Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for McKinley County, New Mexico.
New Mexico Department of Veterans Services
NMDVS lists this as a Veteran Service Officer contact for claims help. Call to confirm the current representative and meeting location.
Area served: McKinley County.
908 E. Buena Vista Ave., Rm 1A, Gallup, NM 87301Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the New Mexico directory.
NMDVS field officers can assist veterans from anywhere in New Mexico. This county guide shows confirmed office locations only; call Field Services if no local office appears.
Official county or service directory (opens in a new tab) · Official county or service directory (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 2,210, give or take 294 civilian veterans in McKinley County.
By ACS estimates, McKinley County has the 12th largest veteran population among New Mexico's 33 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | McKinley County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 24 percent below the New Mexico share; below the national share. | 31 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 13 percent below the New Mexico share; the same rounded estimate as the national share. | 15 percent | 13 percent |
McKinley County has about 393, give or take 91 veterans 75 and older, making up 18 percent of its veterans compared with 27 percent in New Mexico.
Veterans under 35 account for 10 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in McKinley County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Women veterans in McKinley County number about 343, give or take 133; their 16 percent share is above New Mexico's 11 percent.
| Measure | McKinley County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $31,397 ± $7,917 | $51,889 ± $840 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $24,700 ± $957 | $33,560 ± $401 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 18.5% ± 6.4 points | 8.5% ± 0.7 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 37.6% ± 4.0 points | 34.2% ± 0.9 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 65.7% ± 9.4 points | 71.7% ± 1.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 4.5% ± 4.9 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 92.4% ± 2.4 points | 96.2% ± 0.5 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 23.8% ± 5.5 points | 35.5% ± 1.3 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 932 veterans in McKinley County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 156 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 88 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 115 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 316 |
| 100 percent | 257 |
FY2019: 778 recipients. Change to FY2025: +154.
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 29 VA-backed home loans out of 288 home loans made in McKinley County (10.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $263,000.
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 662, give or take 127) and post-9/11 only (about 606, give or take 215).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $28.3 million in compensation and pension spending and about $18.4 million in medical care spending in McKinley County for FY2025.
Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
1501 San Pedro Drive, Southeast, Albuquerque, NM 87108-5153
New-patient wait for mental health: 36 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 46 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 101 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Farmington VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
3605 English Road, Farmington, NM 87402-8303
New-patient wait for mental health: 58 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 26 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 82 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Navajo Vet Center Outstation (opens in a new tab)
Hwy 264, Building 10915, Ganado, AZ 86505
about 78 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Albuquerque VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
500 Gold Ave., SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
about 97 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside New Mexico, in Grand Junction, CO, Grand Junction VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is McKinley County's second-nearest medical center, about 242 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to McKinley County is Farmington (Hopi) Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Farmington, NM, about 82 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Albuquerque RO (station 340); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Santa Fe National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
501 N Guadalupe Street Santa Fe, NM 87501
505-988-6400
About 129.5 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Gallup State Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
333 National Cemetery Dr Gallup, NM 87305
575-921-3494
About 27.8 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, New Mexico Balance of State CoC counted 89 veterans experiencing homelessness (16 sheltered, 73 unsheltered).
NM-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 110 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 Raymond G. Murphy Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 505-265-1711. 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 2026, qualifying New Mexico veterans rated 100 percent receive a proportional 100 percent primary residence property tax exemption.
Qualifying New Mexico veterans rated at least 50 percent can receive a free disabled veteran license plate.
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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