Find veterans benefits contacts for St. Clair County, Illinois.
If you live in St. Clair County, free claims help is available from an accredited VSO representative through the St. Clair County Veterans Assistance Commission or the Illinois Dept of Veterans' Affairs - St. Clair County in Belleville; confirm availability, appointment and location before traveling. These are claims-help contacts, while the listed statewide and veterans’ organization routes are referral contacts: reach out to find a current representative and arrange benefits assistance. The county has the 5th largest veteran population among Illinois's 102 counties and equivalents, by ACS estimates. The largest service era is Vietnam era only, with about 4,770, give or take 455 veterans; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. From the county center, straight-line distances are 7 miles to the St. Clair County VA Clinic and Metro East Vet Center, and 20 miles to St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks.
St. Clair County Veterans Assistance Commission
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: St. Clair 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: St. Clair County. Physical office: Belleville, St. Clair County.
7650 Magna Dr, Suite 120, Belleville, IL, 62223Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
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. A closed, vacant or unconfirmed location has been left out of the visit listings.
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 21,900, give or take 1,090 civilian veterans in St. Clair County.
By ACS estimates, St. Clair County has the 5th largest veteran population among Illinois's 102 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | St. Clair County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 36 percent above the Illinois share; above the national share. | 22 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 19 percent above the Illinois share; above the national share. | 10 percent | 13 percent |
St. Clair County has about 3,880, give or take 334 veterans 75 and older, making up 18 percent of its veterans compared with 29 percent in Illinois.
St. Clair County has about 1,540, give or take 307 veterans under 35, making up 7 percent of its veterans compared with 8 percent in Illinois.
Women veterans in St. Clair County number about 2,970, give or take 418; their 14 percent share is above Illinois's 9 percent.
| Measure | St. Clair County | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $66,489 ± $5,328 | $53,526 ± $625 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $38,140 ± $1,201 | $43,938 ± $182 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 6.7% ± 1.6 points | 7.4% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 24.0% ± 2.0 points | 29.5% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 78.2% ± 2.9 points | 75.8% ± 0.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 2.9% ± 1.7 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 97.5% ± 0.8 points | 95.1% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 39.6% ± 3.3 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 22,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 25,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 11,766 veterans in St. Clair County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,638 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 1,133 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 1,220 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 3,826 |
| 100 percent | 3,949 |
FY2019: 7,936 recipients. Change to FY2025: +3,830.
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 1,334 VA-backed home loans out of 5,770 home loans made in St. Clair County (23.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $322,000.
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 4,770, give or take 455) and post-9/11 and Gulf War (1990s) (about 4,450, give or take 486).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $343.7 million in compensation and pension spending and about $148.7 million in medical care spending in St. Clair County for FY2025.
St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (opens in a new tab)
1 Jefferson Barracks Drive, St. Louis, MO 63125-4199
New-patient wait for mental health: 34 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 29 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 20 miles in a straight line from the county center.
St. Clair County VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
1190 Fortune Boulevard, Shiloh, IL 62269-7358
New-patient wait for primary care: 11 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 7 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Metro East Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
228 West Pointe Drive, Swansea, IL 62226
about 7 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 28 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 St. Clair County's second-nearest medical center, about 20 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Outside Illinois, in Creve Coeur, MO, St. Louis Vet Center (opens in a new tab) is St. Clair County's second-nearest Vet Center, about 29 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Chicago RO (station 328); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
2900 Sheridan Road St. Louis, MO 63125
314-845-8320
About 19.6 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 129.8 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.
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, East St. Louis, Belleville/St. Clair County CoC counted 25 veterans experiencing homelessness (25 sheltered, 0 unsheltered).
IL-508 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 27 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 St. Louis VA Medical Center-Jefferson Barracks (opens in a new tab), 314-652-4100. 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 St. Clair 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.
Claims agent · Belleville · IL · In your county
Are you Joseph McBroom? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeClaims agent · Belleville · IL · In your county
Are you Anna Klucker? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeClaims agent · Belleville · IL · In your county
Are you Tammie Reeves? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeClaims agent · Belleville · IL · In your county
Are you Karen Caldwell? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeClaims agent · Belleville · IL · In your county
Are you Heather Dropp? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeVA-accredited attorneys in Illinois
Claim Raven is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We do not recommend or endorse any attorney or claims agent. Listings come from VA's public accreditation records. Paid placements are advertising. Check an attorney's accreditation on VA's accreditation search (opens in a new tab) before you hire them.
Directories cover all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Choose another state.