New Hanover County, NC Veterans Service Office (VSO)
Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for New Hanover in North Carolina.
You can get free claims help from an accredited VSO representative at the Wilmington Veterans Service Center; call first to confirm availability and appointment options before traveling. The VFW North Carolina department contact can connect you with an accredited service officer, but it is not a verified visit location. You can also use North Carolina’s official service directory to find a current claims representative. New Hanover County has the 10th largest veteran population among North Carolina’s 100 counties and equivalents, by ACS estimates. About 4,080 veterans served in the Vietnam era, give or take 455; Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served. The Wilmington VA Clinic is 7 miles away, measured in a straight line from the center of the county. The state page has full benefit terms.
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.
The ACS estimates about 13,200, give or take 893 civilian veterans in New Hanover County.
By ACS estimates, New Hanover County has the 10th largest veteran population among North Carolina's 100 counties and equivalents.
Share of civilian veterans, ACS 2020-2024
Measure
New Hanover County
North Carolina
United States
Share with a service-connected rating
37 percent
above the North Carolina share; above the national share.
34 percent
30 percent
Share rated 70 percent or higher
16 percent
below the North Carolina share; above the national share.
18 percent
13 percent
Veterans 75 and older in New Hanover County number about 3,660, give or take 326; their 28 percent share is above North Carolina's 23 percent.
New Hanover County has about 1,180, give or take 391 veterans under 35, making up 9 percent of its veterans compared with 10 percent in North Carolina.
New Hanover County has about 1,480, give or take 453 women veterans, making up 11 percent of its veterans compared with 12 percent in North Carolina.
Income, work and education in New Hanover County
Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates and 90% margins of error
Measure
New Hanover County
North Carolina
United States
Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income
$64,038 ± $4,961
$52,418 ± $511
$54,224 ± $147
Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income
$40,582 ± $1,129
$38,302 ± $191
$41,154 ± $99
Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over
4.0% ± 1.3 points
7.3% ± 0.3 points
7.4% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over
25.4% ± 2.9 points
30.1% ± 0.5 points
30.7% ± 0.1 points
Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64
77.4% ± 5.9 points
71.6% ± 0.7 points
73.9% ± 0.2 points
Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64
4.8% ± 3.3 points; small survey sample; treat as rough
Not compared
Not compared
Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over
98.1% ± 0.9 points
95.8% ± 0.2 points
95.5% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over
44.3% ± 4.0 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 14,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 15,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA disability compensation in New Hanover County
VA reports 6,001 veterans in New Hanover County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
VA recipients by service-connected rating, FY2025
Rating group
Recipients
0 to 20 percent
982
30 to 40 percent
618
50 to 60 percent
675
70 to 90 percent
1,868
100 percent
1,858
FY2019: 4,584 recipients. Change to FY2025: +1,417.
In 2025, lenders reported 440 VA-backed home loans out of 6,562 home loans made in New Hanover County (6.7% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
VA reported about $173.9 million in compensation and pension spending and about $70.4 million in medical care spending in New Hanover County for FY2025.
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.
Veterans experiencing homelessness
On one night in January 2024, Wilmington/Brunswick, New Hanover, Pender Counties CoC counted 35 veterans experiencing homelessness (19 sheltered, 16 unsheltered).
NC-506 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 27 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.
Murraysville (unincorporated community): about 16,339 residents
Myrtle Grove (unincorporated community): about 12,637 residents
Kings Grant (unincorporated community): about 9,003 residents
Ogden (unincorporated community): about 8,249 residents
More places (13)
Porters Neck (unincorporated community): about 7,654 residents
Carolina Beach (town): about 6,745 residents
Silver Lake (unincorporated community): about 6,563 residents
Wrightsboro (unincorporated community): about 6,287 residents
Northchase (unincorporated community): about 5,896 residents
Skippers Corner (unincorporated community): about 3,792 residents
Bayshore (unincorporated community): about 2,949 residents
Wrightsville Beach (town): about 2,665 residents
Kure Beach (town): about 2,466 residents
Sea Breeze (unincorporated community): about 1,849 residents
Castle Hayne (unincorporated community): about 897 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
Hightsville (unincorporated community): about 397 residents
Blue Clay Farms (unincorporated community): about 94 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
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.
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.
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.
VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents near New Hanover County
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
Claim Raven is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We do not recommend or endorse any attorney or claims agent. Listings come from VA's public accreditation records. Paid placements are advertising. Check an attorney's accreditation on VA's accreditation search (opens in a new tab) before you hire them.
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