Find veterans benefits contacts for Clay County, Illinois.
No local office is matched to Clay County in this directory. Contact a state option below or an office in a nearby county to ask about help.
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Richland County. Physical office: Olney, Richland County.
308 E Main St, Olney, IL, 62450Fridays, 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Effingham County Veterans Assistance Commission
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Effingham County.
Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Effingham County. Physical office: Effingham, Effingham County.
101 N. 4th St., Rm# 203, Effingham, IL, 62401Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
A current local office is not confirmed in this directory. Use the state or organization contacts below to find assistance and confirm appointment options.
Official service information (opens in a new tab) · 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 880, give or take 162 civilian veterans in Clay County.
Among Illinois's 102 counties and equivalents, Clay County ranks 75th by its estimated number of veterans.
| Measure | Clay County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 16 percent below the Illinois share; below the national share. | 22 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 3 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
Veterans 75 and older in Clay County number about 280, give or take 62; their 32 percent share is above Illinois's 29 percent.
Veterans under 35 account for 9 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Clay County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Women veterans account for 5 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Clay County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
| Measure | Clay County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $40,772 ± $10,964 | $53,526 ± $625 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $34,839 ± $2,934 | $43,938 ± $182 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 2.5% ± 1.9 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 33.9% ± 9.7 points | 29.5% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 89.9% ± 13.5 points | 75.8% ± 0.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 0.0% ± 13.0 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 93.5% ± 5.3 points | 95.1% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 4.0% ± 3.6 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
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. VetPop2023 projections for small counties show direction only. Projection source and method.
VA reports 216 veterans in Clay County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 39 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 27 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 26 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 82 |
| 100 percent | 42 |
FY2019: 168 recipients. Change to FY2025: +48.
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 9 VA-backed home loans out of 127 home loans made in Clay County (7.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $217,000.
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 352, give or take 107) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 156, give or take 76).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $5.9 million in compensation and pension spending and about $5.4 million in medical care spending in Clay County for FY2025.
Marion VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
2401 West Main Street, Marion, IL 62959-1165
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 75 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Effingham VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
1011 Ford Avenue, Effingham, IL 62401-1701
New-patient wait for primary care: 12 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for mental health: 35 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 28 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Evansville Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1100 North Burkhardt Road, Evansville, IN 47715
about 76 miles in a straight line from the county center.
St. Louis VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
9700 Page Ave., ST. Louis, MO 63132
about 102 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Illinois, in St. Louis, MO, John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital (opens in a new tab) is Clay County's second-nearest medical center, about 95 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Outside Illinois, in Evansville, IN, Evansville Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) is Clay County's second-nearest Vet Center, about 76 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Chicago RO (station 328); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Camp Butler National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
5063 Camp Butler Road Springfield, IL 62707
217-492-4070
About 94.5 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Sunset Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1707 N 12th St Quincy, IL 62301
217-222-8641
About 177.2 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 Clay 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, South Central Illinois CoC counted 4 veterans experiencing homelessness (1 sheltered, 3 unsheltered).
IL-515 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 4 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 Marion VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 618-997-5311. 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)
Illinois provides a primary residence assessment exemption for qualifying veterans rated 70 to 100 percent service-connected.
Dependents of qualifying Illinois veterans with a 100 percent permanent and total disability can receive a public college scholarship.
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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