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Cherokee County, OK Veterans Service Office (VSO): phone and address

Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Cherokee in Oklahoma.

Offices for Cherokee County

Other offices serving Cherokee County

ODVA Northeast Team

Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs

Type of help
Claims assistance
Location
Oklahoma

Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.

Area served: Adair County, Cherokee County, Craig County, Creek County, Delaware County, Kay County, Logan County, Mayes County, Noble County, Nowata County, Okfuskee County, Okmulgee County, Osage County, Ottawa County, Pawnee County, Payne County, Rogers County, Tulsa County, Wagoner County, Washington County.

Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.

Help from anywhere in Oklahoma

Getting help in Cherokee County

The county page identifies the listed ODVA team. Call to arrange assistance; the team listing does not establish a physical office in this county.

Official state directory (opens in a new tab)

Office closed right now?

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) 387-1649

Veterans in Cherokee County

The ACS estimates about 2,440, give or take 248 civilian veterans in Cherokee County.

By ACS estimates, Cherokee County has the 29th largest veteran population among Oklahoma's 77 counties and equivalents.

Share of civilian veterans, ACS 2020-2024
MeasureCherokee CountyOklahomaUnited States
Share with a service-connected rating45 percent

above the Oklahoma share; above the national share.

40 percent30 percent
Share rated 70 percent or higher26 percent

above the Oklahoma share; above the national share.

20 percent13 percent

Veterans 75 and older in Cherokee County number about 693, give or take 111; their 28 percent share is above Oklahoma's 24 percent.

Cherokee County has about 188, give or take 85 veterans under 35, making up 8 percent of its veterans compared with 9 percent in Oklahoma.

Cherokee County has about 186, give or take 67 women veterans, making up 8 percent of its veterans compared with 10 percent in Oklahoma.

Income, work and education in Cherokee County

Census ACS 2020-2024 estimates and 90% margins of error
MeasureCherokee CountyOklahomaUnited States
Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income$42,819 ± $5,754$52,753 ± $696$54,224 ± $147
Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income$30,249 ± $934$35,479 ± $183$41,154 ± $99
Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over10.0% ± 3.3 points8.1% ± 0.4 points7.4% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over46.5% ± 5.8 points38.4% ± 0.7 points30.7% ± 0.1 points
Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 6456.2% ± 9.0 points71.1% ± 1.0 points73.9% ± 0.2 points
Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 641.2% ± 5.5 points; small survey sample; treat as roughNot comparedNot compared
Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over94.7% ± 2.5 points95.1% ± 0.3 points95.5% ± 0.1 points
Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over32.7% ± 5.7 points28.4% ± 0.7 points31.8% ± 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 disability compensation in Cherokee County

VA reports 1,385 veterans in Cherokee County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.

VA recipients by service-connected rating, FY2025
Rating groupRecipients
0 to 20 percent227
30 to 40 percent119
50 to 60 percent165
70 to 90 percent471
100 percent403

FY2019: 1,133 recipients. Change to FY2025: +252.

VA does not publish some small counts. Those show as “Not published.” VA county compensation data (opens in a new tab).

VA home loans in Cherokee County

In 2025, lenders reported 73 VA-backed home loans out of 822 home loans made in Cherokee County (8.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).

Average VA loan amount reported: about $284,000.

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).

HMDA 2025 and FHFA 2026 sources.

When they served

The largest reported service groups are Vietnam era only (about 854, give or take 181) and post-9/11 only (about 393, give or take 96).

For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.

VA money in Cherokee County

VA reported about $38.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $35.3 million in medical care spending in Cherokee County for FY2025.

Nearest VA locations

Call to confirm hours before you go.

Outside Oklahoma, in Fayetteville, AR, Fayetteville VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Cherokee County's second-nearest medical center, about 48 miles in a straight line from the county center.

The second-nearest Vet Center to Cherokee County is Tulsa Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Tulsa, OK, about 52 miles in a straight line from the county center.

The state registry lists Muskogee RO (station 351); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.

Veterans cemeteries and State Veterans Homes

Nearest open VA national cemetery

Fort Gibson National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1423 Cemetery Road Fort Gibson, OK 74434
918-478-2334

About 14.8 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.

Nearest VA-funded state or tribal veterans cemetery

Seminole Nation and Veterans Memorial Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
35419 Hwy 59 Wewoka, OK 74884
405-295-4549

About 107.6 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.

Cleanup and former military sites in Cherokee County

Formerly Used Defense Sites

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, Northeast Oklahoma CoC counted 10 veterans experiencing homelessness (0 sheltered, 10 unsheltered).

OK-505 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).

The HUD workbook reports 8 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 Jack C. Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 888-397-8387. Ask for the homeless coordinator.

Housing prevention and rehousing help serving Cherokee County

VA's FY2026 Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) intake list names these providers. About VA SSVF (opens in a new tab).

VA homeless programs (opens in a new tab)

Cities and towns in Cherokee County

  • Tahlequah (city): about 16,935 residents
  • Park Hill (unincorporated community): about 3,237 residents
  • Norwood (unincorporated community): about 1,752 residents
  • Grandview (unincorporated community): about 1,251 residents
  • Briggs (unincorporated community): about 1,131 residents
More places (26)
  • Moodys (unincorporated community): about 1,108 residents
  • Woodall (unincorporated community): about 1,050 residents
  • Keys (unincorporated community): about 982 residents
  • Cookson (unincorporated community): about 921 residents
  • Peggs (unincorporated community): about 858 residents
  • Lost City (unincorporated community): about 852 residents
  • Pettit (unincorporated community): about 816 residents
  • Welling (unincorporated community): about 720 residents
  • Zeb (unincorporated community): about 522 residents
  • Caney (unincorporated community): about 467 residents
  • Shady Grove (unincorporated community): about 453 residents
  • Hulbert (town): about 444 residents
  • Steely Hollow (unincorporated community): about 342 residents
  • Eldon (unincorporated community): about 326 residents
  • Rocky Ford (unincorporated community): about 290 residents
  • Tenkiller (unincorporated community): about 285 residents
  • Barber (unincorporated community): about 280 residents
  • Lowrey (unincorporated community): about 264 residents
  • Dry Creek (unincorporated community): about 249 residents
  • Gideon (unincorporated community): about 219 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Sparrowhawk (unincorporated community): about 183 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Teresita (unincorporated community): about 157 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Pumpkin Hollow (unincorporated community): about 148 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Johnson Prairie (unincorporated community): about 142 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Caney Ridge (unincorporated community): about 88 residents (small survey sample; treat as rough)
  • Etta (unincorporated community): about 87 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.

Free tools and help

For the Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1. VA crisis support (opens in a new tab)

Oklahoma benefits

Qualifying honorably discharged Oklahoma veterans with a 100 percent permanent service-connected disability receive a full homestead exemption.

Oklahoma offers qualifying veterans rated 100 percent permanent and total a vehicle excise tax exemption, which is unavailable to surviving spouses.

See every Oklahoma benefit by rating

Get ready for your appointment

  • Your DD-214 or other discharge papers
  • Any VA decision letters you have received
  • Medical records you want to discuss

Full appointment checklist

Starting a new claim? Ask about an intent to file

Ask the office about VA Form 21-0966 to preserve a potential benefits start date while gathering evidence. Check your intent to file deadline.

Search or filter Oklahoma listings

Nearby counties

Sources and method

ACS 2020-2024; VA FY2025; geography/locations/benefits 2026; adjacency 2024. Distances: straight line from county center. Full method.

VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents near Cherokee County

Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.

Carl Williams

Claims agent · Tahlequah · OK · In your county

VA-accredited since 2014 · checked

VA accreditation number 31956

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Your state: Oklahoma

Nekanapeshe James

Attorney · Tahlequah · OK · In your county

VA-accredited since 2025 · checked

VA accreditation number 58430

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Your state: Oklahoma

William Duncan

Attorney · Muskogee · OK · About 29 miles away

VA-accredited since 2026 · checked

VA accreditation number 60636

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Your state: Oklahoma

Brandon Gassaway

Attorney · Muskogee · OK · About 29 miles away

VA-accredited since 2017 · checked

VA accreditation number 41888

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Your state: Oklahoma

VA-accredited attorneys in Oklahoma

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