By Jonathan E. Vespa

Issued June 2020

ACS-43

Those Who Served: America’s Veterans From 

World War II to the War on Terror

American Community Survey Report

INTRODUCTION

The first veterans of the United States served 

during the American Revolution in the Continental 

Army, created in 1775 when colonial militias formed 

a common army under command of George 

Washington. Since then, the United States has 

declared war 11 times and fought in conflicts around 

the world. More than 41 million Americans have served 

over the course of the nation’s history. More than 16 

million did so in World War II alone. 

Who are America’s veterans? Throughout history, 

they have included the Green Mountain Boys, Buffalo 

Soldiers, Tuskegee Airmen, Women Airforce Service 

Pilots, Screaming Eagles, and Green Berets. They 

are the men and women who served their country 

at home and abroad, on land, sea, and air—and since 

1973, have served as an all-volunteer force.

This report looks at the roughly 18 million Americans, 

or about 7 percent of the adult population, who were 

veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces in 2018.1 Ranging 

from 18 to over 100 years old, they served in conflicts 

as diverse as the Korean War and the Global War on 

Terrorism. This report provides an overview of these 

men and women, such as how many veterans alive 

today served in World War II, the characteristics of 

Vietnam veterans, and how many Gulf War veterans 

are disabled. The report primarily uses data from 

1

 The U.S. Census Bureau reviewed this data product for 

unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and has 

approved the disclosure avoidance practices applied to this release. 

CBDRB-FY20-POP001-0048.

the 2018 American Community Survey to describe 

the demographic, socioeconomic, and health 

characteristics of veterans by their period of service in 

the armed forces. Importantly, the report focuses on 

veterans who were alive in 2018. It does not describe 

all veterans who served during a specific period in the 

military or the characteristics of veterans at the time 

that they left service.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The number of veterans in the United States 

declined by a third, from 26.4 million to 18.0 million 

between 2000 and 2018. 

• There are fewer than 500,000 World War II 

veterans alive today, down from 5.7 million in 2000. 

• Women make up a growing share of veterans. 

Today, about 9 percent of veterans—or 1.7 million—

are women. By 2040, that number is projected to 

rise to 17 percent.

• The largest cohort of veterans alive today served 

during the Vietnam Era (6.4 million), which lasted 

from 1964 to 1975. The second largest cohort of 

veterans served during peacetime only (4.0 million). 

• The median age of veterans today is 65 years. By 

service period, Post-9/11 veterans are the youngest 

with a median age of about 37, Vietnam Era 

veterans have a median age of about 71, and World 

War II veterans are the oldest with a median age of 

about 93. 
2 U.S. Census Bureau

• Veterans from more recent 

service periods have the 

highest levels of education. 

More than three-quarters of 

Post-9/11 and Gulf War veterans 

have at least some college 

experience, and more than onethird of Gulf War veterans have 

a college degree. 

• Post-9/11 veterans had a 43 

percent chance of having a 

service-connected disability, 

after accounting for differences 

in demographic and social 

characteristics among 

veterans—significantly higher 

than veterans from other 

periods.2

• Among veterans who had a 

service-connected disability, 

Post-9/11 veterans had a 39 

percent chance of having a 

disability rating of 70 percent 

2 A service-connected disability is an 

injury, disease, or disability that was the 

result of service in the armed forces.

or more—significantly higher 

than veterans from other any 

other periods.

THE DECLINING SIZE OF THE 

VETERAN POPULATION

Roughly 18.0 million veterans are 

living in the United States today 

(Table 1).3 They served during 

times of war (such as during 

the Gulf War and Vietnam Era) 

and times of peace (from 1955 

to 1964 and 1975 to 1990). The 

largest single group of veterans 

(6.4 million) is from the Vietnam 

Era. The fastest declining group 

of veterans is from World War 

II. Between 2000 and 2018, the 

number of living World War II 

veterans in the United States 

declined from 5.7 million to fewer 

2

 Estimates in this report come from 

the American Community Survey and 

may differ from other data sources. For 

example, the Department of Veterans 

Affairs estimated that there were 19.6 

million veterans living in the United States 

in 2018. 

than 500,000 (Figure 1). By 

2030, it is projected there will be 

fewer than 8,000 World War II 

veterans.4

Indeed, the veteran population 

has been declining for decades. 

Between 2000 and 2018 alone, 

the veteran population declined 

by one-third, from 26.4 million 

to 18.0 million (Figure 1).5

The population of veterans is 

projected to continue declining by 

2.5 million over the next decade. 

By 2040, it is projected there will 

be about 12.9 million veterans 

living in the United States, down 

from a high of 28.6 million in 

1980.6

4 For projections of the veteran 

population, see Veteran Population Model 

(VetPop 2016), calculated by the National 

Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

<www.va.gov/vetdata/Veteran

_Population.asp>. 5 This estimate does not include people 

who became veterans after 2000 but died 

before 2018. 6 See the reference in footnote 4.

Table 1.

Veterans by Period of Service: 2018

(Numbers in thousands)

Periods of service

Number of veterans

Total Men Women

All service periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,960 16,310 1,653

 Post-9/11 (September 2001 or later) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,764 3,132 632

 Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,804 3,247 557

 Vietnam Era (August 1964 to April 1975) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,384 6,146 238

 Korean War (July 1950 to January 1955) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,306 1,268 38

 World War II (December 1941 to December 1946) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 485 463 22

 Pre-World War II (November 1941 or earlier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 11 1

 Peacetime only (All other periods not listed above) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,034 3,653 382

Note: Except for peacetime only, the periods of service are not mutually exclusive. Veterans may have served at any point during the time 

listed for the service periods; they may not have necessarily served in the war for which the period is named. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 3

Why has the veteran population 

been declining so rapidly? 

For one, the armed forces are 

substantially smaller today than in 

the past. In 1973, the United States 

eliminated the draft and created 

an all-volunteer military force. 

The move to voluntary enlistment 

changed the composition of 

the armed forces, while making 

military service a less widespread, 

more selective experience for 

Americans.7 Today, about 1.4 

million men and women are on 

active duty across all branches 

of the military, a number that has 

changed little over the last two 

decades (Figure 2). The size of 

the military directly feeds into 

the potential number of veterans, 

so that as the number of service 

members declines, the number of 

future veterans does, too. 

7 Rostker, B.D. 2006, “The Evolution of 

the All-Volunteer Force,” RAND Corporation 

Research Brief, RB-9195-RC, Santa Monica, 

CA: RAND Corporation, <www.rand.org

/pubs/research_briefs/RB9195.html>.

At the same time as fewer men 

and women have been serving, 

the veterans of past wars—

particularly World War II, Korea, 

and Vietnam—are aging and 

dying. This is another reason that 

the veteran population has been 

declining so rapidly. Earlier wars 

swelled the size of the armed 

forces to unprecedented levels 

in America. In 1940, just before 

the United States entered World 

War II, the U.S. Armed Forces 

numbered fewer than 500,000. 

By 1945, that number surged to 

Note: The numbers by period of service will not add to the total because veterans may serve during multiple periods. Post-9/11 veterans 

who have only served since September 2001, are included in the total only. Peacetime only includes service from January 1947 to June 

1950, February 1955 to July 1964, and May 1975 to July 1990. In the 2000 Census, World War II was defined using a wider period of 

service, from September 1940 to July 1947, than it was in 2018.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2000 Census and 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.

26,404

Figure 1.

The Shrinking Veteran Population

Number of Veterans in 2000 and 2018 by Period of Service 

(In thousands)

2000

2018

17,960

3,025 3,804

8,380

6,384

4,046

1,306

5,720

485

6,556

4,034

Total Gulf War

August 1990–

August 2001

Vietnam Era

August 1964–

April 1975

Korean War

July 1950–

January 1955

World War II

December 1941–

December 1946

Peacetime only
4 U.S. Census Bureau

more than 12 million (Figure 2). 

Over the course of the war, more 

than 16.1 million Americans would 

serve worldwide.8 Though the size 

of the military grew again during 

the wars in Korea and Vietnam, it 

never reached its height during 

World War II. 

Drafts and voluntary enlistments 

from World War II and the 

8 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 

2017, “America’s Wars Fact Sheet,” 

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 

Washington, DC, <www.va.gov/opa

/publications/factsheets/fs_americas

_wars.pdf>.

Korean and Vietnam wars left a 

substantial imprint on the veteran 

population, one that has lasted 

decades. In 1950, following World 

War II, more than 1 in 3 men in the 

United States were veterans (37 

percent of the male population 

aged 18 and over at that time). 

This imprint could still be seen 

in 2000, when 1 in 4 men were 

veterans (Figure 3). In coming 

decades, the number of veterans 

is projected to continue declining. 

Today, about 1 in 8 men in the 

United States are veterans; by 

2040, that number is projected 

to fall to about 1 in 14. Roughly 1 

in 100 women are veterans today, 

a number that is projected to 

remain relatively unchanged over 

the next two decades.9

9 For projections of the veteran 

population, see the reference in

footnote 4. For projections of the

U.S. population, see the U.S. Census 

Bureau’s 2017 National Population 

Projections at <www.census.gov/data

/tables/2017/demo/popproj/2017

-summary-tables.html>.

Source: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center; U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstracts of the United States.

Figure 2.

A Century of Serving

Size of the U.S. Armed Forces Since 1915

0

3

6

9

12

15

'10'052000'95'90'85'80'75'70'65'60'55'50'45'40'35'30'25'201915 2018

Korean War

3.6 million service 

members, 1952

Surge in American 

Troops in Vietnam

3.5 million service 

members, 1968

All-Volunteer Force

Draft ends. United States moves 

to an all-volunteer force, 1973

America Enters 

World War I

2.9 million service 

members, 1918

World War II 

12.1 million service 

members, 1945

Millions
U.S. Census Bureau 5

THE GROWING NUMBER OF 

FEMALE VETERANS

Beginning in 1901, women formally 

became part of the nation’s 

military with the creation of the 

Army Nurse Corps, although 

women have served informally 

throughout the nation’s history as 

nurses, cooks, spies, and soldiers 

(often disguised as young men).10

The end of the draft in 1973 

created more opportunities for 

women to enlist and since the 

10 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 

2017, “Women Veterans Report: The Past, 

Present, and Future of Women Veterans,” 

National Center for Veterans Analysis 

and Statistics. See also Iskra, D.M., 2010, 

“Women in the United States Armed 

Forces: A Guide to the Issues,” Praeger, 

Santa Barbara, CA.

1990s women have been serving 

in combat roles.11 As a result, a 

growing share of veterans are 

women. Between 1980 and 2018, 

the proportion of female veterans 

11 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 

2017, “Women Veterans Report: The Past, 

Present and Future of Women Veterans,” 

National Center for Veterans Analysis and 

Statistics, <www.va.gov/vetdata/docs

/SpecialReports/Women_Veterans_2015

_Final.pdf>.

Note: The 1980 Census was the first to ask veteran status of both men and women. Prior to 1980, the decennial census asked it only of men.

Source: U.S. Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center; U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical Abstracts of the United States and 

American Community Survey; U.S. Department of Veterans Aairs, Veteran Population Projection Model 2016 (VetPop 2016), projected values 

for 2030 and 2040.

Percent of the female 18+ population

Percent of the male 18+ population

1%

Figure 3.

Those Who Served

Number of U.S. Veterans Since 1910

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2018 2030* 2040*

37%

7%

25%

13%

1%

1%

1%

37%

15%

Projected

3%

12% 9%

40%

44% 30%

18%

10%

1%

1%

1%

Millions
6 U.S. Census Bureau

more than doubled, from about 4 

percent to 9 percent (Figure 4). In 

coming decades, the proportion 

of female veterans is projected to 

grow further—to 17 percent of all 

veterans by 2040. This shift in the 

composition of veterans comes 

from a growing number of women 

who serve in the military. The 

change, however, is largely driven 

by cohort change. Veterans of 

older wars, who are predominantly 

men, are aging and dying, leaving 

a relatively larger share of women 

veterans today. 

Because women had more 

opportunities to serve beginning 

in the 1990s, they make up a 

higher share of recent service 

cohorts. For example, women 

make up about 17 percent of all 

Post-9/11 veterans and 15 percent 

of Gulf War veterans, compared 

with just 4 percent of Vietnam 

Era veterans (Figure 5). The 

female veterans who have served 

since September 2001, tend to 

be young, diverse, and highly 

educated. More than threequarters are under the age of 

45; almost one-quarter are Black 

and 12 percent are Hispanic; and 

more than 40 percent have a 

college degree.12 Compared with 

the broader population of women 

who have never served, female 

veterans are more likely to have a 

college degree, to work full-time, 

year-round, and to have higher 

earnings when working full-time.13

VETERANS OF THE 

ALL-VOLUNTEER FORCE 

AND DRAFT ERA

In 1973, the United States 

eliminated the draft and created 

an all-volunteer military force. 

Using 1973 as a benchmark, 

veterans of older periods largely 

come from the draft era (e.g., 

Vietnam Era, Korean War, and 

World War II), while veterans of 

recent periods (e.g., Post-9/11, 

Gulf War, and Peacetime service 

since 1975) represent those who 

served in an all-volunteer force. 

Nevertheless, many veterans of 

older periods enlisted voluntarily. 

During World War II, about

12 Federal surveys give respondents the 

option of reporting more than one race. 

Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race 

group are possible. A group such as Asian 

may be defined as those who reported 

Asian and no other race (the race-alone 

or single-race concept) or as those who 

reported Asian regardless of whether they 

also reported another race (the race aloneor-in-combination concept). This report 

shows data using the first approach (race 

alone). Use of the single-race population 

does not imply that it is the preferred 

method of presenting or analyzing data. For 

further information, see the 2010 Census 

Brief, Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 

2010 (C2010BR-02) at <http://census.gov

/library/publications/2011/dec

/c2010br-02.html>. 13 Lofquist, D., 2018, “Younger Veterans 

Are More Educated, More Diverse,”

U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, DC. See 

<www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/03

/female-veterans.html>. See also, Lofquist, 

D., 2017, “Characteristics of Female 

Veterans—An Analytic View Across AgeCohorts: 2015,” American Community 

Survey Briefs 15-03, U.S. Census Bureau, 

Washington, DC.

Figure 4.

Rise of Female Veterans

Historical and Projected Trends of Female Veterans

(In thousands)

* Projected numbers.

Note: Data from 1971 and projected values for 2030–2040 are from the 

U.S. Department of Veterans Aairs, Veteran Population Projection Model 2016 

(VetPop 2016).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, decennial census 1980–2000 and 2010 and 2018 1-Year 

American Community Survey. 

49.2

Percent of veterans 

who are female

56.1

1971

1980

1990

2000

2010

2018

2030

2040 2,192*

2,095*

1,652

1,567

1,593

1,151

1,108

964

17.0*

13.5*

9.2

7.2

6.0

4.2

3.9

3.3
U.S. Census Bureau 7

6.1 million of the 16.1 million 

service members were 

volunteers.14 Likewise, not every 

veteran since 1975 is necessarily 

a volunteer (some may have 

been drafted during the Vietnam 

Era and went on to serve after 

the draft ended). As a result, 

Tables 2 and 3 generally, but not 

exclusively, represent veterans 

of the draft and the all-volunteer 

force eras.

Of the 18.0 million veterans in 

the United States, about half (8.8 

million) served in an all-volunteer 

military force. More than 1 in 3 

(35.5 percent) served during the 

14 U.S. Census Bureau, Statistical 

Abstract of the United States, Table 523, p. 

348, 2003.

Vietnam Era, making them the 

largest group of veterans in the 

United States today. Among all 

veterans who were alive in 2018, 

more than three-quarters were 

non-Hispanic White, more than 

half were no longer in the labor 

force, and two-thirds had at least 

some college education (Table 

2). The median age among all 

veterans was 65 years, reflecting 

the influence of veterans from 

older service periods on the 

age structure of the veteran 

population. 

The demographic and economic 

characteristics of veterans varied 

substantially across service 

periods. In 2018, Post-9/11 

veterans were the youngest, with 

a median age of about 37 years. 

They were also the most racially 

and ethnically diverse group. More 

than one-third (34.9 percent) of 

Post-9/11 veterans were some 

other race and ethnicity than 

non-Hispanic White, which is 

significantly more than veterans 

from the Gulf War or Peacetime 

period since 1975 (Table 2). Post9/11 and Gulf War veterans also 

had more education than older 

veterans. For example, more than 

three-quarters of Post-9/11 and 

Gulf War veterans had at least 

some college education in 2018, 

compared with about half of living 

World War II veterans (Tables 2 

and 3). 

Figure 5.

Those Who Served

Percentage of Female Veterans in 2018 by Period of Service

Note: The numbers by period of service will not add to the total because veterans may have served during multiple periods. Peacetime 

only includes service from January 1947 to June 1950, February 1955 to July 1964, and May 1975 to July 1990.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.

Men

Number of veterans

(In thousands)

3,132 1.0

3,247 1.0

6,146 238

1,268 1.1

1.1

3,653 382

Women

Share of veterans that are women

(In percent)

Post-9/11

September 2001 to 

present

Gulf War

August 1990 to 

August 2001

Vietnam War Era

August 1964 to 

April 1975

Korean War

July 1950 to 

January 1955

World War II

December 1941 to 

December 1946

Peacetime only

463 22

38

632

557

16.8

14.6

3.7

2.9

4.6

9.5
8 U.S. Census Bureau

Gulf War veterans had the 

highest median income in 2018, 

at $61,400, while the majority 

had an income-to-poverty ratio 

that was at least 400 percent 

(Table 2). Gulf War veterans were 

more likely to have a bachelor’s 

degree and were older than 

Post-9/11 veterans, which has 

provided them more time for work 

experience outside of the military 

and to earn higher incomes. At 

the other end of the spectrum, 

veterans of World War II and 

Peacetime service since 1975 

had the highest percentage with 

income-to-poverty ratios below 

150 percent. In other words, these 

two groups had a greater share 

of veterans who were living in or 

near poverty in 2018.

THE HEALTH OF TODAY’S 

VETERANS

Veterans have distinctive health 

issues related to their military 

service and are more likely to 

suffer from trauma-related 

injuries, substance abuse, and 

mental health disorders than 

people who have never served 

in the armed forces.15 About 

one-quarter of all veterans had 

a service-connected disability in 

2018, which is an injury, disease, 

or disability that active duty either 

15 Olenick, M., M. Flowers, and V. J. Diaz, 

2015, “U.S. Veterans and Their Unique 

Issues: Enhancing Health Care Professional 

Awareness,” Advances in Medical Education 

and Practice 6: 635–639.

Table 2.

Characteristics of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force Era

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

All veterans Post-9/11 Gulf War Peacetime only 

(post-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,960 100.0 3,764 100.0 3,804 100.0 2,529 100.0

Demographics

Median age (years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65.0 X 36.6 X 49.6 X 58.0 X

Race and Hispanic origin:

 White alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . 13,780 76.7 2,449 65.1 2,626 69.0 1,818 71.9

 Black alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,107 11.7 551 14.6 609 16.0 433 17.1

 Other, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 789 4.4 274 7.3 215 5.7 110 4.3

 Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,285 7.2 490 13.0 354 9.3 169 6.7

Employment and Education

Employment status:

 Employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,049 44.8 2,948 78.3 2,850 74.9 1,664 65.8

 Unemployed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 324 1.8 133 3.5 95 2.5 69 2.7

 Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,591 53.4 683 18.1 859 22.6 797 31.5

Education:

 High school graduate or less . . . . . . . . . 5,984 33.3 819 21.8 816 21.5 950 37.5

 Some college, no degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,764 37.7 1,671 44.4 1,566 41.2 1,028 40.6

 Bachelor’s degree or more . . . . . . . . . . . 5,216 29.0 1,274 33.8 1,421 37.4 552 21.8

Economic Characteristics

Personal income (dollars, median) . . . . . . 41,560 X 50,110 X 61,350 X 45,530 X

Income to poverty ratio:1

 Less than 150 percent of poverty . . . . . 2,275 12.9 433 11.7 325 8.6 407 16.4

 150 to 399 percent of poverty . . . . . . . . 6,911 39.1 1,468 39.5 1,174 31.2 833 33.5

 400 percent or more of poverty . . . . . . 8,470 48.0 1,812 48.8 2,268 60.2 1,249 50.2

Receives public assistance2. . . . . . . . . . . . 1,647 9.2 343 9.1 311 8.2 354 14.0

Housing:

 In group quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379 2.1 63 1.7 50 1.3 59 2.3

 In households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,580 97.9 3,701 98.3 3,754 98.7 2,470 97.7

  Homeowner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13,660 77.7 2,372 64.1 2,882 76.8 1,859 75.2

  Renter3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,922 22.3 1,329 35.9 872 23.2 612 24.8

X Not applicable.

1

 Not calculated for people living in most types of group quarters.

2 Includes Supplemental Security Income, cash public assistance income, and food stamps or SNAP.

3 Includes veterans who live rent free.

Note: Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

<www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 9

caused or aggravated (Tables 

4a and 4b). The prevalence of 

service-connected disability 

varied markedly across periods 

of service. Veterans who served 

during peacetime before 1975 

had the lowest percentage with 

a service-connected disability. 

Among those with the highest 

percentage were Post-9/11 

and Gulf War veterans, more 

than one-third of whom had a 

service-connected disability.16

Not only did Post-9/11 veterans 

have the highest proportion 

disabled, they also had the highest 

share—16 percent of all Post-9/11 

veterans—with a disability rating 

16 Although this report compares health 

and disability across service periods, the 

prevalence of disability has changed over 

time as well. Coinciding with the wars 

in Iraq and Afghanistan, the number of 

veterans with service-connected disabilities 

has increased since 2001, after decades of 

remaining relatively stable. See Duggan, 

M., 2014, “The Labor Market Effects of the 

VA’s Disability Compensation Program,” 

Stanford University Economic Policy 

Research, CA.

of 70 percent or greater (Tables 

4a and 4b). 

Apart from service-connected 

disabilities, the American 

Community Survey (ACS) asks 

whether individuals have difficulty 

with any of the following: hearing, 

vision, cognitive functioning, 

independent living, mobility, 

and/or self-care. These ACSdefined disabilities are asked 

independently of being a veteran 

and may not be related to activeduty service at all. For example, an 

Table 3.

Characteristics of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the Draft Era

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

Vietnam Era Korean War World War II Peacetime only 

(pre-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,384 100.0 1,306 100.0 485 100.0 1,505 100.0

Demographics

Median age (years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70.8 X 86.1 X 92.6 X 80.0 X

Race and Hispanic origin:

 White alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,272 82.6 1,157 88.6 441 90.9 1,333 88.6

 Black alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588 9.2 67 5.1 19 3.8 83 5.5

 Other, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 3.3 32 2.5 11 2.2 36 2.4

 Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314 4.9 50 3.8 15 3.0 53 3.5

Employment and Education

Employment status:

 In labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,515 23.7 59 4.5 12 2.4 155 10.3

 Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,869 76.3 1,248 95.5 474 97.6 1,350 89.7

Education:

 High school graduate or less . . . . . . . . . . . 2,170 34.0 610 46.7 237 48.8 702 46.6

 Some college, no degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,332 36.5 332 25.4 97 20.0 415 27.6

 Bachelor’s degree or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,883 29.5 365 28.0 151 31.2 388 25.8

Economic Characteristics

Personal income (dollars, median) . . . . . . . . 38,770 X 30,960 X 29,070 X 30,780 X

Income to poverty ratio:1

 Less than 150 percent of poverty . . . . . . . 780 12.4 183 14.5 74 16.4 201 13.6

 150 to 399 percent of poverty . . . . . . . . . . 2,450 38.9 599 47.5 204 45.5 708 48.0

 400 percent or more of poverty . . . . . . . . 3,075 48.8 478 38.0 171 38.0 568 38.5

Receives public assistance2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 8.2 88 6.7 31 6.4 104 6.9

Housing:

 In group quarters 101 1.6 50 3.8 40 8.2 32 2.1

 In households 6,284 98.4 1,256 96.2 445 91.8 1,473 97.9

  Homeowner 5,356 85.2 1,046 83.3 333 74.7 1,271 86.3

  Renter3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 927 14.8 210 16.7 113 25.3 202 13.7

X Not applicable.

1 Not calculated for people living in most types of group quarters.

2 Includes Supplemental Security Income, cash public assistance income, and food stamps or SNAP.

3 Includes veterans who live rent free.

Note: Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

<www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
10 U.S. Census Bureau

older veteran may have difficulty 

hearing because of his age, and 

not because he was injured while 

serving. Indeed, ACS-defined 

disabilities are far more prevalent 

among older service cohorts, just 

as they are among older adults 

in general. In 2018, roughly 77 

percent of World War II veterans 

had an ACS-defined disability, 

compared with 35 percent of 

Vietnam Era veterans and 15 

percent of Post-9/11 veterans 

(Tables 4a and 4b).

As discussed earlier, veterans 

of different service periods 

vary in their demographic and 

social characteristics, whether 

age, race, or education. These 

characteristics may be associated 

with a veteran’s likelihood of 

Table 4a.

Health and Disability of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force Era

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

All veterans Post-9/11 Gulf War Peacetime only 

(post-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17,960 100.0 3,764 100.0 3,804 100.0 2,529 100.0

Health Characteristics

Disability:1

 Has ACS-defined disability . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,382 30.0 569 15.1 670 17.6 570 22.5

 Has service-connected disability2. . . . . . 4,349 24.2 1,460 38.8 1,387 36.5 363 14.4

  0 to 20 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,360 7.6 314 8.3 403 10.6 151 6.0

  30 to 60 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,253 7.0 487 12.9 434 11.4 95 3.8

  70 percent or higher rating . . . . . . . . . . 1,527 8.5 595 15.8 497 13.1 94 3.7

Insurance and VA health care:

 Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 525 2.9 202 5.4 144 3.8 154 6.1

 Ever received care through VA . . . . . . . . 6,614 36.8 1,464 38.9 1,376 36.2 655 25.9

1 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive 

functioning, independent living, and self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the result of service in the 

armed forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability may not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined 

disabilities. 2 A service-connected disability rating is shown only for veterans who reported a rating.

Note: Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

<www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.

Table 4b.

Health and Disability of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the Draft Era

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

Vietnam Era Korean War World War II Peacetime only 

(pre-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,384 100.0 1,306 100.0 485 100.0 1,505 100.0

Health Characteristics

Disability:1

 Has ACS-defined disability . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,201 34.5 792 60.6 374 77.2 667 44.3

 Has service-connected disability2. . . . . . 1,677 26.3 183 14.0 68 14.0 122 8.1

  0 to 20 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 547 8.6 75 5.7 25 5.1 61 4.1

  30 to 60 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433 6.8 50 3.8 19 3.9 30 2.0

  70 percent or higher rating . . . . . . . . . . 627 9.8 44 3.4 18 3.7 21 1.4

Insurance and VA health care:

 Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 0.7 1 0.1 <1 0.1 2 0.1

 Ever received care through VA . . . . . . . . 2,774 43.4 510 39.1 186 38.3 493 32.8

1 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive 

functioning, independent living, and self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the result of service in the 

armed forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability may not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined 

disabilities. 2 A service-connected disability rating is shown only for veterans who reported a rating.

Note: Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see

<www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 11

having a service-connected 

disability without directly causing 

the disability. The most common 

causes of disability are injuries 

suffered during combat, although 

injuries can occur throughout 

a soldier’s training and service. 

Other factors may also be 

associated with disability. For 

example, what if female veterans 

were more likely to be diagnosed 

with a certain kind of injury or 

disability than male veterans? If 

this were true, and a particular 

service period had more female 

veterans, such as Post-9/11, then it 

would appear as though veterans 

from that group were more likely 

to be disabled.

To better understand whether 

Post-9/11 veterans are more 

likely to have a disability 

than other veterans, we have 

to separate service period 

from other demographic and 

social characteristics. Logistic 

regression, a type of statistical 

analysis, accounts for the 

variation in service-connected 

disability that is associated 

with demographic and social 

characteristics, helping to 

separate the effect of service 

period. Using regression analysis, 

this report shows the predicted 

probability of a veteran having 

an ACS-defined disability or a 

service-connected disability in 

2018, while accounting for the 

influence of other characteristics.17

Looking across service periods, 

Post-9/11 veterans had a 

significantly higher chance of 

17 The predicted probabilities are 

calculated from regression models 

that control for demographic and 

socioeconomic differences between 

veterans, and are calculated holding these 

characteristics at their mean level; that 

is, the predicted probabilities represent 

the chance that an average veteran of 

that service period will report a serviceconnected disability.

having a service-connected 

disability than any other group of 

veterans: Post-9/11 veterans on 

average had a 43 percent chance 

(Figure 6). In comparison, Gulf 

War veterans had a 27 percent 

chance, while Vietnam veterans 

had a 16 percent chance. In 

other words, Post-9/11 veterans 

were the most likely to have a 

disability from their time serving, 

even after accounting for the 

different demographic and social 

characteristics of veterans that 

could influence the diagnosis 

or reporting of disabilities. 

Importantly, this finding only 

applies to veterans who were alive 

in 2018 and does not apply to all 

veterans who ever served since 

September 2001, a distinction that 

the report discusses in more detail 

below. 

If veterans have a serviceconnected disability, they receive 

a graduated rating based on 

the nature and severity of their 

injuries, according to a schedule 

set by the Veterans Benefits 

Administration, which is part of 

the U.S. Department of Veterans 

Affairs (VA). The ratings range 

from 0 to 100 percent, and higher 

ratings may reflect a single 

serious disability or a combination 

of several smaller disabilities. 

Importantly, estimates from the 

ACS rely on self-reporting of 

service-connected disabilities and 

ratings, which may differ from 

estimates from the VA, which rely 

on administrative records.18

Not only were Post-9/11 veterans 

the most likely to have a serviceconnected disability, they were 

also the most likely to have a 

18 The VA estimated about 4.7 million 

veterans in 2018 had a service-connected 

disability, which is higher than the 4.4 

million estimated using the 2018 American 

Community Survey.

high disability rating. Among the 

disabled, Post-9/11 veterans had 

the highest predicted probability 

of any service period—39 percent 

chance—of having a serviceconnected disability rating of 70 

percent or higher, after accounting 

for different demographic and 

social characteristics of veterans. 

In comparison, disabled Gulf War 

veterans had a 21 percent chance 

of having a rating of 70 percent 

or higher. Disabled Vietnam Era 

veterans had a 24 percent chance, 

significantly higher than Gulf War 

veterans and significantly lower 

than Post-9/11 veterans (Figure 6). 

Post-9/11 veterans may be more 

likely to have a service-connected 

disability because of distinctive 

tours of duty or service conditions 

that other cohorts did not 

experience. For example, thanks 

to medical advances, veterans 

today are more likely to survive 

injuries that would have been fatal 

in past decades.19 The analysis 

in this report supports that 

explanation, while not ruling out 

other plausible explanations for 

the findings. The analysis is limited 

in that it looks at the population 

of veterans in 2018, not veterans 

at the time of their separation 

from service. For older groups 

of veterans, only the healthiest 

are still alive. Today’s veterans 

from the Vietnam Era, Korean 

War, and World War II may look 

healthier in comparison to Post9/11 veterans because the most 

severely disabled from those 

19 Goldberg, M.S., 2010, “Death and 

Injury Rates of U.S. Military Personnel in 

Iraq,” Military Medicine 175(4), pp. 220-

226. See also, Glasser, R. J., 2011, "Broken 

Bodies, Shattered Minds: A Medical 

Odyssey from Vietnam to Afghanistan," 

History Publishing Company, Palisades, 

NY; and Harvard University, 2005, “Ninety 

Percent of U.S. Wounded Survive: In Iraq, 

Firepower Increases, Deaths Decrease,” 

ScienceDaily 28, <www.sciencedaily.com

/releases/2005/01/050127234012.htm>.
12 U.S. Census Bureau

older service periods have already 

died. In contrast, the healthiest 

Post-9/11 service members may 

still be serving and are not yet 

veterans, leaving the current 

group of Post-9/11 veterans with 

disproportionately higher rates of 

disability.

In addition, comparing serviceconnected disabilities across 

service periods assumes that 

the type, severity, and diagnosis 

of injuries—not to mention 

the reporting of injuries—have 

remained relatively constant 

across time. But that is not the 

case. Diagnosing and treating 

post-traumatic stress disorder 

(PTSD), for example, has changed 

significantly over time.20 For 

these reasons, the regression 

analysis should be interpreted 

cautiously. It does not show the 

likelihood of active-duty service 

members becoming disabled, 

or having a disability at the time 

they separate from service. The 

analysis does show the likelihood 

that veterans alive today have 

a service-connected disability, 

after statistically accounting for 

differences in the demographic 

and social characteristics of these 

veterans.

20 Nidiffer, F.D., and S. Leach,

2010, “To Hell and Back: Evolution of

Combat-Related Post Traumatic Stress 

Disorder,” Developments in Mental Health 

Law 29:1–22.

Apart from period of service, 

several other characteristics were 

associated with service-connected 

disabilities. Black, Hispanic, and 

other race veterans were more 

likely than White veterans to have 

a service-connected disability. 

Similarly, veterans who ever 

received health care through the 

Veterans Health Administration 

and those who had a functional 

disability or limitation were more 

likely to have a service-connected 

disability (Appendix Table 5, 

Model 4). This is not to say that 

these characteristics caused a 

veteran to become disabled. In 

the case of the VA, for example, 

disabled veterans have a greater 

need for health care and may 

be more likely to seek out that 

Figure 6.

Post-9/11 Veterans Are More Likely to Have a Disability Than Other Veterans

Predicted Probability of Having a Service-Connected Disability or Disability Rating of 70 Percent or Greater

Note: Predicted probabilities were calculated from the logistic regressions shown in Appendix Table 5 and show the percent chance that 

an average veteran in a given service period has a service-connected disability on the left; and, on the right, among veterans with a 

disability, the chance that they have a disability rating of 70 percent or greater. The predicted probabilities were calculated holding all 

other veterans’ characteristics in the model at their mean levels.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.

1.0

1.0

1.1

1.1

Predicted probability of veterans having 

service-connected disability (percent)

Predicted probability of disabled veterans having 

70 percent or higher disability rating (percent)

Post9/11Gulf War Vietnam 

Era 

Korean

War

World 

War II

Peacetime 

only

Post9/11Gulf War Vietnam 

Era 

Korean

War

World 

War II

Peacetime 

only

43.2

26.7

16.4

5.6 5.9

8.5

39.3

21.4

23.5

9.4

12.0

13.8
U.S. Census Bureau 13

care from the VA. As a result, 

receiving health care from the VA 

has a strong statistical correlation 

with having a service-connected 

disability. Among all veterans, 

men were no more likely to have a 

service-connected disability than 

women. However, among disabled 

veterans, female veterans were 

significantly more likely to report 

a rating of 70 percent or greater, 

after accounting for period of 

service and other demographic 

and social characteristics 

(Appendix Table 5, Model 6). 

SUMMARY

The number of veterans in 

the United States has been 

declining for decades, as military 

experience becomes less common 

and veterans of older wars age 

and die. The massive numbers 

of men who volunteered or were 

drafted into service during World 

War II, as well as the Korean and 

Vietnam wars, swelled the size 

of the veteran population after 

these men left the armed forces. 

Following World War II, more than 

1 in 3 adult men had ever served 

in the military. Their numbers 

have been steadily declining. 

Over the last two decades alone, 

the veteran population declined 

from over 26 million to 18 million. 

The creation of an all-volunteer 

force in 1973 further transformed 

the armed forces by making 

military service a less widespread, 

more selective experience for 

Americans. Today, about 1 in 

8 adult men and 1 in 100 adult 

women have ever served. 

Coupled with broader changes 

in the U.S. population, service 

members from more recent 

periods (Gulf War and Post-9/11) 

have different demographic and 

social characteristics than older 

veterans. Today’s veterans are 

less likely to be non-Hispanic 

White and more likely to have 

attended college compared 

with veterans from older service 

periods. A greater proportion of 

today’s veterans are women, a 

figure that is projected to rise in 

coming decades as older male 

veterans die and as more women 

join the ranks of the armed forces. 

The characteristics of veterans 

are changing in other ways too. 

Post-9/11 and Gulf War veterans 

have more education than 

veterans from older periods. The 

higher levels of education reflect 

the computer, mathematical, 

engineering, and mechanical 

training that are integral to a 

modern military as it adopts 

new technologies. Even as the 

number of veterans continues to 

decline, the makeup of the armed 

forces and veteran population will 

continue to change as younger 

generations of Americans enlist to 

serve their country. 

DATA, SOURCE, AND 

ACCURACY

This report uses data from the 

American Community Survey, 

which is a nationwide survey 

designed to provide timely and 

reliable data every year on the 

demographic, social, economic, 

and housing characteristics of 

the nation, states, counties, and 

other localities. The survey has 

an annual sample size of about 

3.5 million addresses across the 

United States and Puerto Rico, 

and includes both housing units 

and group quarters. The ACS 

is conducted in every county 

throughout the nation. The ACS 

1-year data are released for 

geographic areas with populations 

of 65,000 or greater. The ACS 

5-year data are released for all 

geographic areas. For information 

on the ACS sample design

and other topics, visit

<www.census.gov

/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Data in this report come from the 

2018 American Community Survey 

and are subject to sampling and 

nonsampling error. Comparisons 

of estimates in the report have 

taken sampling error into account 

and are significant at the 90 

percent confidence level or higher, 

unless otherwise noted. Because 

of rounding, some details may not 

sum to totals. For information on 

sampling and estimation methods, 

confidentiality protection, and 

sampling and nonsampling errors, 

see the “Accuracy of the Data” 

documents for 2018 located at 

<www.census.gov/programs

-surveys/acs/technical

-documentation/code-lists.html>.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Vespa, Jonathan E., “Those Who 

Served: America’s Veterans 

From World War II to the War 

on Terror,” ACS-43, American 

Community Survey Reports,

U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, 

DC, 2020.
14 U.S. Census Bureau

Appendix Table 1.

Margins of Error for Veterans by Period of Service in the Armed Forces: 2018

(Numbers in thousands. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling 

error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>)

Periods of service

Number of veterans

Total Men Women

All service periods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.9 63.1 20.4

 Post-9/11 (September 2001 or later) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.3 30.0 14.8

 Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.2 29.7 14.0

 Vietnam Era (August 1964 to April 1975) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.6 35.4 9.3

 Korean War (July 1950 to January 1955) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.8 11.8 2.6

 World War II (December 1941 to December 1946) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.4 9.5 2.0

 Pre-World War II (November 1941 or earlier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.8 1.8 0.4

 Peacetime only (All other periods not listed above) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.5 29.2 9.1

Note: Except for peacetime only, the periods of service are not mutually exclusive. Veterans may have served at any point during the time 

listed for the service periods; they may not have necessarily served in the war for which the period is named. A margin of error is a measure of an 

estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added 

to or subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 15

Appendix Table 2.

Margins of Error for Characteristics of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force Era

(Numbers in thousands, except median age. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling 

error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>)

Characteristic

All veterans Post-9/11 Gulf War Peacetime only 

(post-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.9 X 34.3 X 34.2 X 24.7 X

Demographics

Median age (years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.1 X 0.1 X 0.1 X 0.1 X

Race and Hispanic origin:

 White alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . 52.8 0.2 24.3 0.5 27.9 0.4 21.3 0.5

 Black alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . 26.8 0.1 13.5 0.3 14.6 0.3 10.1 0.4

 Other, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.8 0.1 10.1 0.3 8.6 0.2 5.3 0.2

 Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.9 0.1 14.6 0.3 10.7 0.3 6.6 0.2

Employment and Education

Employment status:

 Employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55.6 0.2 32.4 0.4 31.8 0.4 20.8 0.5

 Unemployed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.7 0.1 7.0 0.2 4.9 0.1 4.4 0.2

 Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45.0 0.2 15.3 0.4 16.8 0.4 15.5 0.5

Education:

 High school graduate or less . . . . . . . . . 40.0 0.2 16.1 0.4 15.2 0.4 14.9 0.4

 Some college, no degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.8 0.2 21.0 0.4 19.5 0.4 14.3 0.5

 Bachelor’s degree or more . . . . . . . . . . . 34.5 0.1 18.8 0.4 22.0 0.4 11.6 0.4

Economic Characteristics

Personal income (dollars, median) . . . . . . 129 X 306 X 368 X 469 X

Income to poverty ratio:1

 Less than 150 percent of poverty . . . . . 25.8 0.1 11.2 0.3 9.9 0.3 9.7 0.4

 150 to 399 percent of poverty . . . . . . . . 42.2 0.2 22.2 0.4 20.1 0.4 13.0 0.4

 400 percent or more of poverty . . . . . . 49.3 0.2 21.9 0.4 29.4 0.5 18.2 0.5

Receives public assistance2. . . . . . . . . . . . 21.6 0.1 11.1 0.3 8.8 0.2 10.3 0.4

Housing:

 In group quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1 <0.1 4.7 0.1 2.7 0.1 3.6 0.1

 In households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64.7 <0.1 32.5 0.1 34.6 0.1 24.4 0.1

  Homeowner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65.3 0.2 25.4 0.5 30.0 0.4 23.0 0.5

  Renter3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.0 0.2 23.2 0.5 17.4 0.4 12.2 0.5

X Not applicable.

1

 Not calculated for people living in most types of group quarters.

2 Includes Supplemental Security Income, cash public assistance income, and food stamps or SNAP.

3 Includes veterans who live rent free.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
16 U.S. Census Bureau

Appendix Table 3.

Margins of Error for Characteristics of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the Draft Era

(Numbers in thousands, except median age. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling 

error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>)

Characteristic

Vietnam Era Korean War World War II Peacetime only 

(pre-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.6 X 11.8 X 9.4 X 15.8 X

Demographics

Median age (years) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . <0.1 X <0.1 X 0.1 X 0.1 X

Race and Hispanic origin:

 White alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.3 0.2 10.3 0.4 7.8 0.6 15.1 0.4

 Black alone, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11.8 0.2 3.7 0.3 2.0 0.4 4.3 0.3

 Other, non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 0.1 2.5 0.2 1.6 0.3 3.3 0.2

 Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.1 0.1 3.6 0.3 2.0 0.4 3.6 0.2

Employment and Education

Employment status:

 In labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.9 0.2 3.4 0.3 1.6 0.3 5.1 0.3

 Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.5 0.2 12.1 0.3 9.7 0.3 14.9 0.3

Education:

 High school graduate or less . . . . . . . . . . . 22.5 0.3 10.0 0.7 6.9 1.2 9.9 0.5

 Some college, no degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.8 0.3 7.6 0.5 4.6 0.8 10.1 0.6

 Bachelor’s degree or more . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.7 0.2 9.0 0.6 5.8 1.0 9.2 0.5

Economic Characteristics

Personal income (dollars, median) . . . . . . . . 230 X 405 X 600 X 364 X

Income to poverty ratio:1

 Less than 150 percent of poverty . . . . . . . 13.5 0.2 5.4 0.4 3.8 0.8 7.0 0.4

 150 to 399 percent of poverty . . . . . . . . . . 25.1 0.3 9.8 0.6 6.6 1.1 10.5 0.5

 400 percent or more of poverty . . . . . . . . 24.3 0.3 8.8 0.6 5.7 1.0 10.5 0.6

Receives public assistance2. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.0 0.2 3.9 0.3 2.7 0.5 4.4 0.3

Housing:

 In group quarters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.0 0.1 2.6 0.2 2.8 0.6 2.2 0.1

 In households . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.6 0.1 11.7 0.2 9.4 0.6 15.6 0.1

  Homeowner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.8 0.3 10.0 0.5 7.9 1.0 14.8 0.5

  Renter3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.6 0.3 7.1 0.5 5.4 1.0 7.9 0.5

X Not applicable.

1 Not calculated for people living in most types of group quarters.

2 Includes Supplemental Security Income, cash public assistance income, and food stamps or SNAP.

3 Includes veterans who live rent free.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 17

Appendix Table 4a.

Margins of Error for Health and Disability of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the All-Volunteer Force Era

(Numbers in thousands. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling 

error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>)

Characteristic

All veterans Post-9/11 Gulf War Peacetime only 

(post-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66.9 X 34.3 X 34.2 X 24.7 X

Health Characteristics

Disability:1

 Has ACS-defined disability . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.8 0.2 12.5 0.3 12.5 0.3 13.1 0.4

 Has service-connected disability2. . . . . . 33.2 0.1 19.3 0.4 23.5 0.5 9.8 0.4

  0 to 20 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.2 0.1 9.9 0.2 11.7 0.3 5.7 0.2

  30 to 60 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18.7 0.1 10.2 0.3 9.8 0.2 5.4 0.2

  70 percent or higher rating . . . . . . . . . . 21.3 0.1 13.8 0.3 12.3 0.3 5.1 0.2

Insurance and VA health care:

 Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.1 0.1 9.6 0.2 7.3 0.2 6.4 0.2

 Ever received care through VA . . . . . . . . 42.4 0.2 19.6 0.4 19.0 0.4 11.3 0.4

X Not applicable.

1 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive 

functioning, independent living, and self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the result of service in the 

armed forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability may not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined 

disabilities. 2 A service-connected disability rating is shown only for veterans who reported a rating.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.

Appendix Table 4b.

Margins of Error for Health and Disability of Veterans by Service Period: 2018

Veterans of the Draft Era

(Numbers in thousands. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling 

error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>)

Characteristic

Vietnam Era Korean War World War II Peacetime only 

(pre-Vietnam Era)

Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent Number Percent

   Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37.6 X 11.8 X 9.4 X 15.8 X

Health Characteristics

Disability:1

 Has ACS-defined disability . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.6 0.3 12.4 0.7 8.9 0.9 10.6 0.5

 Has service-connected disability2. . . . . . 18.5 0.2 6.4 0.5 4.2 0.8 5.0 0.3

  0 to 20 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.9 0.1 3.9 0.3 2.2 0.4 3.3 0.2

  30 to 60 percent rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.4 0.1 2.8 0.2 1.9 0.4 2.8 0.2

  70 percent or higher rating . . . . . . . . . . 12.3 0.2 3.3 0.2 1.9 0.4 2.2 0.1

Insurance and VA health care:

 Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.3 0.1 0.5 <0.1 0.3 0.1 0.7 <0.1

 Ever received care through VA . . . . . . . . 25.0 0.3 9.7 0.7 6.4 1.0 9.9 0.6

X Not applicable.

1 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive 

functioning, independent living, and self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the result of service in the 

armed forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability may not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined 

disabilities. 2 A service-connected disability rating is shown only for veterans who reported a rating.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.
18 U.S. Census Bureau

Appendix Table 5.

Likelihood of Veterans Having a Disability by Type and Rating

(Odds ratios reported from logistic regression)

Characteristic

ACS-defined

disability1

Service-connected

disability

Disability rating 70 percent

or greater (among

veterans with a

service-connected disability)

Model 

1

Standard 

error

Model 

2

Standard 

error

Model 

3

Standard 

error

Model 

4

Standard 

error

Model 

5

Standard 

error

Model 

6

Standard 

error

Service Period

Post-9/11 (reference). . . . . . . . . . . . Ref X Ref X Ref X Ref X Ref X Ref X

Gulf War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.17 *0.03 1.08 *0.03 0.62 *0.01 0.48 *0.01 0.56 *0.02 0.42 *0.01

Vietnam Era. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.98 *0.06 1.28 *0.04 0.52 *0.01 0.26 *0.01 0.90 *0.02 0.48 *0.021

Korean War. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.51 *0.19 3.59 *0.13 0.20 *0.01 0.08 *<0.01 0.37 *0.03 0.16 *0.01

World War II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.37 *0.72 7.82 *0.38 0.23 *0.01 0.08 *<0.01 0.51 *0.05 0.21 *0.02

Peacetime only. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.48 *0.04 1.75 *0.05 0.22 *<0.01 0.12 *<0.01 0.46 *0.02 0.25 *0.014

Sex

Male (reference). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N Ref X N N Ref X N N Ref X

Female. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 0.93 *0.02 N N 0.97 0.02 N N 1.12 *0.04

Age (years)

18 to 44 (reference). . . . . . . . . . . . . N N Ref X N N Ref X N N Ref X

45 to 64. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 1.37 *0.04 N N 1.60 *0.04 N N 1.04 0.03

65 or older. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 1.68 *0.05 N N 1.05 0.04 N N 0.65 *0.03

Race and Hispanic Origin

White alone, non-Hispanic

 (reference). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N Ref X N N Ref X N N Ref X

Black alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . N N 0.87 *0.02 N N 1.50 *0.03 N N 1.79 *0.06

Other, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . N N 1.19 *0.03 N N 1.14 *0.03 N N 1.24 *0.06

Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 1.03 0.03 N N 1.14 *0.03 N N 1.48 *0.07

Employment Status

In labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 0.33 *0.01 N N 0.58 *0.01 N N 0.27 *0.01

Not in labor force (reference). . . . N N Ref X N N Ref X N N Ref X

Education

High school diploma or less. . . . . N N 1.42 *0.02 N N 0.71 *0.01 N N 1.22 *0.04

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . N N 1.27 *0.02 N N 0.99 0.02 N N 1.13 *0.03

Bachelor’s degree or more

 (reference). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N Ref X N N Ref X N N Ref X

Income to Poverty Ratio2

Less than 150 percent of

 poverty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 1.74 *0.03 N N 0.46 *0.01 N N 0.51 *0.02

150 to 399 percent of poverty. . . N N 1.26 *0.02 N N 0.67 *0.01 N N 0.67 *0.02

400 percent or more of poverty 

 (reference). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N Ref X N N Ref X N N Ref X

Health and Healthcare

Ever received care through VA. . . N N 1.45 *0.02 N N 7.17 *0.10 N N 1.96 *0.06

Has service-connected

 disability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N N 2.77 *0.04 N N N N N N N N

Has ACS-defined disability. . . . . . N N N N N N 2.70 *0.04 N N 1.94 *0.04

* Denotes that the variable is statistically significant at least p <.05 (i.e., we are 95 percent certain that the variables are correlated with one 

another and the correlation is not by random chance alone). 

N Not available. Estimates for this variable are not available because the variable was not included in the analysis.

X Not applicable.

1

 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, 

mobility, cognitive functioning, independent living, and self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the 

result of service in the armed forces and are assigned ratings based on a graduated scale defined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability may not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities. 2 Not calculated for people living in most types of group quarters.

Note: Models 1-4 include all veterans; models 5 and 6 include only veterans who reported having a service-connected disability. The table 

shows odds ratios from logistic regression predicting the likelihood of veterans having an ACS-defined disability, a service-connected disability, or 

a service-connected disability rating of 70 percent or greater. Odds ratios larger than one represent a greater likelihood, while odds ratios less than 

one represent a lower likelihood. A reference category means that all other categories in that group are compared to the reference. 

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2018 1-Year American Community Survey.