Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Polk in Tennessee.
Polk County Veterans Service Office
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Polk County. Physical office: Benton, Polk County.
6239 Highway 411, Room 110, Benton, TN 37307M-F 9:00-5:00
For statewide phone and remote help, see the Tennessee directory.
The state lookup table publishes a county contact. Call to confirm its current service and appointment.
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 1,030, give or take 204 civilian veterans in Polk County.
Among Tennessee's 95 counties and equivalents, Polk County ranks 72nd by its estimated number of veterans.
| Measure | Polk County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Share with a service-connected rating | 31 percent below the Tennessee share; above the national share. | 32 percent | 30 percent |
| Share rated 70 percent or higher | 11 percent below the Tennessee share; below the national share. | 15 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Polk County number about 254, give or take 86; their 25 percent share is above Tennessee's 24 percent.
Veterans under 35 account for 7 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Polk County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
Women veterans account for 6 percent; a small survey sample; treat as rough in Polk County; the survey figures do not support a state comparison.
| Measure | Polk County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $37,372 ± $8,240 | $50,955 ± $656 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $31,879 ± $2,302 | $37,180 ± $149 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 11.9% ± 8.4 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 37.0% ± 11.2 points | 32.7% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 55.6% ± 12.6 points | 72.1% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 1.3% ± 13.6 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 95.8% ± 5.4 points | 94.8% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 19.9% ± 6.2 points | 28.4% ± 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. VetPop2023 projections for small counties show direction only. Projection source and method.
VA reports 435 veterans in Polk County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 89 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 50 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 54 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 123 |
| 100 percent | 119 |
FY2019: 257 recipients. Change to FY2025: +178.
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 45 VA-backed home loans out of 376 home loans made in Polk County (12.0% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $361,000.
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 465, give or take 114) and between the Vietnam and Gulf War eras (about 239, give or take 99).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $13.0 million in compensation and pension spending and about $6.6 million in medical care spending in Polk County for FY2025.
Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033-4004
New-patient wait for mental health: 17 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 40 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 91 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Athens VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
1320 Decatur Pike, Athens, TN 37303-2418
New-patient wait for primary care: 0 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 24 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Chattanooga Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
1300 Premier Drive, Suite 180, Chattanooga, TN 37421
about 37 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Senator Johnny Isakson VA Atlanta Regional Office (opens in a new tab)
1700 Clairmont Road, Decatur, GA 30033
about 91 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
Outside Tennessee, in Atlanta, GA, Fort McPherson VA Clinic (opens in a new tab) is Polk County's second-nearest medical center, about 97 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Polk County is Knoxville Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Knoxville, TN, about 63 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Nashville RO (station 320); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Chattanooga National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1200 Bailey Avenue Chattanooga, TN 37404
423-855-6590
About 42.5 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
East Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery - Gov. John Sevier Hwy (opens in a new tab)
2200 E Gov. John Sevier Hwy 168 Knoxville, TN 37920
865-577-3228
About 71.3 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, Chattanooga/Southeast Tennessee CoC counted 37 veterans experiencing homelessness (19 sheltered, 18 unsheltered).
TN-500 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 44 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 Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 404-321-6111. 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)
Tennessee calculates property tax relief on up to $175,000 of primary residence market value for qualifying veterans with permanent and total service-connected disability.
Tennessee waives the annual state specialty plate registration fee for one plate for qualifying veterans rated 100 percent permanent and total service-connected.
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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