Find veterans benefits contacts for Cortland County, New York.
New York county veterans service agencies
Veterans benefits advice and help finding a claims appointment.
Area served: Cortland County. Physical office: Cortland, Cortland County.
60 Central Avenue Box 5590, Cortland, NY 13045Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the New York directory.
Cortland County Veterans Service Agency appears in this guide. Call the provider to confirm the type of claims help, current appointment and meeting 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 2,340, give or take 246 civilian veterans in Cortland County.
Among New York's 62 counties and equivalents, Cortland County ranks 56th by its estimated number of veterans.
| Measure | Cortland County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 21 percent the same rounded estimate as the New York share; below the national share. | 21 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 7 percent below the New York share; below the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Cortland County has about 559, give or take 92 veterans 75 and older, making up 24 percent of its veterans compared with 33 percent in New York.
Cortland County has about 148, give or take 58 veterans under 35, making up 6 percent of its veterans compared with 7 percent in New York.
Women veterans in Cortland County number about 271, give or take 77; their 12 percent share is above New York's 8 percent.
| Measure | Cortland County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $48,658 ± $3,770 | $52,375 ± $532 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $34,322 ± $1,681 | $44,412 ± $201 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 8.4% ± 3.6 points | 8.5% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 30.5% ± 5.1 points | 29.4% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 72.9% ± 9.7 points | 71.9% ± 0.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 2.3% ± 2.1 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 92.9% ± 4.1 points | 94.1% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 18.1% ± 4.0 points | 29.1% ± 0.6 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 548 veterans in Cortland County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 135 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 71 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 78 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 154 |
| 100 percent | 110 |
FY2019: 587 recipients. Change to FY2025: -39.
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 27 VA-backed home loans out of 647 home loans made in Cortland County (4.2% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $254,000.
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 645, give or take 96) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 582, give or take 148).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $14.1 million in compensation and pension spending and about $17.7 million in medical care spending in Cortland County for FY2025.
Syracuse VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
800 Irving Avenue, Syracuse, NY 13210-2716
New-patient wait for mental health: 8 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 14 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 31 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Tompkins County VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
2309 North Triphammer Road, Cayuga Shopping Center, Unit 3, Ithaca, NY 14850-1060
New-patient wait for mental health: 38 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 28 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 22 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Syracuse Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
109 Pine Street, Suite 101, Syracuse, NY 13210
about 32 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Buffalo VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
130 South Elmwood Ave, Suite 601, Buffalo, NY 14202
about 144 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Cortland County is Canandaigua VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Canandaigua, NY, about 64 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Cortland County is Binghamton Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Binghamton, NY, about 35 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists New York RO (station 306) and Buffalo RO (station 307); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Bath National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
San Juan Avenue Bath, NY 14810
607-664-4853
About 67.1 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Woodlawn National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1825 Davis Street Elmira, NY 14901
607-732-5411
About 50.8 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: cremation only.
New York State Veterans Cemetery - Finger Lakes (opens in a new tab)
6632 NY-96A Romulus, NY 14541
607-379-0197
About 41.5 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.
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, Binghamton, Union Town/Broome, Otsego, Chenango, Delaware, Cortland, Tioga Count counted 16 veterans experiencing homelessness (16 sheltered, 0 unsheltered).
NY-511 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 25 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 Syracuse VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 315-425-4400. 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)
New York localities may fully exempt qualifying primary residences of veterans with permanent and total service-connected disability.
New York provides $450 annually to qualifying children of veterans who suffered at least 40 percent disability through service during specified wartime or emergency periods.
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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