Find the Stearns County veterans service office and confirm its current appointment details.
Minnesota county veterans services
County veterans service office for state and federal benefits questions, including VA claims. Contact the office to ask about appointments.
3301 County Road 138, Waite Park, MN 56387Minnesota Association of County Veterans Service Officers lists 8:00 - 4:30 M-F, Walk-ins 8:00 - 11:00 and 1:00 - 3:00 M-Th. Call to confirm current hours.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Minnesota directory.
Stearns County has a listed veterans service office in Waite Park. Call 320-656-6176 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 7,700, give or take 602 civilian veterans in Stearns County.
By ACS estimates, Stearns County has the 7th largest veteran population among Minnesota's 87 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Stearns County | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 45 percent above the Minnesota share; above the national share. | 34 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 13 percent above the Minnesota share; the same rounded estimate as the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Stearns County has about 2,110, give or take 206 veterans 75 and older, making up 27 percent of its veterans compared with 32 percent in Minnesota.
Veterans under 35 in Stearns County number about 635, give or take 255; their 8 percent share is above Minnesota's 7 percent.
Stearns County has about 552, give or take 125 women veterans, making up 7 percent of its veterans compared with 8 percent in Minnesota.
| Measure | Stearns County | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $47,733 ± $5,690 | $52,090 ± $555 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $40,144 ± $876 | $47,820 ± $204 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 11.4% ± 2.5 points | 6.8% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 29.7% ± 3.2 points | 30.3% ± 0.6 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 72.2% ± 6.4 points | 77.3% ± 0.7 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.2% ± 3.7 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 92.8% ± 1.8 points | 95.9% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 21.8% ± 3.5 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 7,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 9,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 4,755 veterans in Stearns County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,991 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 501 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 464 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 1,030 |
| 100 percent | 769 |
FY2019: 4,262 recipients. Change to FY2025: +493.
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 250 VA-backed home loans out of 3,149 home loans made in Stearns County (7.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $295,000.
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 2,670, give or take 262) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 1,330, give or take 260).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $82.7 million in compensation and pension spending and about $168.4 million in medical care spending in Stearns County for FY2025.
St. Cloud VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
4801 Veterans Drive, St. Cloud, MN 56303-2015
New-patient wait for mental health: 0 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 19 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 19 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Max J. Beilke Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic (opens in a new tab)
410 30th Avenue East, Alexandria, MN 56308-469
New-patient wait for primary care: 9 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 43 miles in a straight line from the county center.
St. Cloud Vet Center Outstation (opens in a new tab)
330 Highway 10 S, Suite 101, St. Cloud, MN 56304
about 23 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 83 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Stearns County is Minneapolis VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Minneapolis, MN, about 82 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Stearns County is Anoka Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Anoka, MN, about 65 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 82.7 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery - Little Falls (opens in a new tab)
15550 Hwy 115 Little Falls, MN 56345
320-616-2527
About 38.3 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.
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, St. Cloud/Central Minnesota CoC counted 38 veterans experiencing homelessness (35 sheltered, 3 unsheltered).
MN-505 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 32 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 St. Cloud VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 320-252-1670. 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)
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. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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