Find veterans benefits contacts for Jefferson County, New York.
New York county veterans service agencies
Veterans benefits advice and help finding a claims appointment.
Area served: Jefferson County. Physical office: Watertown, Jefferson County.
175 Arsenal Street 2nd Floor, Watertown, NY 13601Hours 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: Jefferson County. Physical office: Watertown, Jefferson County.
317 Washington Street Room 208, Watertown, NY 13601Hours 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: Jefferson County. Physical office: Fort Drum, Jefferson County.
Mt. Belvedere Boulevard Building P10720, Room A2-4, Fort Drum, NY 13602Hours 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: Jefferson County. Physical office: Watertown, Jefferson County.
1511 Washington St, Suite A, Watertown, NY 13601Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the New York directory.
NYS Veterans Services - SFAC Clark Hall, NYS Veterans Services - Dulles State Office Building, Jefferson County Veterans Service Agency, and 1 other listed contact 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 9,860, give or take 743 civilian veterans in Jefferson County.
By ACS estimates, Jefferson County has the 18th largest veteran population among New York's 62 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Jefferson County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 39 percent above the New York share; above the national share. | 21 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 23 percent above the New York share; above the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Jefferson County has about 1,460, give or take 173 veterans 75 and older, making up 15 percent of its veterans compared with 33 percent in New York.
Veterans under 35 in Jefferson County number about 2,260, give or take 469; their 23 percent share is above New York's 7 percent.
Women veterans in Jefferson County number about 1,640, give or take 288; their 17 percent share is above New York's 8 percent.
| Measure | Jefferson County | New York | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $50,611 ± $2,774 | $52,375 ± $532 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $37,051 ± $1,311 | $44,412 ± $201 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 8.9% ± 2.3 points | 8.5% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 27.4% ± 3.3 points | 29.4% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 71.0% ± 5.2 points | 71.9% ± 0.6 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 2.4% ± 1.7 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.8% ± 0.7 points | 94.1% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 22.0% ± 2.3 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 12,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 14,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 5,275 veterans in Jefferson County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 623 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 519 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 660 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 1,796 |
| 100 percent | 1,677 |
FY2019: 6,202 recipients. Change to FY2025: -927.
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 534 VA-backed home loans out of 1,984 home loans made in Jefferson County (26.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $262,000.
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 post-9/11 only (about 3,600, give or take 518) and Vietnam era only (about 1,600, give or take 180).
For questions about post-9/11 exposure rules, read the PACT Act presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $147.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $58.6 million in medical care spending in Jefferson 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 66 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Watertown VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
1222 Arsenal Street, Suite 10A, Watertown, NY 13601-2223
New-patient wait for mental health: 13 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 12 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 6 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Watertown Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1511 Washington Street, Suite A, Watertown, NY 13601-4546
about 8 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 161 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Jefferson County is Canandaigua VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Canandaigua, NY, about 97 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Jefferson County is Watertown Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Watertown, NY, about 8 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 131.4 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 98.6 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.
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.
See the presumptive conditions list, which includes the PACT Act conditions. A listing is not evidence that any one person was exposed or qualifies for benefits. VA decides each claim using the veteran’s service records.
VA lists Fort Drum as a location where herbicides were applied by helicopter in an artillery impact area from May through October 1959. The installation also extends into Lewis County; VA does not say which part was used. VA's page (opens in a new tab); official location source (opens in a new tab).
For VA’s service-location rules, see the presumptive conditions list.
On one night in January 2024, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence Counties CoC counted 11 veterans experiencing homelessness (10 sheltered, 1 unsheltered).
NY-522 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 2 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).
The National Treatment Court Resource Center lists 1 veterans treatment court in Jefferson 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. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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