Find veterans benefits contacts for St. Joseph County, Indiana.
St. Joseph County Veterans Service Office
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: St. Joseph County. Physical office: South Bend, St. Joseph County.
227 W. Jefferson Blvd 3rd Floor, South Bend, IN 46601-0712M T TH - 8:00 AM-4:00 PM W - CVSO @ VA Clinic W - AVSO is in office F - APPOINTMENT ONLY (574) 235-9978
Indiana Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Benton County, Carroll County, Cass County, Elkhart County, Fulton County, Jasper County, Kosciusko County, LaPorte County, Lake County, Marshall County, Newton County, Porter County, Pulaski County, St. Joseph County, Starke County, Tippecanoe County, White County.
Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Indiana 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 11,500, give or take 657 civilian veterans in St. Joseph County.
By ACS estimates, St. Joseph County has the 5th largest veteran population among Indiana's 92 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | St. Joseph County | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 22 percent below the Indiana share; below the national share. | 27 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 7 percent below the Indiana share; below the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in St. Joseph County number about 3,560, give or take 286; their 31 percent share is above Indiana's 26 percent.
Veterans under 35 in St. Joseph County number about 1,030, give or take 309; their 9 percent share is above Indiana's 7 percent.
St. Joseph County has about 910, give or take 202 women veterans; both the county and Indiana round to a 8 percent share.
| Measure | St. Joseph County | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $46,283 ± $2,986 | $48,849 ± $522 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $36,399 ± $672 | $39,059 ± $236 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 7.1% ± 1.6 points | 7.0% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 29.7% ± 2.5 points | 31.6% ± 0.6 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 80.0% ± 6.5 points | 75.7% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.2% ± 2.9 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 95.4% ± 1.2 points | 94.7% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 21.7% ± 2.7 points | 22.3% ± 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 11,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 13,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 3,646 veterans in St. Joseph County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,161 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 470 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 443 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 853 |
| 100 percent | 719 |
FY2019: 3,368 recipients. Change to FY2025: +278.
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 331 VA-backed home loans out of 6,675 home loans made in St. Joseph County (5.0% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $270,000.
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 3,810, give or take 378) and post-9/11 only (about 2,020, give or take 416).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $82.6 million in compensation and pension spending and about $78.8 million in medical care spending in St. Joseph County for FY2025.
Fort Wayne VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
2121 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805-5100
New-patient wait for primary care: 6 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 71 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Jackie Walorski VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
1540 Trinity Place, Mishawaka, IN 46545-5006
New-patient wait for mental health: 28 days (VA, as of August 22, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 2 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 9 miles in a straight line from the county center.
South Bend Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
4727 Miami Street, South Bend, IN 46614-3225
about 3 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 74 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Indiana, in Battle Creek, MI, Battle Creek VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is St. Joseph County's second-nearest medical center, about 72 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to St. Joseph County is Gary Area Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Crown Point, IN, about 55 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Indianapolis RO (station 326); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Fort Custer National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
15501 Dickman Road Augusta, MI 49012
269-731-4164
About 70.3 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Indiana Veterans Memorial Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1415 North Gate Rd Madison, IN 47250
812-273-9220
About 203.4 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.
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, Indiana Balance of State CoC counted 252 veterans experiencing homelessness (200 sheltered, 52 unsheltered).
IN-502 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid). This Balance of State area covers communities outside separate local CoCs.
The HUD workbook reports 303 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 Fort Wayne VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 260-426-5431. 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. Joseph 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)
Qualifying Indiana veterans rated 100 percent can deduct 100 percent of assessed homestead value when an eligible nonprofit donated the home.
Eligible children of Indiana wartime veterans with service-connected disability can receive tuition and fee exemptions for up to 124 credits at state universities.
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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