- Type of help
- DAV National Service Office
- Location
- Columbia
DAV National Service Officers provide free help with VA benefits claims and appeals.
6437 Garners Ferry Rd, Suite 1129, Columbia, SC 29209Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
Local help and county facts
Richland County, SC Veterans Service Office (VSO): phone and address
Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Richland in South Carolina.
If you live in Richland County, free claims help is available from an accredited VSO representative; contact the DAV Columbia National Service Office, Richland County Veterans Affairs Office, or Columbia VFW service office to confirm current services and appointment options before traveling. The VFW South Carolina department contact and South Carolina official service directory are referral options, not confirmed visit locations; the VFW contact can connect you with an accredited service officer. Richland has the 1st largest veteran population among South Carolina’s 46 counties and equivalents by ACS estimates. The largest service era is post-9/11 only, with about 7,750 veterans, give or take 977. PACT Act exposure questions depend on where and when you served. The Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Columbia VA Regional Benefit Office are each 5 miles away; distances are straight-line measurements from the county center.
Offices for Richland County
Richland County Veterans Affairs Office
Richland County Veterans Affairs
- Type of help
- Claims assistance
- Location
- Richland County
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Richland County.
Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
- Type of help
- VFW claims-service contact
- Location
- Columbia
VFW's service-officer finder lists claims assistance at this location. Confirm the current representative.
6437 Garners Ferry Road, Suite 1124, Columbia, SC 29209Hours are not confirmed. Call before visiting.
For statewide phone and remote help, see the South Carolina directory.
Getting help in Richland County
Contact the listed office to confirm current services and appointment options. A county guide does not mean the office is physically in this county.
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) 387-1649Veterans in Richland County
The ACS estimates about 31,200, give or take 1,600 civilian veterans in Richland County.
By ACS estimates, Richland County has the 1st largest veteran population among South Carolina's 46 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Richland County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 50 percent above the South Carolina share; above the national share. | 33 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 32 percent above the South Carolina share; above the national share. | 16 percent | 13 percent |
Richland County has about 4,760, give or take 373 veterans 75 and older, making up 15 percent of its veterans compared with 23 percent in South Carolina.
Veterans under 35 in Richland County number about 3,490, give or take 666; their 11 percent share is above South Carolina's 8 percent.
Women veterans in Richland County number about 6,140, give or take 686; their 20 percent share is above South Carolina's 12 percent.
Income, work and education in Richland County
| Measure | Richland County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $52,186 ± $4,069 | $51,732 ± $843 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $35,062 ± $840 | $36,391 ± $221 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 10.5% ± 1.9 points | 7.7% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 35.6% ± 3.5 points | 30.4% ± 0.7 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 68.1% ± 2.7 points | 71.7% ± 1.0 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 3.1% ± 1.4 points | 3.9% ± 0.5 points | 4.1% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 97.5% ± 0.7 points | 96.1% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 36.4% ± 2.1 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 fewer veterans here in 2035: about 36,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 39,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA disability compensation in Richland County
VA reports 20,680 veterans in Richland County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 2,088 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 1,459 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 1,818 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 6,138 |
| 100 percent | 9,177 |
FY2019: 15,238 recipients. Change to FY2025: +5,442.
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 Richland County
In 2025, lenders reported 2,497 VA-backed home loans out of 10,402 home loans made in Richland County (24.0% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $324,000.
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).
When they served
The largest reported service groups are post-9/11 only (about 7,750, give or take 977) and Vietnam era only (about 6,150, give or take 529).
For questions about post-9/11 exposure rules, read the PACT Act presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA money in Richland County
VA reported about $657.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $396.4 million in medical care spending in Richland County for FY2025.
Nearest VA locations
VA medical center
Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
6439 Garners Ferry Road, Columbia, SC 29209-1638
New-patient wait for mental health: 21 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 31 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 5 miles in a straight line from the county center.
VA clinic
Sumter VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
245 North Bultman Drive, Sumter, SC 29150
New-patient wait for mental health: 19 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 45 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 31 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Vet Center
Columbia, SC Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1710 Richland Street, Suite A, Columbia, SC 29201
about 8 miles in a straight line from the county center.
VA regional benefit office
Columbia VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
6437 Garners Ferry Rd, Columbia, SC 29209
about 5 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside South Carolina, in Augusta, GA, Charlie Norwood Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) is Richland County's second-nearest medical center, about 73 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Richland County is Columbia Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Columbia, SC, about 8 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Columbia RO (station 319); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Veterans cemeteries and State Veterans Homes
Nearest open VA national cemetery
Fort Jackson National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
4170 Percival Road Columbia, SC 29229
803-699-2246
About 4.9 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Nearest VA-funded state or tribal veterans cemetery
M.J. Dolly Cooper Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
140 Inway Dr Anderson, SC 29621
864-332-8022
About 100.9 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.
State Veterans Homes in Richland County
- E. Roy Stone, Jr. War Veterans Pavilion, Columbia
VA-recognized State Veterans Homes listed in VA's FY2025 per diem list, September 2024. VA State Home list (opens in a new tab).
Cleanup and former military sites in Richland County
EPA Superfund National Priorities List
- Palmetto Recycling, Inc. (opens in a new tab)
Status: deleted. Federal facility: no. - SCRDI Bluff Road (opens in a new tab)
Status: final. Federal facility: no. - Townsend Saw Chain Co. (opens in a new tab)
Status: final. Federal facility: no.
Formerly Used Defense Sites
- COLUMBIA REGION MSSA (opens in a new tab)
- GREGG CIRCLE AREA (opens in a new tab)
- MCENTIRE AIR NG BASE (opens in a new tab)
- PONTIAC BMB RNG (opens in a new tab)
- USO 38-102 (opens in a new tab)
More former defense sites (1)
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, Columbia/Midlands CoC counted 131 veterans experiencing homelessness (107 sheltered, 24 unsheltered).
SC-502 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 188 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 Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 803-776-4000. Ask for the homeless coordinator.
Housing prevention and rehousing help serving Richland County
- Alston Wilkes Society: (803) 995-8464
- One-Eighty Place: (843) 212-8668; (803) 726-6348
VA's FY2026 Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) intake list names these providers. About VA SSVF (opens in a new tab).
Veterans treatment courts in Richland County
The National Treatment Court Resource Center lists 1 veterans treatment court in Richland 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).
Cities and towns in Richland County
- Columbia (city): about 139,643 residents
- St. Andrews (unincorporated community): about 19,868 residents
- Dentsville (unincorporated community): about 15,209 residents
- Irmo (town): about 11,813 residents
- Forest Acres (city): about 10,530 residents
More places (10)
- Woodfield (unincorporated community): about 9,465 residents
- Lake Murray of Richland (unincorporated community): about 7,023 residents
- Blythewood (town): about 5,731 residents
- Capitol View (unincorporated community): about 4,374 residents
- Arthurtown (unincorporated community): about 3,272 residents
- Hopkins (unincorporated community): about 1,985 residents
- Gadsden (unincorporated community): about 1,443 residents
- Olympia (unincorporated community): about 935 residents
- Arcadia Lakes (town): about 901 residents
- Eastover (town): about 485 residents
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
- VA disability calculator
- Back pay calculator
- South Carolina veteran benefits
- Claims guide
- Presumptive conditions
- Condition guides
For the Veterans Crisis Line, dial 988 then press 1. VA crisis support (opens in a new tab)
South Carolina benefits
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.
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
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 South Carolina listings
Nearby counties
Sources and method
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.
VA-accredited attorneys and claims agents near Richland County
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
Donald Burnette
Law Office of DC Burnette, PLLC · Columbia · SC · In your county
Help before VA's first decisionHigher-Level ReviewSupplemental ClaimFree consultation
Are you Andrew Thibault? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeAre you Timothy Mercer? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, freeAnansa Jenkins
Claims agent · Columbia · SC · In your county
Are you Anansa Jenkins? Update your details and see your referral activity.
Claim this profile, free
Joey Hardin
Claims agent · Columbia · SC · In your county
Are you Joey Hardin? Update your details and see your referral activity.
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Claim Raven is not a law firm and does not give legal advice. We do not recommend or endorse any attorney or claims agent. Listings come from VA's public accreditation records. Paid placements are advertising. Check an attorney's accreditation on VA's accreditation search (opens in a new tab) before you hire them.
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