Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Ray in Missouri.
Missouri Veterans Commission
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Clay County, Ray County. Physical office: Independence, Jackson County.
15301 East 23rd Street, Independence, MO 64055Mon-Thur: 8:00am - 4:00pm
The MVC service-area map links this county to the listed office. Call to confirm the current service officer and appointment location.
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 1,460, give or take 225 civilian veterans in Ray County.
By ACS estimates, Ray County has the 48th largest veteran population among Missouri's 115 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Ray County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 24 percent below the Missouri share; below the national share. | 28 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 10 percent below the Missouri share; below the national share. | 12 percent | 13 percent |
Ray County has about 373, give or take 97 veterans 75 and older; both the county and Missouri round to a 26 percent share.
Veterans under 35 account for 1 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Ray County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Women veterans in Ray County number about 146, give or take 69; their 10 percent share is above Missouri's 9 percent.
| Measure | Ray County | Missouri | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $48,798 ± $3,864 | $47,561 ± $648 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $39,544 ± $1,917 | $38,684 ± $208 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 2.0% ± 1.5 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 30.7% ± 6.0 points | 33.2% ± 0.6 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 85.6% ± 8.4 points | 73.4% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 1.1% ± 4.8 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 86.8% ± 6.8 points | 94.9% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 14.3% ± 4.8 points | 26.5% ± 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 slightly fewer veterans here by 2035; both years round to about 1,000. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 478 veterans in Ray County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 122 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 60 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 65 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 140 |
| 100 percent | 91 |
FY2019: 390 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).
In 2025, lenders reported 52 VA-backed home loans out of 587 home loans made in Ray County (8.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $328,000.
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 406, give or take 109) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 355, give or take 102).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $10.4 million in compensation and pension spending and about $12.3 million in medical care spending in Ray County for FY2025.
Kansas City VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
4801 Linwood Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64128-2226
New-patient wait for mental health: 59 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 43 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 33 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Excelsior Springs VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
2366 Vintage Drive, Excelsior Springs, MO 64024-8011
New-patient wait for primary care: 28 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for mental health: 5 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 15 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Kansas City Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
4800 Main Street, Suite 107, Kansas City, MO 64112-2501
about 37 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Des Moines VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
210 Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50309
about 159 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Missouri, in Leavenworth, KS, Dwight D. Eisenhower Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Ray County's second-nearest medical center, about 48 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Ray County is Kansas City Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Kansas City, MO, about 37 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists St. Louis RO (station 331); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Leavenworth National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
150 Muncie Road Leavenworth, KS 66048
913-727-1376
About 48.1 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Missouri State Veterans Cemetery - Higginsville (opens in a new tab)
20109 Bus. Hwy 13 Higginsville, MO 64037
660-362-6111
About 20.3 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, Missouri Balance of State CoC counted 140 veterans experiencing homelessness (81 sheltered, 59 unsheltered).
MO-606 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 114 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 Kansas City VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 816-861-4700. 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)
Qualifying Missouri veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability can receive a property tax credit for real estate taxes or rent.
Missouri offers survivor grants to eligible children and spouses of veterans rated at least 80 percent for qualifying combat injuries since September 11, 2001.
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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