Find veterans benefits contacts for DeKalb County, Alabama.
Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: DeKalb County. Physical office: Fort Payne, DeKalb County.
500 Grand Avenue SW, Fort Payne, AL 35967Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Alabama directory.
Contact the listed county or regional service for benefits assistance. Confirm the appointment, eligibility and meeting location with the provider.
Official service information (opens in a new tab) · Official service information (opens in a new tab)
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Call (833) 387-1649The ACS estimates about 3,100, give or take 369 civilian veterans in DeKalb County.
By ACS estimates, DeKalb County has the 26th largest veteran population among Alabama's 67 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | DeKalb County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 19 percent below the Alabama share; below the national share. | 35 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 10 percent below the Alabama share; below the national share. | 17 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in DeKalb County number about 1,070, give or take 148; their 34 percent share is above Alabama's 22 percent.
Veterans under 35 account for 6 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in DeKalb County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
DeKalb County has about 164, give or take 63 women veterans, making up 5 percent of its veterans compared with 11 percent in Alabama.
| Measure | DeKalb County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $37,544 ± $7,069 | $53,265 ± $760 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $28,694 ± $1,241 | $33,632 ± $211 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 9.8% ± 3.6 points | 7.5% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 30.7% ± 5.7 points | 33.0% ± 0.7 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 64.3% ± 10.2 points | 70.3% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 0.8% ± 5.1 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 89.1% ± 3.9 points | 95.2% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 14.6% ± 3.2 points | 30.9% ± 0.6 points | 31.8% ± 0.2 points |
Income is in 2024 dollars. These figures describe civilians. Poverty and disability shares use veterans whose poverty status is determined. Census disability measures daily functioning, not a VA service-connected rating. Tables and method.
VA projects slightly fewer veterans here by 2035; both years round to about 3,000. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 1,092 veterans in DeKalb County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 196 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 125 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 124 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 352 |
| 100 percent | 295 |
FY2019: 747 recipients. Change to FY2025: +345.
VA does not publish some small counts. Those show as “Not published.” VA county compensation data (opens in a new tab).
In 2025, lenders reported 121 VA-backed home loans out of 1,215 home loans made in DeKalb County (10.0% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $287,000.
The 2026 FHFA one-unit county loan limit here is $832,750. This limit matters for a VA loan only when part of your entitlement is still tied to another VA loan. VA explains remaining entitlement and loan limits (opens in a new tab).
The largest reported service groups are Vietnam era only (about 1,000, give or take 231) and post-9/11 only (about 461, give or take 143).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $31.5 million in compensation and pension spending and about $17.3 million in medical care spending in DeKalb County for FY2025.
Trinka Davis Veterans Village (opens in a new tab)
180 Martin Drive, Carrollton, GA 30117-2425
New-patient wait for primary care: 52 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for mental health: 2 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 74 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Colonel Ola Lee Mize Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic (opens in a new tab)
100 Judy Smith Drive, Guntersville, AL 35976
New-patient wait for mental health: 61 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 17 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 29 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Huntsville Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
415 Church Street, Building H, Suite 101, Huntsville, AL 35801
about 49 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Senator Johnny Isakson VA Atlanta Regional Office (opens in a new tab)
1700 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033
about 97 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to DeKalb County is Birmingham VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Birmingham, AL, about 87 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Outside Alabama, in Chattanooga, TN, Chattanooga Vet Center (opens in a new tab) is DeKalb County's second-nearest Vet Center, about 52 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Montgomery RO (station 322); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Chattanooga National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1200 Bailey Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37404
423-855-6590
About 49.3 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Alabama State Veterans Memorial Cemetery at Spanish Fort (opens in a new tab)
34904 State Hwy 225 Spanish Fort, AL 36527
251-625-1338
About 284.8 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
State veterans cemeteries set their own eligibility rules.
National Cemetery Administration lists checked October 2, 2026. Cemetery coverage and distance method.
No sites from these two federal datasets were mapped to DeKalb County.
For VA’s service-location rules, see the presumptive conditions list. A location listing does not establish personal exposure or eligibility.
On one night in January 2024, Gadsden/Northeast Alabama CoC counted 17 veterans experiencing homelessness (6 sheltered, 11 unsheltered).
AL-505 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 18 veterans for the 2019 comparison.
This is a one-night count for the whole CoC area, not a county or annual total. CoC mapping method.
If you need housing help, call the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 877-424-3838. You can call any time, day or night.
Your nearest VA medical center by straight-line distance is Trinka Davis Veterans Village (opens in a new tab), 678-423-4970. Ask for the homeless coordinator.
VA's FY2026 Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) intake list names these providers. About VA SSVF (opens in a new tab).
Census incorporated places and census-designated places, sorted by ACS 2020-2024 population. Figures are ACS estimates for the whole place, not only the part inside this county. Places are assigned by their 2024 Census internal point and may cross county boundaries. Sources and mapping method.
For the Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1. VA crisis support (opens in a new tab)
Alabama exempts qualifying permanently and totally disabled taxpayers from all homestead ad valorem taxes without an income limit.
Eligible spouses of veterans rated 100 percent permanent and total can receive ten semesters of undergraduate education benefits.
Ask the office about VA Form 21-0966 to preserve a potential benefits start date while gathering evidence. Check your intent to file deadline.
ACS 2020-2024; VA FY2025; geography/locations/benefits 2026; adjacency 2024. Distances: straight line from county center. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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