Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Dorchester in South Carolina.
Dorchester County has the 10th largest veteran population among South Carolina's 46 counties and equivalents, by ACS estimates. Women are about 15 percent of veterans here, an estimated share above South Carolina's 12 percent. The largest service-era group is post-9/11 only, estimated at about 3,550, give or take 760. PACT Act exposure questions depend on where and when you served. For free claims help, contact the Dorchester County Veterans Affairs Office to confirm current services and appointment options. An accredited VSO representative can help at no cost; confirm availability before traveling. The VFW South Carolina department contact can refer you to an accredited service officer, and the official state directory can help you find a current claims representative. The North Charleston VA Clinic is 25 miles away and the Charleston, SC Vet Center is 27 miles away, measured in a straight line from the county center.
Dorchester County Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Dorchester County.
Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the South Carolina directory.
Contact the listed office to confirm current services and appointment options. A county guide does not mean the office is physically in this county.
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 14,700, give or take 1,270 civilian veterans in Dorchester County.
By ACS estimates, Dorchester County has the 10th largest veteran population among South Carolina's 46 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Dorchester County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 40 percent above the South Carolina share; above the national share. | 33 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 21 percent above the South Carolina share; above the national share. | 16 percent | 13 percent |
Dorchester County has about 2,460, give or take 273 veterans 75 and older, making up 17 percent of its veterans compared with 23 percent in South Carolina.
Veterans under 35 in Dorchester County number about 1,550, give or take 454; their 10 percent share is above South Carolina's 8 percent.
Women veterans in Dorchester County number about 2,270, give or take 517; their 15 percent share is above South Carolina's 12 percent.
| Measure | Dorchester County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $65,397 ± $4,722 | $51,732 ± $843 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $39,648 ± $1,321 | $36,391 ± $221 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 5.3% ± 2.0 points | 7.7% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 26.4% ± 3.2 points | 30.4% ± 0.7 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 77.0% ± 3.4 points | 71.7% ± 1.0 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 4.1% ± 2.2 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 97.4% ± 1.4 points | 96.1% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 34.0% ± 3.1 points | 31.6% ± 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 more veterans here in 2035: about 18,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 17,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 8,138 veterans in Dorchester County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 1,296 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 877 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 1,044 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 2,557 |
| 100 percent | 2,364 |
FY2019: 5,112 recipients. Change to FY2025: +3,026.
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 1,263 VA-backed home loans out of 5,508 home loans made in Dorchester County (22.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $378,000.
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 3,550, give or take 760) and Vietnam era only (about 3,020, give or take 375).
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 $227.4 million in compensation and pension spending and about $125.1 million in medical care spending in Dorchester County for FY2025.
Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
109 Bee Street, Charleston, SC 29401-5799
New-patient wait for mental health: 34 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 0 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 33 miles in a straight line from the county center.
North Charleston VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
6450 Rivers Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29406-4882
New-patient wait for mental health: 30 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 27 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 25 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Charleston, SC Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
3625 West Montague Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29418
about 27 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Columbia VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
6437 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC 29209
about 70 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Dorchester County is Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Columbia, SC, about 70 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Dorchester County is Columbia, SC Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Columbia, SC, about 74 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Columbia RO (station 319); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Beaufort National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1601 Boundary Street Beaufort, SC 29902
843-524-3925
About 47.2 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
M.J. Dolly Cooper Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
140 Inway Dr Anderson, SC 29621
864-332-8022
About 157.8 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 Dorchester 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, Charleston/Low Country CoC counted 80 veterans experiencing homelessness (64 sheltered, 16 unsheltered).
SC-500 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 100 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 Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 843-577-5011. 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)
South Carolina exempts a qualifying home and up to five acres for veterans with permanent and total service-connected disability.
South Carolina waives eligible public college tuition for qualifying children of permanently and totally disabled wartime veterans.
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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