Find veterans benefits contacts for Cook County, Illinois.
If you live in Cook County, free claims help is available from accredited VSO representatives; confirm availability, appointment details, eligibility, and meeting location before traveling. The listed local claims offices include the Cook County Veterans Assistance Commission and Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs offices. Referral contacts such as IDVA statewide Veteran Service Officer access and the DAV Chicago VA Regional Office can help you find a current representative, but are not themselves confirmed local accredited claims offices. Cook County has the 1st largest veteran population among Illinois's 102 counties and equivalents. The largest service-era group is Vietnam era only, about 43,100, give or take 1,550; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. From the county center, straight-line distances are 1 mile to Lakeside VA Clinic and 2 miles to Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The linked state page gives full benefit terms.
Cook County Veterans Assistance Commission
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook 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: Cook County. Physical office: Alsip, Cook County.
11601 S Pulaski Rd., Alsip, IL, 60803Mondays 9am-3pm Appointments Only
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Chicago, Cook County.
69 W. Washington St. Ste. 1620, Chicago, IL, 60602Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Chicago, Cook County.
1515 E. 71st Street, Chicago, IL, 60619Tuesday-Friday 8:00AM-4:30PM
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Chicago, Cook County.
4250 N. Oak Park Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60634-1417Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Chicago, Cook County.
2122 W. Taylor St., Rm# 127, Chicago, IL, 60612Monday - Wednesday - Thursday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Chicago, Cook County.
8658 S. Sacramento Ave., Chicago, IL, 60652Tuesday thru Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Des Plaines, Cook County.
52 E Northwest Hwy, Des Plaines, IL, 60016Tuesday - Wednesday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM ** Call for Appointment **
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Elk Grove Village, Cook County.
600 Landmeier Road, Elk Grove Village, IL, 60007Tuesday - Thursday 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM **Call for Appointment**
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Evanston, Cook County.
1901 W. Howard Street, Evanston, IL, 60202Tuesdays - 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM **Appointments Only**
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Forest Park, Cook County.
1515 S. Harlem Ave., Forest Park, IL, 60130Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Hoffman Estates, Cook County.
1 Illinois Blvd., Hoffman Estates, IL, 60169Monday and Thursdays Only 9:00 AM -4:00 PM / *Appointments Only*
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Palatine, Cook County.
721 S. Quentin Rd., Suite 102, Palatine, IL, 60067Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM (Remote Wednesdays) "Appointments Only"
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Park Forest, Cook County.
350 Victory Drive, Park Forest, IL, 60466Tuesdays and Wednesdays 9:00 AM- 4:00 PM (*** Appointments Only ***)
Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Cook County. Physical office: Richton Park, Cook County.
4511 Sauk Trail, Richton Park, IL, 60471Tuesdays Wednesdays and Thursdays 9:00am-4:00pm, "Appointments Only"
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Illinois 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) · 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 132,000, give or take 3,020 civilian veterans in Cook County.
By ACS estimates, Cook County has the 1st largest veteran population among Illinois's 102 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Cook County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 19 percent below the Illinois share; below the national share. | 22 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 9 percent below the Illinois share; below the national share. | 10 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Cook County number about 41,800, give or take 1,270; their 32 percent share is above Illinois's 29 percent.
Veterans under 35 in Cook County number about 11,300, give or take 1,040; their 9 percent share is above Illinois's 8 percent.
Women veterans in Cook County number about 12,600, give or take 1,090; their 10 percent share is above Illinois's 9 percent.
| Measure | Cook County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $51,234 ± $1,461 | $53,526 ± $625 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $45,325 ± $301 | $43,938 ± $182 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 9.5% ± 0.7 points | 7.4% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 30.4% ± 1.2 points | 29.5% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 73.5% ± 1.9 points | 75.8% ± 0.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 7.2% ± 1.4 points | 4.7% ± 0.5 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 93.9% ± 0.5 points | 95.1% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 32.2% ± 1.1 points | 28.4% ± 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 101,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 133,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 32,786 veterans in Cook County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 5,790 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 3,320 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 3,635 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 10,907 |
| 100 percent | 9,134 |
FY2019: 32,393 recipients. Change to FY2025: +393.
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 2,230 VA-backed home loans out of 81,305 home loans made in Cook County (2.7% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $378,000.
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 43,100, give or take 1,550) and post-9/11 only (about 23,500, give or take 1,530).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $929.1 million in compensation and pension spending and about $1.4 billion in medical care spending in Cook County for FY2025.
Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
820 South Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL 60612-3728
New-patient wait for mental health: 19 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 19 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 2 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Lakeside VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
211 East Ontario Street, Suite 1200, Chicago, IL 60611-3276
New-patient wait for primary care: 10 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 1 mile in a straight line from the county center.
Forest Park Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1515 South Harlem Avenue, Forest Park, IL 60130
about 9 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Chicago VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
2122 W. Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612
about 3 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Cook County is Edward Hines Junior Hospital (opens in a new tab) in Hines, IL, about 10 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Cook County is Evanston Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Evanston, IL, about 9 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Chicago RO (station 328); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
20953 W Hoff Road Elwood, IL 60421
815-423-9958
About 42.7 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Fort Sheridan National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
Vattman Road Fort Sheridan, IL 60037
224-610-7296
About 24.4 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: cremation only.
Sunset Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1707 N 12th St Quincy, IL 62301
217-222-8641
About 237.4 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.
VA-recognized State Veterans Homes listed in VA's FY2025 per diem list, September 2024. VA State Home list (opens in a new tab).
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, Cook County CoC counted 36 veterans experiencing homelessness (29 sheltered, 7 unsheltered).
IL-511 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 43 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 Jesse Brown Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 312-569-8387. 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 6 veterans treatment courts in Cook 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)
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. 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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