Find veterans benefits contacts for Starke County, Indiana.
Starke County Veterans Service Office
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.
Area served: Starke County. Physical office: Knox, Starke County.
53 East Mound Street, Knox, IN 46534Tuesday-Thursday 8:30-3:00 CST (574) 772-9132
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 1,330, give or take 171 civilian veterans in Starke County.
Among Indiana's 92 counties and equivalents, Starke County ranks 65th by its estimated number of veterans.
| Measure | Starke County | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 17 percent below the Indiana share; below the national share. | 27 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 8 percent below the Indiana share; below the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Starke County number about 530, give or take 103; their 40 percent share is above Indiana's 26 percent.
Veterans under 35 account for 1 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Starke County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Women veterans account for 5 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Starke County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
| Measure | Starke County | Indiana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $45,775 ± $5,163 | $48,849 ± $522 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $30,704 ± $1,807 | $39,059 ± $236 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 7.1% ± 4.2 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 52.2% ± 6.3 points | 31.6% ± 0.6 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 74.5% ± 4.9 points | 75.7% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 7.7% ± 11.1 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 88.8% ± 5.9 points | 94.7% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 8.1% ± 3.9 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 slightly fewer veterans here by 2035; both years round to about 1,000. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 398 veterans in Starke County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 95 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 48 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 55 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 113 |
| 100 percent | 87 |
FY2019: 269 recipients. Change to FY2025: +129.
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 38 VA-backed home loans out of 616 home loans made in Starke County (6.2% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $274,000.
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 527, give or take 103) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 208, give or take 64).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $9.2 million in compensation and pension spending and about $7.7 million in medical care spending in Starke 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 67 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Adam Benjamin Jr., Veterans' Administration Outpatient Clinic (opens in a new tab)
9301 Madison Street, Crown Point, IN 46307-7745
New-patient wait for mental health: 15 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 26 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 38 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 32 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 67 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Indiana, in Hines, IL, Edward Hines Junior Hospital (opens in a new tab) is Starke County's second-nearest medical center, about 73 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Starke County is Gary Area Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Crown Point, IN, about 38 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Indianapolis RO (station 326); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Marion National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1700 E 38th Street Marion, IN 46952
765-674-0284
About 74.6 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 186.9 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 Starke 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 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).
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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