Find veterans benefits contacts for Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania county directors of veterans affairs
County director assists with county, state and federal veterans benefits applications.
Hours are not confirmed. Contact the provider before planning a visit.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Pennsylvania directory.
Somerset County Director of Veterans Affairs appears in this guide. Call the provider to confirm the type of claims help, current appointment and meeting location.
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Call (833) 387-1649The ACS estimates about 4,440, give or take 371 civilian veterans in Somerset County.
Among Pennsylvania's 67 counties and equivalents, Somerset County ranks 38th by its estimated number of veterans.
| Measure | Somerset County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 19 percent below the Pennsylvania share; below the national share. | 21 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 7 percent below the Pennsylvania share; below the national share. | 8 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Somerset County number about 1,520, give or take 162; their 34 percent share is above Pennsylvania's 32 percent.
Somerset County has about 169, give or take 64 veterans under 35, making up 4 percent of its veterans compared with 6 percent in Pennsylvania.
Somerset County has about 330, give or take 110 women veterans, making up 7 percent of its veterans compared with 8 percent in Pennsylvania.
| Measure | Somerset County | Pennsylvania | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $40,055 ± $3,263 | $49,710 ± $463 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $33,396 ± $1,201 | $41,158 ± $165 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 8.2% ± 2.5 points | 7.0% ± 0.3 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 38.2% ± 4.3 points | 30.7% ± 0.4 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 65.7% ± 9.2 points | 74.0% ± 0.8 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 3.4% ± 2.5 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 91.5% ± 2.9 points | 94.8% ± 0.2 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 13.4% ± 3.1 points | 25.5% ± 0.4 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 4,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 5,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 1,423 veterans in Somerset County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 303 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 189 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 178 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 409 |
| 100 percent | 344 |
FY2019: 1,040 recipients. Change to FY2025: +383.
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 85 VA-backed home loans out of 1,393 home loans made in Somerset County (6.1% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $221,000.
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 1,680, give or take 187) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 614, give or take 172).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $36.8 million in compensation and pension spending and about $33.7 million in medical care spending in Somerset County for FY2025.
James E. Van Zandt Veterans' Administration Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
2907 Pleasant Valley Boulevard, Altoona, PA 16602-4305
New-patient wait for mental health: 23 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 17 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 48 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Johnstown VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
598 Galleria Drive, Johnstown, PA 15904-8900
New-patient wait for mental health: 28 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 22 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 24 miles in a straight line from the county center.
White Oak Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
2001 Lincoln Way, Suite 280, White Oak, PA 15131
about 48 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Pittsburgh VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
about 60 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Somerset County is H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Pittsburgh, PA, about 58 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Outside Pennsylvania, in Morgantown, WV, Morgantown Vet Center (opens in a new tab) is Somerset County's second-nearest Vet Center, about 56 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Philadelphia RO (station 310) and Pittsburgh RO (station 311); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
National Cemetery of the Alleghenies (opens in a new tab)
1158 Morgan Road Bridgeville, PA 15017
724-746-4363
About 63.7 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Pennsylvania Soldiers' and Sailors' Home Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
560 E Third St Erie, PA 16512
814-871-4531
About 158.6 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.
No sites from these two federal datasets were mapped to Somerset 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, Eastern Pennsylvania CoC counted 92 veterans experiencing homelessness (82 sheltered, 10 unsheltered).
PA-509 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 71 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 James E. Van Zandt Veterans' Administration Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 814-943-8164. 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)
Pennsylvania fully exempts qualifying principal residences for veterans with total or 100 percent permanent service-connected disability who meet wartime service and financial need rules.
Pennsylvania offers eligible children of qualifying disabled wartime veterans up to $500 per term for eight semesters.
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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