Calcasieu Parish, LA Veterans Service Office (VSO): phone and address
Find veterans benefits contacts for Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana.
Calcasieu Parish has about 11,800 veterans, give or take 1,050, and ranks 6th among Louisiana’s 64 counties and equivalents by ACS estimates. The largest service era is Vietnam era only, with about 3,200 veterans, give or take 474; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. For local claims help, the LDVA Calcasieu Parish veterans office in Lake Charles is listed as a claims office. An accredited VSO representative can help with claims at no cost, but confirm availability, appointment and meeting location before traveling. DAV, VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, PVA and VVA contacts are referral routes; contact them to find a current representative. The Lake Charles VA clinic is 11 miles away, measured in a straight line from the county center. Use the linked Louisiana page for full benefit terms.
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.
The ACS estimates about 11,800, give or take 1,050 civilian veterans in Calcasieu Parish.
By ACS estimates, Calcasieu Parish has the 6th largest veteran population among Louisiana's 64 counties and equivalents.
Share of civilian veterans, ACS 2020-2024
Measure
Calcasieu Parish
Louisiana
United States
Share with a service-connected rating
27 percent
below the Louisiana share; below the national share.
30 percent
30 percent
Share rated 70 percent or higher
11 percent
below the Louisiana share; below the national share.
14 percent
13 percent
Calcasieu Parish has about 2,700, give or take 308 veterans 75 and older, making up 23 percent of its veterans compared with 24 percent in Louisiana.
Veterans under 35 in Calcasieu Parish number about 1,150, give or take 424; their 10 percent share is above Louisiana's 8 percent.
Calcasieu Parish has about 1,240, give or take 436 women veterans, making up 10 percent of its veterans compared with 11 percent in Louisiana.
Income, work and education in Calcasieu Parish
Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates and 90% margins of error
Measure
Calcasieu Parish
Louisiana
United States
Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income
$47,315 ± $5,133
$48,927 ± $1,145
$54,224 ± $147
Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income
$32,998 ± $1,448
$32,904 ± $301
$41,154 ± $99
Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over
13.2% ± 2.9 points
10.2% ± 0.6 points
7.4% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over
35.5% ± 4.2 points
33.9% ± 0.9 points
30.7% ± 0.1 points
Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64
66.9% ± 6.1 points
70.6% ± 1.2 points
73.9% ± 0.2 points
Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64
8.9% ± 4.3 points; small survey sample; treat as rough
Not compared
Not compared
Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over
93.9% ± 1.9 points
94.7% ± 0.4 points
95.5% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over
19.1% ± 4.0 points
25.9% ± 0.9 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 9,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 11,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA disability compensation in Calcasieu Parish
VA reports 3,568 veterans in Calcasieu Parish receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
In 2025, lenders reported 250 VA-backed home loans out of 2,826 home loans made in Calcasieu Parish (8.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
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.
Veterans experiencing homelessness
On one night in January 2024, Louisiana Balance of State CoC counted 39 veterans experiencing homelessness (25 sheltered, 14 unsheltered).
LA-509 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 88 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.
Moss Bluff (unincorporated community): about 12,482 residents
Prien (unincorporated community): about 7,119 residents
Westlake (city): about 4,743 residents
More places (7)
Carlyss (unincorporated community): about 4,412 residents
Iowa (town): about 3,200 residents
Vinton (town): about 3,176 residents
DeQuincy (city): about 2,931 residents
Hayes (unincorporated community): about 690 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
Gillis (unincorporated community): about 667 residents
Starks (unincorporated community): about 314 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.
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.
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.
VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents near Calcasieu Parish
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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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