Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Sumter in South Carolina.
Sumter County Veterans Affairs
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Sumter 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.
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Call (833) 387-1649The ACS estimates about 10,800, give or take 737 civilian veterans in Sumter County.
By ACS estimates, Sumter County has the 13th largest veteran population among South Carolina's 46 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Sumter County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 48 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 |
Sumter County has about 1,710, give or take 251 veterans 75 and older, making up 16 percent of its veterans compared with 23 percent in South Carolina.
Veterans under 35 in Sumter County number about 1,370, give or take 335; their 13 percent share is above South Carolina's 8 percent.
Women veterans in Sumter County number about 1,800, give or take 418; their 17 percent share is above South Carolina's 12 percent.
| Measure | Sumter County | South Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $54,469 ± $4,302 | $51,732 ± $843 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $29,861 ± $1,458 | $36,391 ± $221 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 7.3% ± 1.7 points | 7.7% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 26.7% ± 3.4 points | 30.4% ± 0.7 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 70.6% ± 3.9 points | 71.7% ± 1.0 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 3.9% ± 2.5 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 96.5% ± 1.6 points | 96.1% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 23.3% ± 3.0 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 11,000 on September 30, 2035, compared with 13,000 on September 30, 2026. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 6,412 veterans in Sumter County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 869 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 577 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 728 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 1,991 |
| 100 percent | 2,247 |
FY2019: 5,295 recipients. Change to FY2025: +1,117.
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 809 VA-backed home loans out of 2,060 home loans made in Sumter County (39.3% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $272,000.
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 2,480, give or take 383) and post-9/11 and Gulf War (1990s) (about 2,160, give or take 395).
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 $200.9 million in compensation and pension spending and about $94.3 million in medical care spending in Sumter County for FY2025.
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 33 miles in a straight line from the county center.
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 2 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Columbia, SC Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1710 Richland Street, Suite A, Columbia, SC 29201
about 38 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 34 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Sumter County is Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Charleston, SC, about 82 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Sumter County is Columbia Mobile Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Columbia, SC, about 38 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Columbia RO (station 319); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Fort Jackson National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
4170 Percival Road Columbia, SC 29229
803-699-2246
About 29.6 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 131.4 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, Myrtle Beach/Sumter City & County CoC counted 76 veterans experiencing homelessness (49 sheltered, 27 unsheltered).
SC-503 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 64 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.
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. Full method.
Distances are straight-line estimates between county internal points. Representatives may serve clients outside their local area.
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