Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Columbus in North Carolina.
North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Bladen County, Brunswick County, Columbus County, New Hanover County, Onslow County, Pender County.
3205 Randall Pkwy, Suite 102, Wilmington, NC 28403Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
The state map assigns Columbus County to the Wilmington center. Call to confirm the current appointment options.
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 2,670, give or take 386 civilian veterans in Columbus County.
Among North Carolina's 100 counties and equivalents, Columbus County ranks 61st by its estimated number of veterans.
| Measure | Columbus County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 26 percent below the North Carolina share; below the national share. | 34 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 17 percent below the North Carolina share; above the national share. | 18 percent | 13 percent |
Columbus County has about 614, give or take 130 veterans 75 and older; both the county and North Carolina round to a 23 percent share.
Columbus County has about 138, give or take 64 veterans under 35, making up 5 percent of its veterans compared with 10 percent in North Carolina.
Women veterans in Columbus County number about 425, give or take 142; their 16 percent share is above North Carolina's 12 percent.
| Measure | Columbus County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $44,243 ± $2,522 | $52,418 ± $511 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $30,336 ± $2,045 | $38,302 ± $191 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 6.5% ± 2.6 points | 7.3% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 39.7% ± 6.8 points | 30.1% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 64.3% ± 10.0 points | 71.6% ± 0.7 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 1.5% ± 1.5 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 98.2% ± 1.8 points | 95.8% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 20.9% ± 6.5 points | 32.2% ± 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 2,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 3,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 1,365 veterans in Columbus County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 204 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 118 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 153 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 452 |
| 100 percent | 438 |
FY2019: 1,077 recipients. Change to FY2025: +288.
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 84 VA-backed home loans out of 785 home loans made in Columbus County (10.7% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $280,000.
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 842, give or take 174) and post-9/11 only (about 516, give or take 187).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $43.8 million in compensation and pension spending and about $24.7 million in medical care spending in Columbus County for FY2025.
Fayetteville VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
2300 Ramsey Street, Fayetteville, NC 28301-3856
New-patient wait for mental health: 71 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 59 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Brunswick County VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
18 Doctors Circle, Suite 2, Supply, NC 28462-4089
New-patient wait for primary care: 56 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 27 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Myrtle Beach Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1101 Johnson Avenue, Suite 201, Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
about 44 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Columbia VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
6437 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC 29209
about 134 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Columbus County is Durham VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Durham, NC, about 122 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Columbus County is Fayetteville, NC Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Fayetteville, NC, about 56 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Winston-Salem RO (station 318); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Florence National Cemetery Annex (opens in a new tab)
1001 Stockade Drive Florence, SC 29506
843-669-8783
About 63.9 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
400 Murchison Rd Spring Lake, NC 28390
919-664-1175
About 64.7 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, North Carolina Balance of State CoC counted 134 veterans experiencing homelessness (70 sheltered, 64 unsheltered).
NC-503 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 157 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 Fayetteville VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 910-488-2120. 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)
Qualifying North Carolina veterans with a 100 percent permanent and total service-connected disability receive a $45,000 homestead assessed value exemption.
North Carolina offers Class I-B scholarships to eligible children of veterans receiving compensation for a 100 percent wartime service-connected disability.
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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