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Avoyelles Parish, LA Veterans Service Office (VSO): phone and address

Find veterans benefits contacts for Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana.

Offices for Avoyelles Parish

LDVA Avoyelles Parish veterans office - Marksville

Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs

Type of help
Benefits and claims assistance
Location
Marksville

Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to arrange help and confirm what to bring.

Area served: Avoyelles Parish. Physical office: Marksville, Avoyelles Parish.

417 North Main Street, Marksville, Louisiana 71351

Monday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; Tuesday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; Wednesday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; Thursday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; Friday: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm; Saturday: Closed; Sunday: Closed

For statewide phone and remote help, see the Louisiana directory.

Getting help in Avoyelles Parish

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)

Office closed right now?

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) 387-1649

Veterans in Avoyelles Parish

The ACS estimates about 1,590, give or take 293 civilian veterans in Avoyelles Parish.

By ACS estimates, Avoyelles Parish has the 28th largest veteran population among Louisiana's 64 counties and equivalents.

Share of civilian veterans, ACS 2020-2024
MeasureAvoyelles ParishLouisianaUnited States
Share with a service-connected rating39 percent

above the Louisiana share; above the national share.

30 percent30 percent
Share rated 70 percent or higher19 percent

above the Louisiana share; above the national share.

14 percent13 percent

Avoyelles Parish has about 352, give or take 95 veterans 75 and older, making up 22 percent of its veterans compared with 24 percent in Louisiana.

Veterans under 35 account for 3 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Avoyelles Parish; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.

Women veterans account for 9 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Avoyelles Parish; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.

Income, work and education in Avoyelles Parish

Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates and 90% margins of error
MeasureAvoyelles ParishLouisianaUnited States
Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income$42,130 ± $15,307$48,927 ± $1,145$54,224 ± $147
Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income$23,622 ± $2,152$32,904 ± $301$41,154 ± $99
Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over21.7% ± 8.3 points10.2% ± 0.6 points7.4% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over49.5% ± 11.1 points33.9% ± 0.9 points30.7% ± 0.1 points
Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 6454.5% ± 15.2 points70.6% ± 1.2 points73.9% ± 0.2 points
Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 642.9% ± 7.4 points; small survey sample; treat as roughNot comparedNot compared
Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over91.9% ± 5.0 points94.7% ± 0.4 points95.5% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over15.8% ± 7.5 points; small survey sample; treat as roughNot comparedNot 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: about 1,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 2,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.

VA disability compensation in Avoyelles Parish

VA reports 839 veterans in Avoyelles Parish receiving disability compensation in FY2025.

VA recipients by service-connected rating, FY2025
Rating groupRecipients
0 to 20 percent132
30 to 40 percent64
50 to 60 percent96
70 to 90 percent289
100 percent258

FY2019: 751 recipients. Change to FY2025: +88.

VA does not publish some small counts. Those show as “Not published.” VA county compensation data (opens in a new tab).

VA home loans in Avoyelles Parish

In 2025, lenders reported 38 VA-backed home loans out of 489 home loans made in Avoyelles Parish (7.8% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).

Average VA loan amount reported: about $231,000.

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).

HMDA 2025 and FHFA 2026 sources.

When they served

The largest reported service groups are Vietnam era only (about 392, give or take 116) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 348, give or take 163).

For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange guide; eligibility depends on your service and condition.

VA money in Avoyelles Parish

VA reported about $26.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $23.0 million in medical care spending in Avoyelles Parish for FY2025.

Nearest VA locations

Call to confirm hours before you go.

Outside Louisiana, in Jackson, MS, G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Avoyelles Parish's second-nearest medical center, about 137 miles in a straight line from the county center.

The second-nearest Vet Center to Avoyelles Parish is Baton Rouge Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Baton Rouge, LA, about 73 miles in a straight line from the county center.

The state registry lists New Orleans RO (station 321); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.

Veterans cemeteries and State Veterans Homes

Nearest open VA national cemetery

Natchez National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
41 Cemetery Road Natchez, MS 39120
601-445-4981

About 48.5 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.

Nearest VA-funded state or tribal veterans cemetery

Southwest Louisiana Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1620 Evangeline Rd Jennings, LA 70546
337-246-7094

About 70.3 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.

Cleanup and former military sites in Avoyelles Parish

No sites from these two federal datasets were mapped to Avoyelles Parish.

For VA’s service-location rules, see the presumptive conditions list. A location listing does not establish personal exposure or eligibility.

Veterans experiencing homelessness

On one night in January 2024, Alexandria/Central Louisiana CoC counted 13 veterans experiencing homelessness (7 sheltered, 6 unsheltered).

LA-507 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).

The HUD workbook reports 9 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 Alexandria VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 318-473-0010. Ask for the homeless coordinator.

Housing prevention and rehousing help serving Avoyelles Parish

VA's FY2026 Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) intake list names these providers. About VA SSVF (opens in a new tab).

VA homeless programs (opens in a new tab)

Cities and towns in Avoyelles Parish

  • Marksville (city): about 4,905 residents
  • Bunkie (city): about 3,253 residents
  • Cottonport (town): about 1,858 residents
  • Simmesport (town): about 1,625 residents
  • Fifth Ward (unincorporated community): about 1,277 residents
More places (7)
  • Mansura (town): about 1,263 residents
  • Hessmer (village): about 828 residents
  • Moreauville (village): about 773 residents
  • Center Point (unincorporated community): about 580 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Evergreen (town): about 297 residents
  • Plaucheville (village): about 193 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Bordelonville (unincorporated community): about 150 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)

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.

Free tools and help

For the Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1. VA crisis support (opens in a new tab)

Louisiana benefits

Louisiana veterans rated 100 percent service-connected receive a primary residence exemption from ad valorem taxes, except certain municipal assessments.

Louisiana offers in-state tuition exemptions to eligible children of living veterans rated at least 90 percent or receiving 100 percent individual unemployability.

See every Louisiana benefit by rating

Get ready for your appointment

  • Your DD-214 or other discharge papers
  • Any VA decision letters you have received
  • Medical records you want to discuss

Full appointment checklist

Starting a new claim? Ask about an intent to file

Ask the office about VA Form 21-0966 to preserve a potential benefits start date while gathering evidence. Check your intent to file deadline.

Search or filter Louisiana listings

Nearby counties

Sources and method

ACS 2020-2024; VA FY2025; geography/locations/benefits 2026; adjacency 2024. Distances: straight line from county center. Full method.

VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents near Avoyelles Parish

Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.

Joshua Brown

Claims agent · Woodworth · LA · About 33 miles away

VA-accredited since 2026 · checked

VA accreditation number 62155

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Your request goes straight to Joshua Brown's email on file with VA. It's free, and they reply to you directly.

Your state: Louisiana

Theodore Vicknair Sr

Attorney · Alexandria · LA · About 33 miles away

VA-accredited since 2012 · checked

VA accreditation number 22623

4.5 · 31 reviews · Firm rating

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Your request goes straight to Theodore Vicknair Sr's email on file with VA. It's free, and they reply to you directly.

Your state: Louisiana

Jennings Jones III

Attorney · Lafayette · LA

VA-accredited since 2008 · checked

VA accreditation number 10690

5.0 · 3 reviews · Firm rating

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Your state: Louisiana

Kelly Stribling

Attorney · New Orleans · LA

VA-accredited since 2022 · checked

VA accreditation number 52423

1.0 · 2 reviews · Firm rating

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Your request goes straight to Kelly Stribling's email on file with VA. It's free, and they reply to you directly.

Your state: Louisiana

Michael Sepanik

Attorney · Metairie · LA · About 156 miles away

VA-accredited since 2011 · checked

VA accreditation number 21533

5.0 · 13 reviews · Firm rating

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Your request goes straight to Michael Sepanik's email on file with VA. It's free, and they reply to you directly.

Your state: Louisiana

VA-accredited attorneys in Louisiana

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.

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