Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Ward County, North Dakota.
North Dakota County Veterans Service Officers
County veterans service office; call to confirm representative and visit arrangements.
Area served: Ward County.
Courthouse 225 3rd Street SE Suite 124 Minot, ND 58701Monday - Friday, 8:00 am-4:30 pm
For statewide phone and remote help, see the North Dakota directory.
North Dakota maintains county VSO pages. The office shown may also serve nearby counties; contact it to confirm the current officer, schedule 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 5,200, give or take 518 civilian veterans in Ward County.
By ACS estimates, Ward County has the 2nd largest veteran population among North Dakota's 53 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Ward County | North Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 31 percent the same rounded estimate as the North Dakota share; above the national share. | 31 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 13 percent above the North Dakota share; the same rounded estimate as the national share. | 11 percent | 13 percent |
Ward County has about 875, give or take 134 veterans 75 and older, making up 17 percent of its veterans compared with 26 percent in North Dakota.
Veterans under 35 in Ward County number about 1,110, give or take 321; their 21 percent share is above North Dakota's 10 percent.
Women veterans in Ward County number about 911, give or take 272; their 18 percent share is above North Dakota's 11 percent.
| Measure | Ward County | North Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $52,055 ± $6,714 | $54,736 ± $1,839 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $45,664 ± $1,726 | $44,046 ± $582 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 9.0% ± 4.1 points | 6.7% ± 0.9 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 30.2% ± 5.1 points | 28.6% ± 1.6 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 75.5% ± 3.5 points | 80.5% ± 2.0 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 5.1% ± 4.2 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 91.6% ± 3.6 points | 94.3% ± 0.7 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 24.4% ± 5.0 points | 25.8% ± 1.6 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 6,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 7,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 2,524 veterans in Ward County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 489 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 299 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 374 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 818 |
| 100 percent | 544 |
FY2019: 2,381 recipients. Change to FY2025: +143.
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 374 VA-backed home loans out of 1,378 home loans made in Ward County (27.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $301,000.
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 1,750, give or take 335) and Vietnam era only (about 961, give or take 167).
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 $58.8 million in compensation and pension spending and about $27.8 million in medical care spending in Ward County for FY2025.
Fargo VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
2101 Elm Street North, Fargo, ND 58102-2417
New-patient wait for mental health: 16 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 26 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 240 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Minot VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
3400 South Broadway Street, Minot, ND 58701-1700
New-patient wait for mental health: 27 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 14 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 11 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Minot Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
3300 South Broadway, Minot, ND 58701
about 11 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Fargo VA Regional Benefit Office at North Fargo VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
2101 Elm Street N, Building 40, Fargo, ND 58102
about 240 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside North Dakota, in Fort Meade, SD, Fort Meade VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Ward County's second-nearest medical center, about 279 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Ward County is Bismarck Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Bismarck, ND, about 104 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Fargo RO (station 437); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Fargo National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
8709 40th Avenue N, County Road 20 Harwood, ND 58042
701-451-4650
About 232.2 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
North Dakota Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1825 46th St Mandan, ND 58554
701-667-1418
About 106.4 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, North Dakota Statewide CoC counted 44 veterans experiencing homelessness (36 sheltered, 8 unsheltered).
ND-500 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 49 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 Fargo VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 701-239-3700. 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)
North Dakota veterans rated 100 percent can receive a maximum $9,000 reduction of taxable homestead value.
Eligible dependents of North Dakota veterans rated 100 percent or individually unemployable receive tuition and fee waivers through a bachelor degree.
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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