Find veterans benefits contacts for Etowah 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: Etowah County. Physical office: Gadsden, Etowah County.
800 Forrest Avenue, Suite 202, Gadsden, AL 35901Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 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)
Call the Claim Raven 24-hour VSO prep line to get your records ready before your appointment. Claim Raven is not a VSO office. Your VSO's number is listed above.
Call (833) 387-1649The ACS estimates about 5,100, give or take 564 civilian veterans in Etowah County.
By ACS estimates, Etowah County has the 18th largest veteran population among Alabama's 67 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Etowah County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 27 percent below the Alabama share; below the national share. | 35 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 12 percent below the Alabama share; below the national share. | 17 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Etowah County number about 1,160, give or take 197; their 23 percent share is above Alabama's 22 percent.
Etowah County has about 231, give or take 113 veterans under 35, making up 5 percent of its veterans compared with 8 percent in Alabama.
Etowah County has about 281, give or take 120 women veterans, making up 6 percent of its veterans compared with 11 percent in Alabama.
| Measure | Etowah County | Alabama | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $37,516 ± $5,631 | $53,265 ± $760 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $29,395 ± $1,186 | $33,632 ± $211 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 7.1% ± 1.9 points | 7.5% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 35.1% ± 5.1 points | 33.0% ± 0.7 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 59.4% ± 7.5 points | 70.3% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 13.3% ± 6.0 points | 3.3% ± 0.5 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 91.8% ± 3.1 points | 95.2% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 17.6% ± 3.9 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 fewer veterans here in 2035: about 4,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 6,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 2,401 veterans in Etowah County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 460 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 250 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 287 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 780 |
| 100 percent | 624 |
FY2019: 1,776 recipients. Change to FY2025: +625.
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 195 VA-backed home loans out of 2,052 home loans made in Etowah County (9.5% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $268,000.
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 1,460, give or take 200) and post-9/11 only (about 868, give or take 240).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $72.7 million in compensation and pension spending and about $48.4 million in medical care spending in Etowah County for FY2025.
Birmingham VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
700 South 19th Street, Birmingham, AL 35233-1927
New-patient wait for mental health: 37 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 28 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 58 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Rainbow City VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
206 Rescia Avenue, Gadsden, AL 35906-5933
New-patient wait for mental health: 12 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 32 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 6 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 57 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 100 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Alabama, in Carrollton, GA, Trinka Davis Veterans Village (opens in a new tab) is Etowah County's second-nearest medical center, about 64 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Etowah County is Birmingham Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Hoover, AL, about 67 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Montgomery RO (station 322); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Alabama National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
3133 Highway 119 Montevallo, AL 35115
205-665-9039
About 78.5 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 253.5 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.
Military branch is not listed in the USACE FY2024 property data.
These lists use site points within county boundaries. A site may extend into another 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 Birmingham VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 205-933-8101. 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).
The National Treatment Court Resource Center lists 1 veterans treatment court in Etowah County as of December 31, 2025.
These courts connect participating veterans involved in the justice system with treatment and support. Each court sets its own eligibility rules. National Treatment Court Resource Center maps (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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