Find veterans benefits and claims contacts for Putnam in Tennessee.
Putnam County Veterans Service Office
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Putnam County. Physical office: Cookeville, Putnam County.
1656 West Broad Street, Cookeville, TN 38501M-F 8:00-4:00
Tennessee Department of Veterans Services
Veterans benefits and claims assistance. Contact the provider to confirm how to get help.
Area served: Putnam County. Physical office: Cookeville, Putnam County.
Cookeville VA Outpatient Clinic, 851 S Willow Ave #108, Cookeville, TN 38501M-F 8:00-4:30
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 4,150, give or take 451 civilian veterans in Putnam County.
By ACS estimates, Putnam County has the 23rd largest veteran population among Tennessee's 95 counties and equivalents.
| Measure | Putnam 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 | 18 percent above the Tennessee share; above the national share. | 15 percent | 13 percent |
Veterans 75 and older in Putnam County number about 1,220, give or take 217; their 29 percent share is above Tennessee's 24 percent.
Putnam County has about 268, give or take 127 veterans under 35, making up 6 percent of its veterans compared with 9 percent in Tennessee.
Putnam County has about 344, give or take 128 women veterans, making up 8 percent of its veterans compared with 10 percent in Tennessee.
| Measure | Putnam County | Tennessee | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Veteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $40,276 ± $3,908 | $50,955 ± $656 | $54,224 ± $147 |
| Nonveteran median income, age 18 and over with income | $31,498 ± $1,337 | $37,180 ± $149 | $41,154 ± $99 |
| Veterans below poverty level, age 18 and over | 9.9% ± 3.7 points | 7.9% ± 0.4 points | 7.4% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a disability, age 18 and over | 42.2% ± 5.9 points | 32.7% ± 0.5 points | 30.7% ± 0.1 points |
| Employed share of veterans, ages 18 to 64 | 71.7% ± 9.5 points | 72.1% ± 0.9 points | 73.9% ± 0.2 points |
| Unemployed share of veterans in the labor force, ages 18 to 64 | 1.8% ± 4.3 points; small survey sample; treat as rough | Not compared | Not compared |
| Veterans with high school or more, age 25 and over | 91.4% ± 4.1 points | 94.8% ± 0.3 points | 95.5% ± 0.1 points |
| Veterans with a bachelor’s degree or more, age 25 and over | 26.8% ± 5.1 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 slightly fewer veterans here by 2035; both years round to about 5,000. VetPop2023 projections are rounded to the nearest 1,000 as VA directs. Projection source and method.
VA reports 1,829 veterans in Putnam County receiving disability compensation in FY2025.
| Rating group | Recipients |
|---|---|
| 0 to 20 percent | 404 |
| 30 to 40 percent | 160 |
| 50 to 60 percent | 203 |
| 70 to 90 percent | 533 |
| 100 percent | 529 |
FY2019: 1,144 recipients. Change to FY2025: +685.
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 182 VA-backed home loans out of 1,842 home loans made in Putnam County (9.9% VA), under the federal Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Average VA loan amount reported: about $360,000.
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 1,480, give or take 274) and post-9/11 only (about 609, give or take 208).
For questions about Vietnam-era exposure rules, read the Agent Orange presumptive conditions list; eligibility depends on your service and condition.
VA reported about $59.1 million in compensation and pension spending and about $33.9 million in medical care spending in Putnam County for FY2025.
Alvin C. York Veterans' Administration Medical Center (opens in a new tab)
3400 Lebanon Pike, Murfreesboro, TN 37129-1237
New-patient wait for primary care: 61 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for mental health: 25 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 52 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Cookeville VA Clinic (opens in a new tab)
851 South Willow Avenue, Suite 108, Cookeville, TN 38501-4223
New-patient wait for mental health: 47 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
New-patient wait for primary care: 0 days (VA, as of October 1, 2026).
about 2 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Nashville Vet Center (opens in a new tab)
2501 McGavock Pike, Suite 200, Nashville, TN 37214
about 67 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Nashville VA Regional Benefit Office (opens in a new tab)
7100 Commerce Way, Brentwood, TN 37027
about 74 miles in a straight line from the county center.
Call to confirm hours before you go.
The second-nearest medical center to Putnam County is Nashville VA Medical Center (opens in a new tab) in Nashville, TN, about 73 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The second-nearest Vet Center to Putnam County is Chattanooga Vet Center (opens in a new tab) in Chattanooga, TN, about 80 miles in a straight line from the county center.
The state registry lists Nashville RO (station 320); county claims jurisdiction is unconfirmed.
Mill Springs National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
9044 W Highway 80 Nancy, KY 42544
859-885-5727
About 76.7 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: open.
Nashville National Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
1420 Gallatin Pike S Madison, TN 37115
615-860-0086
About 68.8 miles in a straight line from the county center. Burial space: cremation only.
Middle Tennessee State Veterans Cemetery (opens in a new tab)
7931 McCrory Ln Nashville, TN 37221
615-532-2238
About 85.5 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 Putnam 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, Oak Ridge/Upper Cumberland CoC counted 35 veterans experiencing homelessness (14 sheltered, 21 unsheltered).
TN-506 is the HUD Continuum of Care (CoC) selected by this county's geographic center (polygon centroid).
The HUD workbook reports 11 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 Alvin C. York Veterans' Administration Medical Center (opens in a new tab), 615-867-6000. 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).
The National Treatment Court Resource Center lists 1 veterans treatment court in Putnam 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).
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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