Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Forrest in Mississippi.
Mississippi Veterans Affairs / county service office
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Forrest County.
Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Mississippi directory.
Contact the listed office to confirm current services and appointment options. A county guide does not mean the office is physically in this county.
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 3,860, give or take 496 civilian veterans in Forrest County.
By ACS estimates, Forrest County has the 7th largest veteran population among Mississippi's 82 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 30 percent below the Mississippi share; the same rounded estimate as the national share. | 33 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 12 percent below the Mississippi share; below the national share. | 15 percent | 13 percent |
Forrest County has about 802, give or take 192 veterans 75 and older, making up 21 percent of its veterans compared with 22 percent in Mississippi.
Forrest County has about 279, give or take 120 veterans under 35, making up 7 percent of its veterans compared with 8 percent in Mississippi.
Women veterans in Forrest County number about 445, give or take 175; their 12 percent share is above Mississippi's 11 percent.
| Measure | Forrest County | Mississippi | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $46,625 ± $7,617 | $46,089 ± $1,150 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $28,401 ± $1,321 | $31,089 ± $190 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 13.8% ± 4.3 points | 9.1% ± 0.6 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 37.6% ± 5.5 points | 34.9% ± 0.8 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 70.1% ± 9.6 points | 69.1% ± 1.5 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.9% ± 6.6 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.2% ± 2.3 points | 94.5% ± 0.5 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 29.1% ± 6.0 points | 25.8% ± 1.0 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 4,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 5,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 1,714 veterans in Forrest County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 286 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 146 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 196 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 525 |
| 100 percent | 561 |
FY2019: 1,693 recipients. Change to FY2025: +21.
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 161 VA-backed home loans out of 1,453 home loans made in Forrest County (11.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $268,000.
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 1,180, give or take 271) and post-9/11 only (about 779, give or take 242).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $78.2 million in compensation and pension spending and about $27.5 million in medical care spending in Forrest County for FY2025.
Biloxi VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
400 Veterans Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39531-2410
New-patient wait for mental health: 50 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 28 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 57 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Hattiesburg VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
5003 Hardy Street, Tower B, Suite 402, Hattiesburg, MS 39402-1331
New-patient wait for mental health: 111 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 6 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 12 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Biloxi Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
288 Veterans Avenue, Biloxi, MS 39531
about 57 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Jackson VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
1600 E. Woodrow Wilson Ave., Jackson, MS 39216
about 95 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Forrest County is G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Jackson, MS, about 95 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Outside Mississippi, in Mobile, AL, Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) is Forrest County's second-nearest Vet Center, about 76 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Jackson RO (station 323); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Biloxi National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
101 Memorial Drive Biloxi, MS 39531
228-388-6668
About 57 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery - Newton (opens in a new tab)
248 Honor Cir Newton, MS 39345
601-683-2959
About 80.1 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, Mississippi Balance of State CoC counted 25 veterans experiencing homelessness (12 sheltered, 13 unsheltered).
MS-501 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 20 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 Biloxi VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 228-523-5000. 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)
Honorably discharged Mississippi veterans with total service-connected disability receive a full homestead ad valorem tax exemption.
Mississippi lists one-dollar disabled veteran tags for qualifying residents rated at least 70 percent without permanent and total status.
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.
Claims agent · Leakesville · MS · About 37 miles away
Are you Betty Turner? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, free
Are you Jansen Owen? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeAttorney · Hattiesburg · MS · About 15 miles away
Are you Christopher Nobles? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeClaims agent · Brandon · MS · About 85 miles away
Are you Jerry Cutrer? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeClaims agent · Collinsville · MS · About 91 miles away
Are you Rebecca Finch? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeVA-accredited attorneys in Mississippi
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.
Directories cover all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Choose another state.