Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Lake County, Montana.
No local office is matched to Lake County in this directory. Contact a state option below or an office in a nearby county to ask about help.
Montana MVAD lists nine service offices but does not assign counties on its current contact page. Ask MVAD which office can help with this county and confirm the appointment and 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 2,420, give or take 221 civilian veterans in Lake County.
By ACS estimates, Lake County has the 9th largest veteran population among Montana's 56 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Lake County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 30 percent below the Montana share; the same rounded estimate as the national share. | 32 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 12 percent the same rounded estimate as the Montana share; below the national share. | 12 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Lake County number about 830, give or take 114; their 34 percent share is above Montana's 25 percent.
Veterans under 35 account for 5 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Lake County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Lake County has about 191, give or take 74 women veterans, making up 8 percent of its veterans compared with 10 percent in Montana.
| Measure | Lake County | Montana | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $45,708 ± $4,598 | $49,430 ± $1,076 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $33,939 ± $1,879 | $38,147 ± $393 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 8.4% ± 2.3 points | 7.6% ± 0.8 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 31.4% ± 5.0 points | 32.1% ± 1.2 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 64.4% ± 9.4 points | 72.9% ± 1.3 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.1% ± 8.0 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.4% ± 1.9 points | 96.7% ± 0.6 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 29.6% ± 5.8 points | 31.1% ± 1.5 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 2,000. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 785 veterans in Lake County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 150 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 86 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 99 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 243 |
| 100 percent | 207 |
FY2019: 539 recipients. Change to FY2025: +246.
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 71 VA-backed home loans out of 509 home loans made in Lake County (14.0% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $565,000.
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 1,040, give or take 154) and post-9/11 only (about 266, give or take 104).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $18.6 million in compensation and pension spending and about $20.1 million in medical care spending in Lake County for FY2025.
Fort Harrison VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
3687 Veterans Drive, Fort Harrison, MT 59636-9703
New-patient wait for mental health: 33 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 114 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 117 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Kalispell VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
750 Reserve Place, Kalispell, MT 59901-2272
New-patient wait for mental health: 2 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 43 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 43 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Kalispell Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
690 North Meridian Road, Suite 101, Kalispell, MT 59901
about 41 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Fort Harrison VA Regional Benefit Office at Fort Harrison VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
3633 Veterans Drive, Fort Harrison, MT 59636
about 117 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Montana, in Spokane, WA, Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Lake County's second-nearest medical center, about 158 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Lake County is Missoula Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Missoula, MT, about 55 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Fort Harrison RO (station 436); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Yellowstone National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
55 Buffalo Trail Road Laurel, MT 59044
406-647-2746
About 285.4 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery - Missoula (opens in a new tab)
1911 Tower Rd Missoula, MT 59804
406-721-2995
About 54.6 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.
No sites from these two federal datasets were mapped to Lake 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, Montana Statewide CoC counted 168 veterans experiencing homelessness (113 sheltered, 55 unsheltered).
MT-500 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 205 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 Fort Harrison VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 406-442-6410. 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)
For tax year 2027, qualifying Montana veterans rated 100 percent service-connected can receive property tax relief.
Montana operates 3 state veterans homes.
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.
Attorney · Missoula · MT · About 43 miles away
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