Find veterans benefits contacts for Erie County, New York.
If you live in Erie County, you can get claims help at no cost from an accredited VSO representative; listed contacts include the Erie County Veterans Service Agency in Buffalo and NYS Veterans Services in Hamburg. Call first to confirm the type of claims help, appointments and meeting location. The New York State Veterans Services appointment line can connect you with a Veterans Benefits Advisor or county service contact; it is a referral contact, not itself a claims representative. The county has the 2nd largest veteran population among New York's 62 counties and equivalents. The largest service era is Vietnam era only, with about 14,500 veterans, give or take 788; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. The West Seneca VA Clinic is 5 miles away and the Buffalo Vet Center is 10 miles away, measured in a straight line from the county center.
Disabled American Veterans
DAV National Service Officer contact for free VA claims and appeals help.
Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
New York county veterans service agencies
Veterans benefits advice and help finding a claims appointment.
Area served: Erie County. Physical office: Buffalo, Erie County.
Rath Office Building, 95 Franklin Street Suite 800, Buffalo, NY 14202-3919Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
New York State Department of Veterans' Services
Veterans benefits advice and help finding a claims appointment.
Area served: Erie County. Physical office: Buffalo, Erie County.
3495 Bailey Avenue Room 602C, Buffalo, NY 14215Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
New York State Department of Veterans' Services
Veterans benefits advice and help finding a claims appointment.
Area served: Erie County. Physical office: Hamburg, Erie County.
6100 South Park Avenue Upper Level, Hamburg, NY 14075Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
New York State Department of Veterans' Services
Veterans benefits advice and help finding a claims appointment.
Area served: Erie County. Physical office: Buffalo, Erie County.
1001 East Delevan Ave, Buffalo, NY 14215Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
Veterans of Foreign Wars
VFW lists this contact in its Find a Service Officer results for free VA claims assistance.
130 S Elmwood Avenue, Suite 626, Buffalo, NY 14202-2484Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the New York directory.
NYS Veterans Services - c/o Buffalo VAMC, NYS Veterans Services - Hamburg Town Hall, Erie County Veterans Service Agency, and 3 other listed contacts appear 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 43,500, give or take 1,600 civilian veterans in Erie County.
By ACS estimates, Erie County has the 2nd largest veteran population among New York's 62 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Erie County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 23 percent above the New York share; below the national share. | 21 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 11 percent above the New York share; below the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Erie County has about 12,900, give or take 630 veterans 75 and older, making up 30 percent of its veterans compared with 33 percent in New York.
Erie County has about 2,430, give or take 402 veterans under 35, making up 6 percent of its veterans compared with 7 percent in New York.
Erie County has about 3,650, give or take 624 women veterans; both the county and New York round to a 8 percent share.
| Measure | Erie County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $50,267 ± $1,753 | $52,375 ± $532 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $42,039 ± $454 | $44,412 ± $201 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 8.1% ± 1.1 points | 8.5% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 27.8% ± 1.7 points | 29.4% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 73.8% ± 3.0 points | 71.9% ± 0.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.7% ± 2.0 points | 4.9% ± 0.4 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 95.5% ± 0.8 points | 94.1% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 26.6% ± 1.7 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 fewer veterans here in 2035: about 32,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 44,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 12,448 veterans in Erie County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,964 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 1,305 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 1,484 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 4,248 |
| 100 percent | 3,447 |
FY2019: 11,247 recipients. Change to FY2025: +1,201.
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 605 VA-backed home loans out of 16,228 home loans made in Erie County (3.7% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $313,000.
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 14,500, give or take 788) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 8,110, give or take 913).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $374.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $367.0 million in medical care spending in Erie County for FY2025.
Buffalo VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
3495 Bailey Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14215-1129
New-patient wait for mental health: 27 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 16 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 14 miles in a straight line from the county center.
West Seneca VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
968 Union Road, West Seneca, NY 14224-3438
New-patient wait for mental health: 25 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 14 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 5 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Buffalo Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
2929 Union Road, Cheektowaga, NY 14227
about 10 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 11 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Erie County is Batavia VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Batavia, NY, about 34 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Erie County is Rochester Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Rochester, NY, about 66 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.
Western New York National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1254 Indian Falls Road Corfu, NY 14036
585-297-1300
About 26.7 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
New York State Veterans Cemetery - Finger Lakes (opens in a new tab)
6632 NY-96A Romulus, NY 14541
607-379-0197
About 96.4 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, Buffalo, Niagara Falls/Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming Counties CoC counted 66 veterans experiencing homelessness (64 sheltered, 2 unsheltered).
NY-508 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 74 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 Buffalo VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 716-834-9200. 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).
The National Treatment Court Resource Center lists 1 veterans treatment court in Erie County as of December 31, 2025.
These courts connect participating veterans involved in the justice system with treatment and support. Each court sets its own eligibility rules. National Treatment Court Resource Center maps (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. The summary paragraph was drafted by AI from the facts on this page and checked automatically against them. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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