Find veterans benefits contacts for Lake County, Ohio.
If you live in Lake County, free claims help is available through an accredited VSO representative at the Lake County Veterans Service Office in Painesville. Call first to confirm claims help, appointment availability, and meeting location. The Ohio Department of Veterans Services offers benefits information and referrals to a county Veterans Service Office; it is a referral contact, not the accredited claims representative. Lake County VA Clinic in Willoughby is 16 miles from the county center in a straight line, and Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center is 28 miles away by the same measure. By ACS estimates, Lake County has the 11th largest veteran population among Ohio's 88 counties and equivalents. Vietnam era only is the largest service era, with about 4,430 veterans, give or take 461. Agent Orange exposure questions depend on where and when you served.
Ohio county veterans service offices
County veterans service office. Call to ask about VA benefits applications and claims help.
Lake County Admin. Bldg., 105 Main St., Box 490, Painesville, OH 44077Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Ohio directory.
Lake County Veterans Service Office appears 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 13,400, give or take 782 civilian veterans in Lake County.
By ACS estimates, Lake County has the 11th largest veteran population among Ohio's 88 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Lake County | Ohio | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 24 percent below the Ohio share; below the national share. | 25 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 8 percent below the Ohio share; below the national share. | 9 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Lake County number about 4,080, give or take 336; their 30 percent share is above Ohio's 27 percent.
Veterans under 35 in Lake County number about 1,070, give or take 289; their 8 percent share is above Ohio's 7 percent.
Lake County has about 1,150, give or take 299 women veterans; both the county and Ohio round to a 9 percent share.
| Measure | Lake County | Ohio | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $51,053 ± $2,890 | $49,170 ± $530 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $44,498 ± $954 | $39,493 ± $213 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 4.6% ± 1.3 points | 7.9% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 32.2% ± 3.6 points | 30.8% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 78.3% ± 3.0 points | 74.4% ± 0.7 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 1.8% ± 1.2 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.2% ± 1.5 points | 94.8% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 20.3% ± 1.8 points | 24.2% ± 0.5 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 11,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 12,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 4,061 veterans in Lake County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,080 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 538 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 491 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 1,048 |
| 100 percent | 904 |
FY2019: 3,072 recipients. Change to FY2025: +989.
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 367 VA-backed home loans out of 6,379 home loans made in Lake County (5.8% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $290,000.
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 4,430, give or take 461) and post-9/11 only (about 2,250, give or take 433).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $98.6 million in compensation and pension spending and about $114.9 million in medical care spending in Lake County for FY2025.
Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106-1702
New-patient wait for mental health: 19 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 19 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 28 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Lake County VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
35000 Kaiser Court, Willoughby, OH 44094-3382
New-patient wait for mental health: 104 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 25 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 16 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Cleveland Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
24197 Broadway Avenue, Oakwood Village, OH 44146
about 33 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Cleveland VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
1240 E. 9th Street, A.J. Celebrezze Federal Building, Cleveland, OH 44199
about 32 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Ohio, in Erie, PA, Erie VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Lake County's second-nearest medical center, about 62 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Lake County is Parma Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Parma Heights, OH, about 40 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Cleveland RO (station 325); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
10175 Rawiga Road Seville, OH 44273
330-335-3069
About 62.4 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Ohio Veterans Home Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
3416 Columbus Ave Sandusky, OH 44870
419-625-2454
About 81 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, Ohio Balance of State CoC counted 108 veterans experiencing homelessness (99 sheltered, 9 unsheltered).
OH-507 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 159 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 Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 216-791-3800. 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 Lake 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)
No service-connected property tax tier is documented here.
Ohio offers qualifying children of severely disabled wartime veterans a renewable scholarship, with award amounts set each school year.
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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