent housing during FY 2024 is a landmark achievement and a powerful counter-narrative to the notion that veteran homelessness is an intractable problem.

VA Spending on Veterans by State in 2026

The Geographic Distribution of VA Expenditures (GDX) Report, published annually by the VA’s National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics (NCVAS), tracks how VA dollars are distributed across states. The most recent available data is for FY 2024, with a revised methodology that links spending directly to individual veterans’ residential addresses for greater geographic precision.

VA TOTAL SPENDING — TOP 10 STATES (FY 2023/2024 Estimated)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Texas         ████████████████████████████  $27.6B (leading state)
California    █████████████████████████      ~$22–25B (est.)
Florida       ████████████████████████       ~$20–22B (est.)
Virginia      ████████████████████           ~$18–20B (est.)
North Carolina ██████████████████████        ~$15–17B (est.)
Pennsylvania  █████████████████████          ~$14–16B (est.)
Georgia       ████████████████████           ~$12–14B (est.)
Ohio          ████████████████████           ~$12–14B (est.)
Washington    ████████████████████           ~$11–13B (est.)
New York      ██████████████████             ~$10–12B (est.)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
National total: $301 billion (FY 2023) / $441.3B FY2026 request

Source: VA Geographic Distribution of VA Expenditures (GDX) Report FY 2024; VA FY 2026 Budget in Brief; CCK Law analysis of VA GDX data; American Legion reporting on VA appropriations.

Texas leads all states in total VA spending at approximately $27.6 billion, a figure commensurate with its status as the single largest veteran-population state. Its $9.2 billion in VA medical care expenditure alone reflects a vast network of VA medical centers, community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), and telehealth services serving more than 567,000 unique patients annually. California historically led all states in VA medical care spending when measured in isolation, at approximately $9.3 billion in 2022, given both its large veteran population and the relatively high cost of healthcare in the state. The national total of $301 billion in FY 2023 — representing roughly 5% of all federal spending — underscores just how significant the VA enterprise has become as a share of the federal budget.

Looking forward into 2026, the most consequential driver of rising VA spending is not the aging veteran population but the PACT Act of 2022. The Toxic Exposures Fund established under that law is expected to cost $52.6 billion in FY 2026 — nearly double its $30.4 billion FY 2025 cost — as hundreds of thousands of newly eligible veterans with burn pit, radiation, and chemical exposure disabilities begin receiving compensation and healthcare. States with large post-9/11 veteran populations — Texas, California, North Carolina, Virginia, and Washington — are expected to see the sharpest increases in VA expenditures tied to PACT Act claims over the next five to ten years. The shift in VA spending from compensating aging Vietnam-era veterans toward supporting younger combat veterans with toxic exposure conditions marks one of the most significant structural transitions in the VA’s 90-year history.

Veteran Population Decline Projections by Region — 2026 to 2053

The long-term picture for the U.S. veteran population is one of sustained, irreversible decline — a demographic reality that has profound implications for VA resource allocation, congressional funding priorities, and community planning at the state level.

PROJECTED US VETERAN POPULATION DECLINE
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
FY 2024   ████████████████████████████████████████  17.9 million
FY 2030   ████████████████████████████████          16.2 million (est.)
FY 2035   ████████████████████████████              15.0 million (est.)
FY 2040   ████████████████████████                  13.5 million (est.)
FY 2045   ██████████████████                        12.0 million (est.)
FY 2053   █████████████████                         11.2 million (projected)
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Projected decline: -37.6% from FY2024 to FY2053

Source: VA National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, VetPop2023 Projection Model; VA FY 2026 Budget documents.

The 37.6% decline projected between FY 2024 and FY 2053 is primarily driven by mortality among World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans — cohorts that collectively account for millions of the current veteran population. This does not mean the veteran mission is shrinking in complexity or cost; in fact, the opposite is true. The remaining and incoming veteran population will skew younger, more likely to have served in post-9/11 combat environments, and more likely to carry complex PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, toxic exposure conditions, and musculoskeletal disabilities that require decades of ongoing care and compensation.

Southern and Sun Belt states are expected to retain the strongest relative veteran population concentrations through 2053, as younger veterans continue to favor states like Texas, Florida, North Carolina, and Georgia for settlement. Meanwhile, Northeast and upper Midwest states — already at the lower end of per-capita veteran concentrations — are projected to see the steepest relative declines as their older veteran cohorts pass away. The approximately 200,000 service members who transition out of the military each year provide a consistent annual inflow into the veteran population, but this number is insufficient to offset the mortality-driven decline of older cohorts. For VA planners, state veteran service organizations, and Congressional appropriators, understanding this demographic trajectory is essential to building a healthcare, benefits, and housing infrastructure that can serve the veteran population of 2040 and 2053, not just 2026.

Disclaimer: This research report is compiled from publicly available sources. While reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, no representation or warranty, express or implied, is given as to the completeness or reliability of the information. We accept no liability for any errors, omissions, losses, or damages of any kind arising from the use of this report.

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