Find the Dakota County veterans service office and confirm its current appointment details.
If you live in Dakota County, the Dakota County Veterans Service Office in West St. Paul offers claims help. Call 651-554-5601 to confirm the meeting location, hours and claims assistance before traveling. An accredited VSO representative can help you with claims at no cost; confirm availability with the office. DAV Minnesota and VFW Minnesota also list contacts for claims help, so call or email to ask about assistance and current appointment options. Minnesota LinkVet provides benefits information and routes you to a county or state claims contact; it is a referral service. From the center of the county, the Twin Cities Vet Center in Eagan is 11 miles away, and the Minneapolis VA Medical Center is 17 miles away in a straight line. The state page has full benefit terms.
Minnesota county veterans services
County veterans service office for state and federal benefits questions, including VA claims. Contact the office to ask about appointments.
1 Mendota Road West, Suite #420, West St. Paul, MN 55118Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers lists 8:00 - 4:30 M-F. Call to confirm current hours.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Minnesota directory.
Dakota County has a listed veterans service office in West St. Paul. Call 651-554-5601 to confirm the meeting location, hours and claims assistance before traveling.
Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers profile (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 20,100, give or take 965 civilian veterans in Dakota County.
By ACS estimates, Dakota County has the 2nd largest veteran population among Minnesota's 87 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Dakota County | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 32 percent below the Minnesota share; above the national share. | 34 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 7 percent below the Minnesota share; below the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Dakota County has about 5,670, give or take 330 veterans 75 and older, making up 28 percent of its veterans compared with 32 percent in Minnesota.
Veterans under 35 in Dakota County number about 1,750, give or take 348; their 9 percent share is above Minnesota's 7 percent.
Women veterans in Dakota County number about 2,110, give or take 338; their 11 percent share is above Minnesota's 8 percent.
| Measure | Dakota County | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $63,508 ± $2,458 | $52,090 ± $555 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $55,291 ± $851 | $47,820 ± $204 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 4.7% ± 1.1 points | 6.8% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 25.7% ± 2.4 points | 30.3% ± 0.6 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 82.8% ± 2.9 points | 77.3% ± 0.7 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.0% ± 1.8 points | 4.6% ± 0.6 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.8% ± 1.0 points | 95.9% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 35.8% ± 2.2 points | 28.6% ± 0.7 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 16,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 21,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 8,156 veterans in Dakota County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 2,938 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 1,092 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 932 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 1,803 |
| 100 percent | 1,391 |
FY2019: 6,667 recipients. Change to FY2025: +1,489.
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 549 VA-backed home loans out of 10,300 home loans made in Dakota County (5.3% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $397,000.
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 6,340, give or take 494) and post-9/11 only (about 3,930, give or take 561).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $160.8 million in compensation and pension spending and about $181.8 million in medical care spending in Dakota County for FY2025.
Minneapolis VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417-2309
New-patient wait for mental health: 15 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 40 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 17 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Minneapolis VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
1201 Harmon Place, Community Resource & Referral Center (CRRC), Suite 103, Minneapolis, MN 55403-2043
New-patient wait for primary care: 16 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 24 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Twin Cities Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
2113 Cliff Drive, Suite 100, Eagan, MN 55122
about 11 miles in a straight line from the county center.
St. Paul VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
1 Federal Drive, Fort Snelling, St. Paul, MN 55111
about 17 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Dakota County is St. Cloud VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in St. Cloud, MN, about 84 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Dakota County is Twin Cities Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Richfield, MN, about 17 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists St. Paul RO (station 335); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Fort Snelling National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
7601 34th Avenue S Minneapolis, MN 55450
612-726-1127
About 15.5 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery - Preston (opens in a new tab)
715 Hwy 52 Preston, MN 55965
507-765-7320
About 84.8 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, Dakota, Anoka, Washington, Scott, Carver Counties counted 17 veterans experiencing homelessness (15 sheltered, 2 unsheltered).
MN-503 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 24 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 Minneapolis VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 612-725-2000. 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 Dakota 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)
Minnesota offers a $300,000 home market value exclusion for qualifying veterans rated at least 100 percent permanent and total.
Eligible Minnesota dependents of veterans rated 100 percent permanent and total may receive up to $15,000 through the Minnesota GI Bill.
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.
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