Veterans in Rural America: 2011–2015

American Community Survey Reports

By Kelly Ann Holder

January 2017

ACS-36

INTRODUCTION

Twenty million veterans live in the United States. They 

live in every state and in nearly every county across the 

nation. About 5 million veterans lived in areas designated as rural by the U.S. Census Bureau during the 

2011–2015 period. Understanding who rural veterans 

are and what sets them apart from other veterans, as 

well as from their rural neighbors, provides the necessary perspective for rural communities, government 

agencies, veterans’ advocates, and other policymakers 

interested in directing programs and services to this 

population.

In general, individuals living in rural areas differ from 

their urban counterparts in terms of demographic 

characteristics, social ties, culture, and access to 

infrastructure and institutional support. Much depends 

on the geography itself. In some parts of the country, 

rural residents may face substantial physical barriers 

to accessing services and amenities, including longer 

travel times, lack of transportation options, and limited 

availability of services.

Veterans, regardless of geography, differ from their 

nonveteran counterparts in a variety of aspects. 

Military history and enlistment policy changes have 

influenced the demographic composition of the veteran 

and nonveteran populations over time.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has identified veterans living in rural areas as a population of 

interest. To help address concerns of veterans’ access 

to care, Congress established the Office of Rural Health 

within the VA in 2007. One challenge in these efforts 

is that most of the data available to the VA come only 

from rural veterans enrolled in their healthcare system, 

and not all veterans are enrolled. However, to anticipate demand for care, as well as to understand what 

types of services may be requested or utilized, requires 

data on all rural veterans. 

This brief aims to answer the question “Who are rural 

veterans?” by considering the demographic, social, and 

economic characteristics of rural veterans compared 

with both urban veterans as well as with rural nonveterans. It also examines rural veterans by the level of 

rurality of their county of residence to understand some 

of the impact of geography on their characteristics. The 

data used in this report are primarily from 2011–2015 

American Community Survey (ACS), 5-year estimates. 

This report presents statistics about veterans and, 

where applicable, nonveterans 18 years and older living 

in rural and urban areas of the United States. 

RURAL VETERANS BY REGION AND STATE

In the 2011–2015 period, 24.1 percent of the veteran 

population 18 years and older lived in areas designated 

as rural. Just under half of all rural veterans lived in the 

South (45.9 percent) and another 13.7 percent lived 

in the Northeast (see Table 1). While the Midwest and 

West may appear to have a larger share of wide-open 

rural spaces from the view outside an airplane window, 

the majority of the nation’s rural population, in general, 

actually lives east of the Mississippi River.
2 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 1. 

Selected Characteristics of Rural Veterans, Urban Veterans, and Rural Nonveterans: 

2011–2015—Con.

Characteristic

Rural veterans Urban veterans Rural nonveterans1

Estimate

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±)

 Total civilian 

 population 18 

 years and over. . .

Region

4,837,124 13,265 100.0 13,265 15,271,208 27,834 100.0 27,834 41,719,613 29,847 100.0 33,445

 Northeast . . . . . . . . . . . 662,446 3,679 13 .7 0 .2 2,321,270 9,571 15 .2 0 .1 5,909,525 9,579 14 .2 0 .1

 Midwest . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,276,782 5,332 26 .4 0 .1 3,084,868 10,793 20 .2 0 .1 11,184,632 12,912 26 .8 0 .1

 South . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,217,990 10,140 45 .9 0 .1 6,041,862 16,453 39 .6 0 .1 19,500,884 22,999 46 .7 0 .1

 West . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Place of Residence—

Level of Rurality

 Mostly urban (less than 

679,906 4,768 14 .1 0 .1 3,823,208 11,593 25 .0 0 .1 5,124,572 12,884 12 .3 0 .1

 50 percent rural) . . . .

 Mostly rural (50 to 99 .9 

2,447,703 9,776 50 .6 0 .1 14,381,673 31,278 94 .2 0 .1 20,865,140 25,443 50 .0 0 .1

 percent rural) . . . . . .

 Completely rural (100 

1,962,845 7,574 40 .6 0 .1 889,535 6,858 5 .8 0 .1 17,124,062 15,437 41 .0 0 .1

 percent rural) . . . . . .

Metropolitan Area 

Status

426,576 3,079 8 .8 0 .2 X X X X 3,730,411 3,647 8 .9 0 .1

 Lives in a metro area . .

 Lives in a nonmetro 

2,650,125 6,967 54 .8 0 .1 13,915,640 7,759 91 .1 0 .1 22,616,680 16,170 54 .2 0 .1

 area . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Age

2,186,999 10,788 45 .2 0 .1 1,355,568 30,426 8 .9 0 .1 19,102,933 25,859 45 .8 0 .1

 18 to 25 years . . . . . . . 63,551 1,890 1 .3 0 .2 342,657 5,006 2 .2 0 .1 5,153,303 13,920 12 .4 0 .1

 26 to 44 years . . . . . . . 601,422 4,937 12 .4 0 .1 2,617,839 12,936 17 .1 0 .1 12,124,519 17,470 29 .1 0 .1

 45 to 54 years . . . . . . . 685,929 6,026 14 .2 0 .1 2,302,315 11,179 15 .1 0 .1 8,567,130 14,677 20 .5 0 .1

 55 to 64 years . . . . . . . 1,100,908 5,744 22 .8 0 .1 3,036,263 11,556 19 .9 0 .1 8,060,613 12,862 19 .3 0 .1

 65 to 74 years . . . . . . . 1,340,805 5,584 27 .7 0 .1 3,419,369 9,644 22 .4 0 .1 4,851,074 10,808 11 .6 0 .1

 75 years and older . . . . 1,044,509 4,746 21 .6 0 .1 3,552,765 9,300 23 .3 0 .1 2,962,974 8,554 7 .1 0 .1

 Median age . . . . . . . . .

Sex

64 .8 0 .2 X X 63 .4 0 .1 X X 49 .5 0 .1 X X

 Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4,537,740 12,495 93 .8 0 .1 13,992,064 26,028 91 .6 0 .1 18,875,704 19,227 45 .2 0 .1

 Female . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Race and Hispanic 

Origin

299,384 3,837 6 .2 0 .1 1,279,144 9,262 8 .4 0 .1 22,843,909 18,894 54 .8 0 .1

 White non-Hispanic . . . 4,366,255 11,842 90 .3 0 .1 11,547,977 18,095 75 .6 0 .1 35,516,847 34,275 85 .1 0 .1

 Black non-Hispanic . . .

 Other race 

226,111 3,410 4 .7 0 .2 2,012,781 12,497 13 .2 0 .1 2,519,719 9,207 6 .0 0 .1

 non-Hispanic . . . . . . 125,352 2,375 2 .6 0 .2 611,361 5,759 4 .0 0 .1 1,461,712 13,331 3 .5 0 .1

 Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . .

Educational Attainment

 High school diploma or 

119,406 2,996 2 .5 0 .2 1,099,089 11,586 7 .2 0 .1 2,221,335 13,792 5 .3 0 .1

 less . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,158,968 8,858 44 .6 0 .1 5,129,333 14,157 33 .6 0 .1 20,909,546 56,743 50 .1 0 .1

 Some college . . . . . . . . 1,705,251 7,822 35 .3 0 .1 5,751,759 17,838 37 .7 0 .1 12,718,804 21,971 30 .5 0 .1

 Bachelor’s degree . . . . 596,264 4,780 12 .3 0 .1 2,616,053 12,114 17 .1 0 .1 5,319,720 26,387 12 .8 0 .1

 Advanced degree . . . . .

Disability Status

376,641 3,640 7 .8 0 .2 1,774,063 11,652 11 .6 0 .1 2,771,543 18,450 6 .6 0 .1

 Has a disability . . . . . . . 1,498,598 7,682 31 .0 0 .1 4,211,139 14,691 27 .6 0 .1 7,089,654 25,642 17 .0 0 .1

 No disability . . . . . . . . .

See notes at end of table .

3,338,526 11,898 69 .0 0 .1 11,060,069 29,416 72 .4 0 .1 34,629,959 31,648 83 .0 0 .1
U.S. Census Bureau 3

Table 1. 

Selected Characteristics of Rural Veterans, Urban Veterans, and Rural Nonveterans: 

2011–2015—Con.

Characteristic

Rural veterans Urban veterans Rural nonveterans1

Estimate

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±) Estimate

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Percent

Margin 

of error 

(±)

Health Insurance 

Coverage

 Insured . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . .

Median Household 

Income (in 2015- 

inflation adjusted 

dollars) . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Poverty (for whom 

poverty is determined)

 In poverty . . . . . . . . . . .

 Not in poverty . . . . . . . .

Period of Service2

 Gulf War (September

 2001 or later) . . . . . .

 Gulf War (August 1990 

 to August 2001) . . . .

 Vietnam Era . . . . . . . . .

 Korean War . . . . . . . . .

 World War II . . . . . . . .

 Peacetime only . . . . . . .

Service-Connected 

Disability Status and 

Rating

 Has a service- 

 connected disability .

 No service-connected 

 disability . . . . . . . . . .

VA Healthcare (for 

insured population)

 Uses/enrolled in 

 VA healthcare . . . . . .

 Does not use 

 VA healthcare . . . . . .

4,586,497

250,627

 $53,554 

326,985

4,440,256

500,788

549,374

1,884,619

452,940

228,015

1,221,388

891,464

3,945,660

1,559,887

3,026,610

13,022

4,150

 $142 

3,536

12,938

5,545

5,126

7,662

3,400

2,308

8,028

5,213

12,684

7,579

10,716

94 .8

5 .2

X

6 .9

93 .1

10 .4

11 .4

39 .0

9 .4

4 .7

25 .3

18 .4

81 .6

34 .0

66 .0

0 .1

0 .1

X

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .2

0 .2

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

14,518,214

752,994

 $59,674 

1,074,852

13,909,986

2,325,433

2,007,596

4,889,815

1,440,074

992,162

3,616,128

2,771,278

12,499,930

4,529,450

9,988,764

35,978

8,875

 $163 

7,598

27,980

11,742

10,556

14,997

7,006

5,815

13,173

15,988

22,162

23,568

21,283

95 .1

4 .9

X

7 .2

92 .8

15 .2

13 .1

32 .0

9 .4

6 .5

23 .7

18 .1

81 .9

31 .2

68 .8

0 .1

0 .1

X

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

0 .1

35,276,518

6,443,095

 $52,161 

5,028,017

35,782,756

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

52,689

49,314

 $97 

29,059

39,883

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

84 .6

15 .4

X

12 .3

87 .7

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

0 .1

0 .1

X

0 .1

0 .1

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X

X Not applicable .

1

 The category “nonveterans” includes a small number of Reserves/National Guard who worked on active duty for training during the reference week and would 

not be included as nonveterans in published tables in American Factfinder .

2

 Veterans who served in multiple wartime periods are classified in their most recent period of service . Categories are mutually exclusive .

Note: For more information, see <www .census .gov/programs-surveys/acs/> .

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates .
4 U.S. Census Bureau

Regionally, the percentage of veterans who lived in rural areas also 

differed (see Figure 1). A higher 

percentage of veterans in the 

Midwest and South lived in rural 

areas than those in the Northeast 

and West. Interestingly, the two 

states with the highest percentage 

of veterans living in rural areas 

were in the Northeast (see Figure 

2). Over 60 percent of veterans in 

Maine and Vermont lived in rural 

areas. The Northeast is the location of many large urban centers, 

which is why the percentage of the 

population living in rural areas in 

that region overall was lower than 

that of the Midwest and South. 

The states in the South that had 

the highest percentage of veterans living in rural areas were West 

Virginia, Mississippi, and Arkansas. 

DEFINING RURAL AREAS

At the time of the 2010 Census, over 59 million density, sparse population, not built up, and at a 

people lived in the rural areas of the United States. distance from urban areas.

The Census Bureau defines urban and rural areas 

every 10 years after each decennial census by apply- Relationship Between Land Area and 

ing specific criteria related to population thresholds, Population in the United States: 2010 

density, distance, and land use. These same defini- (In percent)

tions are used in the ACS each year for a decade. Land area Population 

Urban areas and urban clusters 3 .0 80 .7 Urban areas represent densely developed territory 

Rural areas 97 .0 19 .3 and encompass residential, commercial, and other Note: For more information about how the U.S. Census Bureau nonresidential urban land uses. The Census Bureau defines urban and rural geographies, see the brief “Defining Rural 

identifies two types of urban areas: Urbanized Areas at the U.S. Census Bureau” at <www.census.gov/content/dam 

/Census/library/publications/2016/acs/acsgeo-1.pdf>. of 50,000 or more people and Urban Clusters of at Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census, Table GCTPH1.

least 2,500 and fewer than 50,000 people. 

Rural areas encompass all population, housing, 

and territory not included within an urban area. 

Generally, rural places are characterized as low 

Figure 1. 

Percentage of Veterans Living in Rural and Urban 

Areas by Region: 2011–2015

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Total Northeast Midwest South West

75.9 77.8

70.7 73.1

84.9

24.1 22.2 29.3 26.9

15.1

— Urban

— Rural
U.S. Census Bureau 5

Figure 2. 

Percentage of Veterans and Nonveterans Living in Rural Areas by State: 2011–2015 

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Maine

Vermont

West Virginia

Mississippi

Arkansas

Montana

South Dakota

New Hampshire

North Dakota

Alabama

Kentucky

Iowa

Tennessee

Oklahoma

North Carolina

Wyoming

Wisconsin

Missouri

Alaska

Idaho

Minnesota

South Carolina

Michigan

Indiana

Kansas

Louisiana

Nebraska

Georgia

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Virginia

UNITED STATES

Ohio

New Mexico

New York

Texas

Washington

Delaware

Colorado

Illinois

Connecticut

Maryland

Arizona

Utah

Rhode Island

Florida

Massachusetts

California

Nevada

Hawaii

New Jersey

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Veterans Nonveterans 
6 U.S. Census Bureau

RURAL AND URBAN 

VETERANS

Understanding who rural veterans 

are requires a point of reference. 

This section explores how rural 

veterans compare with other veterans, while the following section 

explores how they compare with 

other rural residents.

Age and sex

Rural veterans were older than veterans who lived in urban areas (see 

Figure 3). The median age of rural 

veterans was 65 years, compared 

with 63 years for urban veterans. 

This is not surprising given that 

rural residents are generally older 

than urban residents.1

The age of rural and urban veterans 

did not differ dramatically by sex. 

Compared with urban male veterans, rural male veterans were only 

about a year older. In contrast, 

rural female veterans were nearly 

3 years older than their urban 

counterparts (see Figure 8). 

Age and period of military service 

are largely correlated at the older 

ages. Veterans of the most recent 

wartime period, while mostly 

young, can essentially be in any age 

1 The median age of all rural adults was 

51 years, compared with 45 years for all 

urban adults.

category. Figure 4 shows the percentage of veterans in each period 

of service who lived in rural areas.2

Vietnam Era veterans had the highest percentage living in rural areas 

(27.8 percent). The majority of veterans who served in this era were 

over the age of 64. Since rural residents tend to be older than urban 

residents, it is notable that a lower 

percentage of World War II veterans, the oldest cohort of veterans, 

lived in rural areas. It may be that 

some of the oldest veterans, and 

2 For the purposes of this analysis, 

veterans who served during wartime periods 

were categorized in the most recent period 

in which they served. For example, a veteran 

who served in both World War II and the 

Korean War was categorized as Korean War.

Figure 3. 

Age Distribution of Rural and Urban Veterans: 2011–2015 

(In percent)

Rural Urban

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 and older

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

1.3 2.2

12.4

17.1

14.2 15.1

22.8

19.9

27.7

22.4 21.6 23.3
U.S. Census Bureau 7

nonveterans as well, are more likely 

to live in or near urban areas due 

to the amenities they can provide. 

Gulf War II veterans, the youngest 

cohort of veterans, had the lowest 

percentage (17.7 percent) living in 

rural areas.

Health insurance coverage 

The majority of adults in the United 

States are covered by private health 

insurance plans, primarily through 

an employer.3 Many obtain coverage through a government program, such as Medicare, Medicaid, 

and, for some veterans, through 

the VA healthcare system. In 

the ACS, those with no health 

3 Jessica C. Barnett and Marina S. 

Vornovitsky, “Health Insurance Coverage in 

the United States: 2015,” Current Population 

Reports, P60-257(RV), U.S. Census Bureau, 

Washington, DC, 2016.

insurance coverage at the time of 

the survey interview are considered 

uninsured.4

Overall, the uninsured rates of 

all rural and urban veterans were 

comparable during the 2011–2015 

period (both were around 5 percent) (see Table 1). Most veterans 

have coverage because a high 

proportion of them are 65 years 

or older and eligible for Medicare. 

Uninsured rates differed by age for 

4 Since the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010, 

several provisions of the ACA have gone 

into effect at different times. In 2014, adults 

under age 65, may have become eligible 

for coverage options under the ACA. Based 

on family income, some people may have 

qualified for subsidies or tax credits to help 

pay for premiums associated with health 

insurance plans. In addition, the population 

with lower income may have become eligible 

for Medicaid coverage if they resided in one 

of the states or the District of Columbia that 

expanded Medicaid eligibility.

nonelderly veterans. The largest 

disparity in the uninsured rate was 

for the youngest veterans. About 

22 percent of 18- to 25-year-old 

rural veterans were uninsured, 

compared with 15.5 percent of 

similar urban veterans (see Figure 

8). This is the age group for many 

of the veterans who most recently 

separated from the military as well 

as the age group of young adults 

who can be included on their parents’ private insurance plans.

While most individuals are covered 

by a single source of health insurance, others may have multiple 

types of coverage to supplement 

their primary insurance. Insured 

rural and urban veterans had comparable types of health insurance 

coverage, though urban veterans 

had higher rates of coverage from 

private plans only (34.0 percent 

compared with 30.3 percent) (see 

Figure 8).5 A higher percentage of 

rural (45.1 percent) than urban veterans (42.7 percent) had a combination of private and public health 

insurance coverage. 

Veterans have a unique source of 

public healthcare coverage available to them through the VA. 

Eligibility for using the VA healthcare system is based on veteran 

status, service-connected disability 

status, income level, and other 

factors.6 Not all veterans can use 

the VA healthcare system. Veterans 

with a service-connected disability are in the highest enrollment 

priority groups in the VA healthcare 

system, depending on their disability rating.7 Priority enrollment 

may make them more likely to use 

VA. They may also prefer the quality of specialized services that are 

5 This category includes individuals with 

only one or multiple private plans. 6 A service-connected disability is a disability, disease, or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. 7 For more information about VA priority 

enrollment, see <www.va.gov/healthbenefits 

/resources/priority_groups.asp>.

Figure 4. 

Percentage of Veterans Living in Rural Areas 

by Period of Service: 2011–2015

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Gulf War II

World War II

Gulf War I 

Korean War

Peacetime only

Vietnam Era 27.8

25.2

23.9

21.5

18.7

17.7
8 U.S. Census Bureau

more difficult to obtain at non-VA 

facilities.

Rural and urban veterans used the 

VA healthcare system at comparable rates.8 Thirty-four percent of 

rural veterans with health insur8 The health insurance coverage question in ACS asks if the person is covered by 

or “ever enrolled” in VA healthcare, therefore 

the percentage may not represent current VA 

usage.

ance coverage of some kind used 

VA healthcare, compared with 

31.2 percent of urban veterans 

(see Figure 5). Very few veterans 

relied solely on VA healthcare. Of 

the insured population, less than 

5 percent of both rural and urban 

veterans had VA healthcare as their 

only source of coverage. When 

limiting the insured population 

further to just those with a serviceconnected disability, 71.0 percent 

of rural and 66.5 percent of urban 

veterans used VA healthcare. About 

10 percent of rural and urban veterans with a service-connected disability had VA as their only source 

of healthcare. 

Figure 5. 

Use of VA Healthcare for Insured Rural and Urban Veterans: 2011–2015 

(In percent)

Rural Urban

Uses VA healthcare VA as only source of care Uses VA healthcare VA as only source of care

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

All veterans Veterans with a service-connected disability

34.0

4.4

71.0

9.8

31.2

4.7

66.5

10.4
U.S. Census Bureau 9

Disability status

Disability status in ACS is determined from a series of six questions (see text box “Definitions and 

Concepts”). Individuals identified 

by the ACS as having a disability 

are those who report difficulty with 

one or more of these specific functions and may, in the absence of 

accommodation, have a disability. 

A higher percentage of rural (31.0 

percent) than urban veterans (27.6 

percent) reported some type of disability (see Table 1). Disability rates 

for both groups increased with age, 

however, rural veterans of all ages 

had higher rates of disability than 

urban veterans (see Figure 8). 

While age is an important factor in 

disability, period of service is an 

indicator unique to veterans that 

may also influence their health 

status and types of services they 

require. Wartime veterans, for 

instance, may have different health 

concerns and issues of access to 

care compared with other veterans. 

A higher percentage of rural than 

urban veterans served during the 

Vietnam Era (39.0 percent compared with 32.0 percent). We might 

expect veterans from Vietnam and 

earlier eras to have higher rates of 

disability due to their age. Living in 

rural or remote areas could impose 

additional barriers to care for these 

veterans.

DEFINITIONS AND CONCEPTS

Health insurance coverage in the ACS includes plans and programs that provide comprehensive health coverage. Plans that 

provide insurance for specific conditions or situations, such as cancer 

and long-term care policies, are not considered coverage. Likewise, 

other types of insurance like dental, vision, life, and disability insurance are not considered health insurance coverage.

Disability is measured with a series of six questions. People identified by the ACS as having a disability are those who report a hearing, 

vision, cognitive, ambulatory, self-care, or independent living difficulty and may, in the absence of accommodation, have a disability.

Employed individuals (1) did any work at all during the reference 

week as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession, 

worked on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid 

workers on a family farm or in a family business; or (2) did not work 

during the reference week but had jobs or businesses from which 

they were temporarily absent due to illness, bad weather, industrial 

dispute, vacation, or other personal reasons.

Income is the sum of the amounts reported separately for wage 

or salary income; net self-employment income; interest, dividends, 

or net rental or royalty income or income from estates and trusts; 

Social Security or Railroad Retirement income; Supplemental Security 

Income; public assistance or welfare payments; retirement, survivor, 

or disability pensions; and all other income.

Poverty status is determined by comparing total family income in 

the last 12 months with the poverty threshold appropriate for that 

family size and composition. If the total income of that family is less 

than the threshold appropriate for that family, every member of that 

family is considered “below the poverty level.” If a person is not living 

with anyone related by birth, marriage, or adoption, then the person’s 

own income is compared with the poverty threshold.

For more information about subjects in the ACS, see <www2.census 

.gov/programs-surveys/acs/tech_docs/subject_definitions/2015 

_ACSSubjectDefinitions.pdf>. 
10 U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 6 shows that the oldest 

cohorts of veterans—World War 

II, Korean War, and Vietnam Era—

indeed had the highest rates of disability, and those rates were higher 

for rural than for urban veterans. 

This is most likely because rural 

veterans were older than urban 

veterans. Figure 6 also shows rates 

of service-connected disability. A 

service-connected disability may not 

necessarily correlate with having a 

disability as measured in the ACS.9

Veterans with service-connected 

disabilities qualify for priority enrollment in the VA healthcare system. 

Gulf War II veterans, those who 

served between September 2001 

and the present, had the highest 

9 Kelly Ann Holder, “The Disability of Veterans,” Working paper (Holder-2016-01), U.S. 

Census Bureau, Washington, DC, 2016. See 

<www.census.gov/content/dam/Census 

/library/working-papers/2016/demo 

/Holder-2016-01.pdf>.

rate of service-connected disability of all periods of service. Rural 

Gulf War II veterans also had higher 

rates of service-connected disability than urban Gulf War II veterans. 

Disabilities related to age and disabilities related to military service 

may require very different services 

and pose challenges to service providers for veterans in rural areas.

Figure 6. 

Percentage of Rural and Urban Veterans With a Disability or a Service-Connected

Disability by Period of Service: 2011–2015

Rural Urban

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

0 20 40 60 80

Gulf War II

Gulf War I

Peacetime only

Vietnam Era

Korean War

World War II

0 20 40 60 80

Gulf War II

Gulf War I

Peacetime only

Vietnam Era

Korean War

World War II

Percent with a disability Percent with a service-connected disability
U.S. Census Bureau 11

Table 2.

Employment Characteristics of Rural Veterans, Urban Veterans, and Rural Nonveterans 

18 to 64 Years Old: 2011–2015

Characteristic

Rural veterans Urban veterans Rural nonveterans1

Percent

Margin of 

error (±) Percent

Margin of 

error (±) Percent

Margin of 

error (±)

 Total civilian population 18 to 64 years old .........

Employment Status

2,451,810 10,709 8,299,074 18,353 33,905,565 28,006

 Employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 .0 0 .2 70 .7 0 .1 67 .7 0 .1

 Unemployed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 .9 0 .1 5 .6 0 .1 5 .4 0 .1

 Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 .1 0 .2 23 .6 0 .1 26 .9 0 .1

 Total employed population 18 to 64 years old .......

Work Status

1,619,014 9,312 5,869,034 19,125 22,940,695 39,200

 Less than full time and year-round . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 .4 0 .2 18 .3 0 .1 28 .5 0 .1

 Full time and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Class of Worker

81 .6 0 .2 81 .7 0 .1 71 .5 0 .1

 Private worker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 .5 0 .3 68 .3 0 .1 79 .7 0 .1

 Government worker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 .4 0 .2 27 .4 0 .1 15 .5 0 .1

 Self-employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 .9 0 .1 4 .3 0 .1 7 .6 0 .1

 Unpaid family worker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Occupation

0 .2 0 .1 0 .1 0 .1 0 .2 0 .1

 Management, professional, and related . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 .1 0 .2 38 .7 0 .2 32 .6 0 .1

 Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 .5 0 .2 15 .3 0 .1 16 .1 0 .1

 Sales and office . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 .1 0 .2 17 .8 0 .2 22 .5 0 .1

 Farming, fishing, and forestry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .0 0 .1 0 .2 0 .1 1 .7 0 .1

 Construction, extraction, maintenance, and repair . . . . . . . . . . 18 .8 0 .2 13 .4 0 .1 11 .6 0 .1

 Production, transportation, and material moving . . . . . . . . . . .

Industry

22 .6 0 .2 16 .5 0 .1 15 .5 0 .1

 Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, mining . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 .3 0 .1 1 .2 0 .1 5 .2 0 .1

 Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 .2 0 .2 6 .7 0 .1 8 .5 0 .1

 Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 .0 0 .2 13 .2 0 .1 13 .7 0 .1

 Wholesale trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 .9 0 .1 2 .9 0 .1 2 .6 0 .1

 Retail trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 .8 0 .1 8 .3 0 .1 11 .1 0 .1

 Transportation, warehousing, utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 .3 0 .2 10 .1 0 .1 5 .3 0 .1

 Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .6 0 .1 2 .4 0 .1 1 .4 0 .1

 Finance and insurance, real estate, rental and leasing . . . . . .

 Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and 

3 .1 0 .1 4 .7 0 .1 5 .0 0 .1

 waste management services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 .4 0 .1 11 .8 0 .1 7 .5 0 .1

 Educational services, health care, social assistance . . . . . . . .

 Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and 

11 .9 0 .2 14 .2 0 .1 23 .3 0 .1

 food services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 .3 0 .1 4 .6 0 .1 6 .9 0 .1

 Other services, except public administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 .8 0 .1 3 .3 0 .1 4 .7 0 .1

 Public administration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 .4 0 .2 16 .6 0 .1 4 .8 0 .1

1

 The category “nonveterans” includes a small number of Reserves/National Guard who worked on active duty for training during the reference week and would 

not be included as nonveterans in published tables in American Factfinder .

Note: For more information, see <www .census .gov/programs-surveys/acs/> .

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates .
12 U.S. Census Bureau

Employment and work status

Although the rural economy has 

diversified substantially over the 

past several decades, there are 

still differences in employment 

opportunities between rural and 

urban areas. Rural jobs are increasingly moving from agricultural and 

natural resource-oriented to more 

consumer services, such as retail 

trade, education, and healthcare. 

Urban jobs tend to specialize more 

in information and producer services, such as legal, financial, and 

other business services.10

A higher percentage of working-age 

urban veterans (70.7 percent) were 

employed during the 2011–2015 

period, compared with rural veterans (66.0 percent) (see Table 2).11 A 

higher percentage of rural veterans 

were out of the labor force (29.1 

percent) and a lower percentage 

were unemployed (4.9 percent), 

compared with urban veterans 

(23.6 percent and 5.6 percent, 

respectively). In terms of employment rates, urban veterans saw an 

advantage at all ages (see Figure 8). 

As previously mentioned, one 

way for individuals to gain access 

to health insurance coverage is 

through employer-sponsored 

plans. Typically, individuals who 

work full time (35 or more hours a 

week) and year-round (50 or more 

weeks a year) are more likely to be 

covered by health insurance than 

those who work less than full time 

and year-round.12 Overall rates of 

10 Leslie A. Whitener and David A. 

McGranahan, “Rural America Opportunities 

and Challenges.” See <www.ers.usda.gov 

/amber-waves/2003/february/rural-america>. 11 This analysis defines “working-age” as 

the population 18 to 64 years old. 12 See Barnett and Vornovitsky, 2016. 

Note that the definition of “full time” here is 

different from the Affordable Care Act which 

defines full time as 30 hours starting in 2015.

full-time and year-round employment for urban and rural veterans 

were comparable (about 82 percent), however, urban veterans had 

higher rates at the youngest and 

oldest ages (see Figure 7).

Income and poverty status

Household income and poverty 

status are two important measures 

for understanding the economic 

well-being of rural residents. For 

this analysis, any household that 

included a veteran was classified as 

a veteran household, regardless of 

whether the veteran was the householder or not. The median household income of urban veterans was 

about $6,000 higher than that of 

rural veterans ($59,674 compared 

with $53,554). A higher percentage 

of urban veterans, however, were 

living below poverty during the 

2011–2015 period, compared with 

rural veterans (7.2 percent and 6.9 

percent, respectively) (see Table 1). 

The youngest veterans, both rural 

and urban, had the highest poverty 

rates (see Figure 8). About 5 percent of the oldest rural and urban 

veterans were living below poverty 

in 2015 (see Figure 8).

Figure 7. 

Percentage of Employed Rural and Urban Veterans

Who Worked Full Time and Year-Round by 

Age: 2011–2015

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

45 to 64

26 to 44

18 to 25

62.3

65.0

83.2

82.3

81.6

82.6

Rural Urban
U.S. Census Bureau 13

Figure 8.

Selected Characteristics of Rural and Urban Veterans: 2011–2015

(In percent for the population 18 years and older, unless otherwise noted)

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Men Women

Private only Public only Private and public

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64

65.3

51.8

64.4

49.2

Median age by sex

(In years)

Type of health insurance coverage

(Population with health insurance)

Employment rate by age

(Population 18 to 64 years old)

30.3 34.0

24.6 23.2

45.1 42.7

65.4

79.1

61.7

69.9

80.1

66.2

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64 65 and older

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64 65 and older

Poverty rate by age

Disability rate by age

Uninsured rate by age

(Population 18 to 64 years old)

12.9

8.3 8.6 5.0

14.6

8.5 9.0 4.9

9.7 12.4

24.0

41.4

8.2 10.2

21.2

39.9

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64

21.6

13.0 8.6

15.5 11.0 7.4

Rural Urban
14 U.S. Census Bureau

RURAL VETERANS AND 

RURAL NONVETERANS

Age and sex

Veterans, in general, are older than 

nonveterans because of the large 

draft-era cohorts of veterans from 

the Vietnam Era, Korean War, and 

World War II. This was no exception 

in rural areas (see Figure 9).

About 1 percent of rural veterans 

were between the ages of 18 and 

25 years, compared with 12.4 

percent of rural nonveterans. At the 

other end of the age distribution, 

27.7 percent of rural veterans were 

65 to 74 years old and 21.6 percent 

were 75 years and older (compared 

with 11.6 percent and 7.1 percent 

of nonveterans, respectively).13

Sex differences were a main factor in the age variations between 

veterans and nonveterans in rural 

areas. The vast majority of veterans are men (over 90 percent) and 

most male veterans served during 

the draft era (i.e., before 1973). 

Women did not start serving in 

the military in large numbers until 

after the draft era ended; therefore, female veterans as a group 

are younger than male veterans. 

Figure 11 shows that male veterans 

13 The category “nonveterans” in this 

analysis includes a small number of Reserves/

National Guard who worked on active duty 

for training during the reference week and 

would not be included as nonveterans in published tables in American FactFinder.

living in rural areas were about 18 

years older than their nonveteran 

counterparts, while rural female 

veterans were, on average, less 

than a year older than female 

nonveterans. 

Health insurance coverage

During the 2011–2015 period, 5.2 

percent of all rural veterans and 

15.4 percent of all rural nonveterans were not covered by any type 

of health insurance plan (see Table 

1). As with many indicators related 

to differences between veterans 

and nonveterans, some of this disparity is attributable to age. About 

half of all rural veterans were old 

enough to be eligible for Medicare. 

Uninsured rates for the population 

Figure 9. 

Age Distribution of Rural Veterans and Nonveterans: 2011–2015

(In percent)

Veterans Nonveterans

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 54 55 to 64 65 to 74 75 and older

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

1.3

12.4 12.4

29.1

14.2

20.5

22.8

19.3

27.7

11.6

21.6

7.1
U.S. Census Bureau 15

under age 65 are shown in Figure 

11. At all ages, a lower percentage 

of rural veterans were uninsured, 

compared with rural nonveterans. 

The largest disparity in uninsured 

rates for the nonelderly rural 

population was for 26- to 44-year 

olds. The uninsured rate for rural 

veterans in this age group was 9.9 

percentage points lower than for 

similar nonveterans. 

Of the 94.8 percent of all rural 

veterans who had health insurance 

during this period, 30.3 percent 

had private insurance only, 24.6 

percent had public insurance only, 

and the remainder (45.1 percent) 

had a combination of private and 

public insurance (see Figure 11). 

This distribution was markedly 

different from nonveterans, the 

majority of whom were covered by 

private insurance (64.5 percent). 

Given that nonveterans are substantially younger, and more likely 

to be in the working-age population, it is not unexpected that they 

have a higher percentage with 

insurance through an employer 

than the older veteran population.

Disability status

Nearly twice as many rural veterans had a disability compared with 

rural nonveterans (31.0 percent 

and 17.0 percent, respectively) (see 

Table 1). Again, the age and sex 

differences between these groups 

explained some of this difference. Generally, the prevalence of 

disability increases with age and 

veterans are older than nonveterans. However, rural veterans of all 

ages had higher rates of disability 

than rural nonveterans (see Figure 

11). Ten percent of the youngest 

rural veterans, those 18 to 25 years 

old, had some type of disability, 

compared with 7.4 percent of rural 

nonveterans. Some of this difference may also be due to veterans 

having higher rates of health 

insurance coverage. Individuals 

with health insurance may be more 

likely to receive a diagnosis of a 

medical condition or disability than 

those who are uninsured.14

Employment and work status

Although about two-thirds of both 

working-age rural veterans and 

nonveterans were employed during 

the 2011–2015 period, a higher 

percentage of rural veterans were 

out of the labor force (29.1 percent) and a lower percentage were 

unemployed (4.9 percent), compared with rural nonveterans (26.9 

percent and 5.4 percent, respectively) (see Table 2). Employment 

rates differed by age for rural 

veterans and nonveterans (see 

Figure 11). A higher percentage of 

rural veterans ages 18 to 25 and 26 

to 44 were employed, compared to 

similar nonveterans. In contrast, a 

lower percentage of rural veterans 

between 45 and 64 years old were 

employed (61.7 percent), compared 

with nonveterans (66.5 percent). 

Of the 1.6 million working-age 

rural veterans employed during 

this period, 81.6 percent worked 

full time and year-round, compared 

with 71.5 percent of working-age 

rural nonveterans (see Table 2). 

At all ages, a higher percentage 

of employed rural veterans than 

nonveterans worked full time and 

year-round (see Figure 10). The 

largest difference in work status 

was for the youngest age group, 

14 Ellen A. Kramarow and Patricia N. Pastor,

“The Health of Male Veterans and Nonveterans Aged 25–64: United States, 2007–2010,” 

National Center for Health Statistics Data Brief 

101, 2012.

Figure 10. 

Percentage of Employed Rural Veterans and

Nonveterans Who Worked Full Time and 

Year-Round by Age: 2011–2015

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

45 to 64

26 to 44

18 to 25

62.3

43.0

83.2

75.4

81.6

76.2

Veterans Nonveterans
16 U.S. Census Bureau

where 62.3 percent of employed 

rural veterans aged 18 to 25 

worked full time and year-round, 

compared with 43.0 percent of 

similar nonveterans. A major factor 

in these differences is the disparate 

proportions of men and women in 

the two populations.

Income and poverty status

For this analysis, any household 

that included a veteran was classified as a veteran household, 

regardless of whether the veteran 

was the householder or not. All 

other households were classified 

as nonveteran households. The 

median household income of rural 

veterans was $53,554, compared 

with $52,161 for rural nonveterans. 

Overall poverty rates in rural areas 

peaked during the 2007–2009 

recession and recovery has been 

modest for most groups.15 In the 

2011–2015 period, a lower percentage of rural veterans (6.9 percent) than rural nonveterans (12.3 

percent) were living below poverty 

(see Table 1). The youngest nonveterans living in rural areas had 

the highest rate of living in poverty (18.6 percent) and the oldest 

veterans had the lowest rate (5.0 

percent) (see Figure 11). 

RURAL VETERANS BY LEVEL 

OF RURALITY

This section explores the impact 

of geography on the characteristics of rural veterans. All counties 

were categorized into three levels 

15 United States Department of Agriculture, Rural America at a Glance: 2015 Edition.

of rurality based on the percentage 

of the decennial census population living in the rural areas of the 

county as of 2010 when the definition of rural was determined.16

The counties were delineated as 

mostly urban (less than 50 percent 

rural), mostly rural (50 to 99.9 

percent rural), and completely rural 

(100 percent rural). For example, 

a county where 6.4 percent of the 

population lived in the rural areas 

of the county was classified as 

“mostly urban,” while one where 

65.4 percent of the population lived 

in the rural areas of the county was 

classified as “mostly rural.” These 

delineations are one measure of 

rurality out of many possibilities 

and do not account for land area 

or population density. Using the 

ACS data with these county groupings applied, the analysis examines 

whether rural veterans who lived in 

counties with some urban populations were different from those in 

the most rural counties of the country (see Table 3).

As the level of rurality increased, 

the age of rural veterans also 

increased. Rural veterans in counties that were completely rural 

were the oldest group of rural 

veterans, with a median age of 

66 years (see Figure 12). Since 

veterans in the completely rural 

counties were older, they were also 

less likely to be veterans of the 

most recent period of service. Just 

under 9 percent of rural veterans 

in completely rural counties served 

in Gulf War II (September 2001 or 

16 U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Census, 

Summary File 1, Table P2.

later), compared with 9.8 percent 

in mostly rural counties, and 11.1 

percent of rural veterans in mostly 

urban counties.

The rates of uninsurance, disability, and poverty all increased as 

the level of rurality increased (see 

Figure 12). About 5 percent of rural 

veterans in mostly urban counties, 

5.6 percent in mostly rural counties, and 6.4 percent in completely 

rural counties were uninsured. Of 

those rural veterans with some 

type of health insurance coverage, 

those living in completely rural 

counties had the highest percentage using VA healthcare (38.7 percent). Less than 30 percent of rural 

veterans in mostly urban counties 

reported any type of disability 

compared with about 36 percent of 

rural veterans in completely rural 

counties. Finally, rural veterans in 

completely rural counties had the 

highest percentage living in poverty (8.6 percent) compared with 

those in mostly rural counties (7.7 

percent), and those in mostly urban 

counties (5.9 percent). Poverty 

rates by rurality were higher when 

rural veterans were limited to the 

working-age population (those 

18 to 64 years old). This may be 

due to the employment rate for 

this population. The percentage of 

working-age rural veterans who 

were employed decreased as the 

level of rurality increased. About 

69 percent of working-age rural 

veterans in mostly urban counties 

were employed, compared with 

60.3 percent of those in completely 

rural counties. 
U.S. Census Bureau 17

Figure 11.

Selected Characteristics of Rural Veterans and Nonveterans: 2011–2015

(In percent for the population 18 years and older, unless otherwise noted)

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Men Women

Private only Public only Private and public

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64 

65.3

51.8 47.0 51.5

Median age by sex

(In years)

Type of health insurance coverage

(Population with health insurance)

Employment rate by age

(Population 18 to 64 years old)

30.3

64.5

24.6 19.2

45.1

16.3

65.4

79.1

58.7 61.7

73.0

66.5

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64 65 and older

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64 65 and older

Poverty rate by age

Disability rate by age

Uninsured rate by age

(Population 18 to 64 years old)

12.9

8.3 8.6 5.0

18.6 14.2 10.3 9.6

9.7 12.4

24.0

41.4

7.4 8.9

16.8

36.2

18 to 25 26 to 44 45 to 64

21.6

13.0 8.6

24.4 22.9

14.2

Veterans Nonveterans
18 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 3. 

Selected Characteristics of Rural Veterans by Level of Rurality: 2011–2015 

Characteristic 

Mostly urban 

(less than 50 percent rural)

Mostly rural 

(50 to 99 .9 percent rural)

Completely rural 

(100 percent rural)

Percent

Margin of 

error (±) Percent

Margin of 

error (±) Percent

Margin of 

error (±)

 Total rural veteran population 18 years 

 and older ..........................

Age

2,447,703 9,776 1,962,845 7,574 426,576 3,079

18 to 25 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 .3 0 .1 1 .3 0 .1 1 .3 0 .1

26 to 44 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 .9 0 .1 12 .3 0 .1 10 .8 0 .3

45 to 54 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 .6 0 .2 14 .0 0 .2 12 .3 0 .2

55 to 64 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 .7 0 .2 22 .9 0 .1 22 .5 0 .3

65 to 74 years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 .7 0 .2 27 .7 0 .2 27 .9 0 .3

75 years and older . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 .8 0 .1 21 .8 0 .1 25 .2 0 .2

Median age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sex

64 .6 0 .1 64 .9 0 .1 65 .8 0 .1

Male . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 .5 0 .1 94 .0 0 .1 94 .4 0 .2

Female . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Period of Service1

6 .5 0 .1 6 .0 0 .1 5 .6 0 .2

Gulf War (September 2001 or later) . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 .1 0 .2 9 .8 0 .1 8 .7 0 .3

Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001) . . . . . . . . 11 .7 0 .1 11 .3 0 .1 9 .9 0 .3

Vietnam Era . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 .7 0 .2 39 .1 0 .2 39 .6 0 .4

Korean War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 .0 0 .1 9 .5 0 .1 11 .0 0 .2

World War II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 .5 0 .1 4 .7 0 .1 5 .8 0 .2

Peacetime only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Race and Hispanic Origin

25 .0 0 .2 25 .6 0 .2 25 .0 0 .4

White non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 .9 0 .2 90 .8 0 .1 89 .9 0 .2

Black non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 .4 0 .1 4 .9 0 .1 5 .2 0 .2

Other race non-Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 .5 0 .1 2 .7 0 .1 3 .1 0 .1

Hispanic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Educational Attainment

3 .3 0 .1 1 .6 0 .1 1 .8 0 .1

High school diploma or less . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 .6 0 .2 48 .6 0 .2 49 .7 0 .4

Some college . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 .1 0 .2 34 .4 0 .2 34 .1 0 .3

Bachelor’s degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 .1 0 .1 10 .6 0 .1 10 .3 0 .2

Advanced degree

Health Insurance Coverage

9 .2 0 .1 6 .4 0 .1 5 .9 0 .2

Insured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 .4 0 .1 94 .4 0 .1 93 .6 0 .2

Uninsured . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Service-connected Disability Status

4 .6 0 .1 5 .6 0 .1 6 .4 0 .2

Has a service-connected disability . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 .1 0 .2 18 .8 0 .1 18 .8 0 .3

No service-connected disability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

VA Healthcare (for insured population)

81 .9 0 .2 81 .2 0 .1 81 .2 0 .3

Uses/enrolled in VA healthcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 .6 0 .2 36 .0 0 .2 38 .6 0 .4

Does not use VA healthcare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Median Household Income (in 2015-inflation 

68 .4 0 .2 64 .0 0 .2 61 .4 0 .4

adjusted dollars) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Poverty (for whom poverty is determined)

 $60,424 $138 $48,446 $204 $44,830 $372 

In poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 .9 0 .1 7 .7 0 .1 8 .6 0 .2

Not in poverty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 .1 0 .1 92 .3 0 .1 91 .4 0 .2

 Total population 18 to 64 years old .......

Employment Status

1,261,689 7,605 990,016 5,651 200,105 2,538

Employed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 .5 0 .3 64 .0 0 .3 60 .3 0 .6

Unemployed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 .7 0 .1 5 .0 0 .1 5 .2 0 .3

Not in labor force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 .7 0 .3 31 .0 0 .3 34 .6 0 .6

1

 Veterans who served in multiple wartime periods are classified in their most recent period of service . Categories are mutually exclusive .

Note: For more information, see <www .census .gov/programs-surveys/acs/> .

Source: U .S . Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates .
U.S. Census Bureau 19

Figure 12.

Selected Characteristics of Rural Veterans by Level of Rurality: 2011–2015

(In percent for the population 18 years and older, unless otherwise noted)

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2011–2015 American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

Mostly urban Mostly rural Completely rural

Mostly urban Mostly rural Completely rural

Mostly urban Mostly rural Completely rural

64.6 64.9 65.8

Median age 

(In years) 

Uses/enrolled VA healthcare

(Population with health insurance)

Employment rate 

(Population 18 to 64 years old)

31.7 36.0 38.7

68.5

60.3 64.0

Mostly urban Mostly rural Completely rural

Mostly urban Mostly rural Completely rural

Poverty rate

Disability rate

Uninsured rate

5.9 7.3 7.7 8.6 9.9 11.3

28.7

35.7 32.8

Mostly urban Mostly rural Completely rural

4.6 5.6 6.4

Total Working-age
20 U.S. Census Bureau

INTERNET ACCESS FOR RURAL VETERANS

A profile of rural America would not be complete Internet Access and Use of VA Healthcare

without some mention of Internet access for rural For all residents of rural areas, travel distance to 

communities. Low population density, greater dis- services can be a barrier to healthcare. Telemedicine 

tances, and natural geographic barriers may make and telehealth are widely recognized as vital to 

it more difficult to obtain Internet services in some healthcare provision in rural communities and VA 

rural areas. Information about Internet access, how- has become a leader in this new area of healthcare.1

ever, is not available in the 2011–2015 ACS 5-year Lack of adequate information technology infrastrucestimates because the question was not added to ture can affect utilization of these service options. 

the survey until 2012. The statistics shown here About 44 percent of rural veteran households that 

about access to the Internet are from the 2015 ACS use VA healthcare services had no Internet access in 

1-year estimates. 2015, compared with 34.2 percent of urban veteran 

households that use VA healthcare services. Rural Internet Access by Region 1 For more information about VA telehealth services, 

A higher percentage of rural veteran households see <www.telehealth.va.gov/>. 

(25.3 percent) did not have Internet access in their 

homes in 2015, compared with both rural nonveteran households (23.5 percent) and urban veteran 

households (18.8 percent). Figure 13 shows how 

these percentages differed by region of the country.

Figure 13. 

Percentage of Households Without Internet Access by Region: 2015

Northeast Midwest South West

Note: For more information, see <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2015 American Community Survey.

22.5

20.2

26.7

31.8

26.0 26.5

30.5

33.2

21.0

24.4 23.5

19.3

Rural veterans Rural nonveterans Urban veterans
U.S. Census Bureau 21

SUMMARY

Rural areas are home to many 

diverse populations and their 

opportunities and challenges vary 

as much as the people living within 

them do. This report describes who 

rural veterans are and how they differed in key characteristics depending on their reference group. 

Understanding the characteristics 

of these groups helps direct needed 

programs and services across the 

country. The overall well-being of 

rural residents may decrease as 

distance from urban centers and 

geographic isolation increases; 

however, “rural” did not translate 

into worse outcomes for all characteristics, particularly for veterans.

In general, rural veterans were 

different from rural nonveterans 

in the ways veterans are typically 

different from nonveterans, and 

rural veterans were different from 

urban veterans in the ways all rural 

residents are different from their 

urban counterparts. Ultimately, 

though, across the characteristics 

explored here, the veterans groups 

were more similar to each other 

than they were to nonveterans. The 

two exceptions were employment 

rates and income where rural veterans were more like their other rural 

neighbors.

Rural veterans were older than 

both comparison groups. Rural 

veterans were 15 years older than 

rural nonveterans and 2 years older 

than urban veterans and their age 

increased as the level of rurality 

increased. Rural veterans in counties that were completely rural 

were the oldest, with a median age 

of 66 years. 

Rural veterans had low rates of 

uninsurance in general. They were 

less likely than rural nonveterans 

though more likely than urban veterans to be uninsured during this 

period. Although the uninsured rate 

for rural veterans was highest in 

the counties that were completely 

rural, it was still half that of all 

rural nonveterans. The uninsured 

rate for all groups differed by age.

Rural veterans used VA healthcare 

at comparable rates to urban veterans and few used it as their only 

source of health insurance. Usage 

of VA healthcare by rural veterans 

increased by level of rurality, with 

almost 40 percent of veterans in 

completely rural counties enrolled 

in or using the system.

Rural veterans had the highest 

rates of disability overall and at all 

ages. Rural veterans from every 

period of service also had higher 

rates of disability than similar 

urban veterans. Rural veterans who 

served during World War II (the oldest cohort) had the highest rate of 

disability and urban veterans who 

served in Gulf War II (the youngest 

cohort) had the lowest. Rural Gulf 

War II veterans, however, had the 

highest rate of service-connected 

disability. Healthcare services 

required for these two groups may 

differ dramatically and access to 

those services may be more difficult in rural areas.

Rural veterans had an employment 

rate comparable to nonveterans, 

but lower than urban veterans. 

Overall, working-age rural veterans 

had a lower employment rate than 

rural nonveterans and urban veterans and that rate decreased as the 

level of rurality increased. These 

differences may reflect employment 

opportunities in rural and urban 

areas. Employed rural veterans, 

however, were more likely to work 

full time and year-round than rural 

nonveterans, though that is likely 

related to the proportion of men in 

the veteran population. 

Finally, rural veterans had median 

household incomes more similar 

to those of rural nonveterans than 

urban veterans. Poverty rates for 

rural veterans increased by level of 

rurality, however, at 8.6 percent, 

the poverty rate for rural veterans 

in completely rural counties was 

about four percentage points lower 

than for rural nonveterans overall.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, go to 

the U.S. Census Bureau’s Web site 

on veterans statistics at 

<www.census.gov/topics 

/population/veterans.html>.

SOURCE AND ACCURACY

Data presented in this report are 

based on people and households 

that responded to the ACS in 2011 

through 2015, and are subject to 

sampling and nonsampling error. 

All comparisons presented in this 

report have taken sampling error 

into account and are significant at 

the 90 percent confidence level, 

unless otherwise noted. Due to 

rounding, some details may not 

sum to totals. For information on 

sampling and estimation methods, 

confidentiality protection, and 

sampling and nonsampling errors, 

please see the “ACS Accuracy of the 

Data” document for 2011–2015 

located at <www2.census.gov 

/programs-surveys/acs/tech_docs 

/accuracy/MultiyearACSAccuracyof 

Data2015.pdf>. 
22 U.S. Census Bureau

CONTACT

For questions related to the 

contents of this report and the 

accompanying tables, contact 

the author:

Kelly Ann Holder 

<kelly.a.holder@census.gov>

301-763-3462 

Social, Economic, and Housing 

Statistics Division 

U.S. Census Bureau

SUGGESTED CITATION

Holder, Kelly A., “Veterans in Rural

America: 2011–2015,” American 

Community Survey Reports, 

ACS-36, U.S. Census Bureau, 

Washington, DC, 2016.

WHAT IS THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY?

The American Community Survey (ACS) is a nationwide survey 

designed to provide communities with reliable and timely demographic, social, economic, and housing data for the nation, states, 

congressional districts, counties, places, and other localities every 

year. It has an annual sample size of about 3 million addresses across 

the United States and Puerto Rico and includes both housing units 

and group quarters (e.g., nursing facilities and prisons). The ACS is 

conducted in every county throughout the nation, and every municipio in Puerto Rico, where it is called the Puerto Rico Community 

Survey. Beginning in 2006, ACS 1-year data for 2005 were released 

for geographic areas with populations of 65,000 and greater. 

Beginning in 2010, ACS 5-year data for 2005–2009 were released for 

all geographic areas. For information on the ACS sample design and 

other topics, visit <www.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/>.