Find veterans benefits contacts serving Polk County, Florida. Compare the listed providers and contact an office directly.
If you live in Polk County, free claims help is available through Polk County Veterans Services in Bartow, Lake Alfred, Lake Wales and Lakeland. An accredited VSO representative can help with claims at no cost; confirm availability, location, hours and appointment before traveling. Bartow is appointment only, and the Lakeland VA Clinic office offers county VSO walk-in service; call to confirm FDVA access. AMVETS also provides free remote VA claims assistance, with no membership required. PVA and FDVA offer referrals to a service officer, rather than direct claims help. The Lakeland VA Clinic is 14 miles away and Lakeland Vet Center is 18 miles away, measured in a straight line from the county center. If you served during the Vietnam era, exposure questions depend on where and when you served.
County veterans services
County veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the office for an appointment and ask what to bring.
1290 Golfview Avenue, Bartow, FL 33830Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
County veterans services
County veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the office for an appointment and ask what to bring.
200 Government Center Boulevard, Lake Alfred, FL 33850Wednesday and Thursday.
County veterans services
County veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the office for an appointment and ask what to bring.
201 W Central Avenue, Lake Wales, FL 33853Wednesday.
County veterans services
County veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the office for an appointment and ask what to bring.
2080 Meadowland Park Boulevard, Office 2049, Lakeland, FL 33803County VSO: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.; FDVA: Tuesday, 8:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Florida directory.
Polk County Veterans Services - Bartow: Appointment only. Polk County Veterans Services - Lakeland VA Clinic: County VSO walk-in; call to confirm FDVA access. Confirm the service location, hours and appointment with the provider before traveling.
County Veterans Service Officers Directory (opens in a new tab) · Polk County Veterans Services (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 44,300, give or take 1,720 civilian veterans in Polk County.
By ACS estimates, Polk County has the 11th largest veteran population among Florida's 67 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Polk County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 29 percent below the Florida share; below the national share. | 31 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 13 percent below the Florida share; the same rounded estimate as the national share. | 14 percent | 13 percent |
Polk County has about 13,200, give or take 701 veterans 75 and older; both the county and Florida round to a 30 percent share.
Polk County has about 3,160, give or take 469 veterans under 35; both the county and Florida round to a 7 percent share.
Polk County has about 4,470, give or take 572 women veterans, making up 10 percent of its veterans compared with 11 percent in Florida.
| Measure | Polk County | Florida | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $47,510 ± $2,046 | $52,753 ± $469 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $33,923 ± $612 | $36,879 ± $115 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 7.4% ± 0.9 points | 7.6% ± 0.2 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 30.3% ± 1.6 points | 31.0% ± 0.3 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 70.0% ± 2.6 points | 71.2% ± 0.5 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 4.6% ± 1.5 points | 4.0% ± 0.3 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 95.5% ± 0.8 points | 95.9% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 27.6% ± 2.1 points | 35.0% ± 0.4 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 41,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 46,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 18,998 veterans in Polk County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 3,594 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 1,881 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 2,078 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 5,605 |
| 100 percent | 5,840 |
FY2019: 11,938 recipients. Change to FY2025: +7,060.
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 2,057 VA-backed home loans out of 20,119 home loans made in Polk County (10.2% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $337,000.
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 13,900, give or take 718) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 8,400, give or take 868).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $566.5 million in compensation and pension spending and about $413.4 million in medical care spending in Polk County for FY2025.
Orlando VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
13800 Veterans Way, Orlando, FL 32827-5812
New-patient wait for mental health: 11 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 24 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 39 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Lakeland VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
2080 Meadowland Park Boulevard, Lakeland, FL 33803-4326
New-patient wait for primary care: 17 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 14 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Lakeland Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1370 Ariana Street, Lakeland, FL 33803-1817
about 18 miles in a straight line from the county center.
St. Petersburg VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
9500 Bay Pines Blvd., St. Petersburg, FL 33744
about 66 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Polk County is James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital (opens in a new tab) in Tampa, FL, about 45 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Polk County is Tampa Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Tampa, FL, about 40 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists St. Petersburg RO (station 317); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Florida National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
6502 SW 102nd Avenue Bushnell, FL 33513
352-793-7740
About 55.1 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Glennville (opens in a new tab)
8819 U.S. Hwy 301 Glennville, GA 30427
912-654-5398
About 277.4 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
This cemetery is in another state. State veterans cemeteries set their own eligibility rules, which can include residency in that state.
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, Lakeland, Winterhaven/Polk County CoC counted 45 veterans experiencing homelessness (8 sheltered, 37 unsheltered).
FL-503 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 38 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 Orlando VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 407-631-1000. 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)
Qualifying Florida veterans with at least 10 percent disability may receive a $5,000 assessed value reduction.
Florida offers scholarships to eligible children and spouses of veterans with a 100 percent permanent and total service-connected disability.
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. The summary paragraph was drafted by AI from the facts on this page and checked automatically against them. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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