Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Mecklenburg in North Carolina.
If you live in Mecklenburg County, free claims help is available through an accredited VSO representative at the Charlotte Veterans Service Center; call first to confirm availability and appointment options before traveling. The VFW North Carolina department contact and the official state service directory are referral contacts, not confirmed visit locations; the VFW contact can connect you with an accredited service officer. The South Charlotte VA Clinic and Charlotte Vet Center are each 6 miles away, measured in a straight line from the county center. The largest veteran group by service era is Vietnam era only, about 11,300, give or take 660; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. Check the linked state page for full benefit terms.
North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Anson County, Cabarrus County, Gaston County, Mecklenburg County, Richmond County, Stanly County, Union County.
7508 E. Independence Blvd, Suite 119, Charlotte, NC 28227Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the North Carolina directory.
The state map assigns Mecklenburg County to the Charlotte 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 44,900, give or take 1,600 civilian veterans in Mecklenburg County.
By ACS estimates, Mecklenburg County has the 2nd largest veteran population among North Carolina's 100 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 29 percent below the North Carolina share; below the national share. | 34 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 15 percent below the North Carolina share; above the national share. | 18 percent | 13 percent |
Mecklenburg County has about 9,250, give or take 481 veterans 75 and older, making up 21 percent of its veterans compared with 23 percent in North Carolina.
Veterans under 35 in Mecklenburg County number about 5,120, give or take 739; their 11 percent share is above North Carolina's 10 percent.
Women veterans in Mecklenburg County number about 6,610, give or take 838; their 15 percent share is above North Carolina's 12 percent.
| Measure | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $57,818 ± $2,342 | $52,418 ± $511 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $47,954 ± $519 | $38,302 ± $191 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 4.8% ± 0.8 points | 7.3% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 24.4% ± 1.8 points | 30.1% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 79.2% ± 1.5 points | 71.6% ± 0.7 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 4.1% ± 1.7 points | 4.1% ± 0.3 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.8% ± 0.7 points | 95.8% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 45.1% ± 2.2 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 44,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 47,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 16,696 veterans in Mecklenburg County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 2,456 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 1,480 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 1,743 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 5,335 |
| 100 percent | 5,682 |
FY2019: 12,953 recipients. Change to FY2025: +3,743.
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 1,445 VA-backed home loans out of 29,331 home loans made in Mecklenburg County (4.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $453,000.
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 11,300, give or take 660) and post-9/11 only (about 10,400, give or take 975).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $513.3 million in compensation and pension spending and about $320.4 million in medical care spending in Mecklenburg County for FY2025.
W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
1601 Brenner Avenue, Salisbury, NC 28144-2515
New-patient wait for mental health: 51 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 36 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 36 miles in a straight line from the county center.
South Charlotte VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
3506 West Tyvola Road, Charlotte, NC 28208-7201
New-patient wait for mental health: 23 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 34 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 6 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Charlotte Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
2114 Ben Craig Drive, Suite 300, Charlotte, NC 28262
about 6 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Winston-Salem VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
251 N. Main Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27155
about 67 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside North Carolina, in Columbia, SC, Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Mecklenburg County's second-nearest medical center, about 88 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Mecklenburg County is Rutherford Vet Center Outstation (opens in a new tab) in Rutherfordton, NC, about 63 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Winston-Salem RO (station 318); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Salisbury National Cemetery Annex (opens in a new tab)
501 Statesville Boulevard Salisbury, NC 28144
704-636-2661
About 35 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Western Carolina State Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
962 Old US 70 Hwy Black Mountain, NC 28711
828-669-0684
About 89.3 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, Charlotte/Mecklenberg CoC counted 116 veterans experiencing homelessness (99 sheltered, 17 unsheltered).
NC-505 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 165 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 W.G. (Bill) Hefner Salisbury Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 704-638-9000. 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. 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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