Counties with the most veterans in Illinois
There are roughly 19 million veterans living in the U.S., according to data from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Though, the VA anticipates the percentage of the U.S. population with military experience will continue to decline over the next couple of decades—by 2046, it expects the number of living U.S. veterans to decrease by 35%.
Stacker compiled a list of the counties with the most veterans in Illinois using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Counties are ranked by the highest percent of residents that are veterans based on the Census' 2020 5-year estimate.
California, Texas, and Florida are home to the most veterans, and Wyoming, Vermont, and Washington D.C. home to the least. American veterans live in virtually all of the country's 3,142 counties.
Keep reading to see where the most veterans live in your home state.
#50. Adams County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 102
--- Korean War: 517
--- Vietnam War: 1,425
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 867
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 684
#49. Saline County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 63
--- Korean War: 130
--- Vietnam War: 536
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 320
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 157
#48. Stephenson County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 116
--- Korean War: 401
--- Vietnam War: 1,036
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 422
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 227
#47. Knox County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 53
--- Korean War: 280
--- Vietnam War: 1,388
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 557
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 407
#46. Edgar County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 41
--- Korean War: 103
--- Vietnam War: 529
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 157
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 129
#45. Randolph County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 71
--- Korean War: 168
--- Vietnam War: 826
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 437
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 350
#44. Montgomery County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 93
--- Korean War: 163
--- Vietnam War: 699
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 304
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 279
#43. Clay County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 20
--- Korean War: 94
--- Vietnam War: 397
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 141
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 32
#42. Jo Daviess County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 15
--- Korean War: 96
--- Vietnam War: 788
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 158
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 138
#41. Mercer County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 63
--- Korean War: 94
--- Vietnam War: 465
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 180
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 155
#40. Henry County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 129
--- Korean War: 202
--- Vietnam War: 1,264
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 577
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 672
#39. Hancock County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 27
--- Korean War: 168
--- Vietnam War: 546
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 206
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 158
#38. Livingston County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 83
--- Korean War: 284
--- Vietnam War: 969
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 378
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 347
#37. Hardin County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 0
--- Korean War: 48
--- Vietnam War: 140
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 41
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 20
#36. Ford County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 12
--- Korean War: 68
--- Vietnam War: 326
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 164
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 121
#35. Richland County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 57
--- Korean War: 135
--- Vietnam War: 356
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 168
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 196
#34. Ogle County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 133
--- Korean War: 404
--- Vietnam War: 1,256
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 967
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 681
#33. Lawrence County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 21
--- Korean War: 62
--- Vietnam War: 274
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 158
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 218
#32. Shelby County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 20
--- Korean War: 200
--- Vietnam War: 625
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 212
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 212
#31. Pike County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 25
--- Korean War: 140
--- Vietnam War: 352
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 175
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 176
#30. Whiteside County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 175
--- Korean War: 541
--- Vietnam War: 1,138
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 690
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 532
#29. Union County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 65
--- Korean War: 127
--- Vietnam War: 560
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 187
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 129
#28. Jefferson County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 51
--- Korean War: 241
--- Vietnam War: 941
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 450
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 398
#27. Mason County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 40
--- Korean War: 162
--- Vietnam War: 375
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 173
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 90
#26. Christian County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 102
--- Korean War: 185
--- Vietnam War: 815
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 376
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 514
#25. Macoupin County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 113
--- Korean War: 271
--- Vietnam War: 1,330
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 485
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 545
#24. Madison County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 414
--- Korean War: 1,421
--- Vietnam War: 6,701
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 4,229
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 3,820
#23. Marion County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 129
--- Korean War: 267
--- Vietnam War: 1,126
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 518
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 337
#22. Schuyler County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 0
--- Korean War: 41
--- Vietnam War: 336
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 70
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 43
#21. Massac County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 10
--- Korean War: 88
--- Vietnam War: 347
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 248
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 164
#20. White County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 31
--- Korean War: 116
--- Vietnam War: 518
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 204
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 141
#19. Putnam County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 17
--- Korean War: 23
--- Vietnam War: 213
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 93
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 42
#18. Carroll County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 12
--- Korean War: 117
--- Vietnam War: 483
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 163
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 122
#17. Washington County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 13
--- Korean War: 127
--- Vietnam War: 452
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 205
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 157
#16. Johnson County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 18
--- Korean War: 115
--- Vietnam War: 424
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 162
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 96
#15. Scott County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 2
--- Korean War: 22
--- Vietnam War: 193
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 26
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 45
#14. Williamson County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 86
--- Korean War: 247
--- Vietnam War: 2,119
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 1,074
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 797
#13. Franklin County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 116
--- Korean War: 338
--- Vietnam War: 1,194
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 492
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 494
#12. Wabash County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 26
--- Korean War: 36
--- Vietnam War: 324
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 249
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 101
#11. Clinton County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 65
--- Korean War: 261
--- Vietnam War: 1,057
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 825
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 689
#10. Jersey County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 92
--- Korean War: 113
--- Vietnam War: 646
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 378
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 262
#9. Calhoun County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 9
--- Korean War: 88
--- Vietnam War: 176
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 63
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 47
#8. Alexander County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 0
--- Korean War: 36
--- Vietnam War: 182
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 94
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 38
#7. Marshall County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 40
--- Korean War: 95
--- Vietnam War: 340
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 159
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 116
#6. Henderson County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 49
--- Korean War: 27
--- Vietnam War: 326
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 90
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 19
#5. Menard County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 36
--- Korean War: 80
--- Vietnam War: 408
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 146
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 161
#4. Pulaski County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 11
--- Korean War: 30
--- Vietnam War: 188
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 53
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 23
#3. Greene County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 7
--- Korean War: 102
--- Vietnam War: 447
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 197
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 209
#2. St. Clair County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 652
--- Korean War: 1,435
--- Vietnam War: 8,024
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 8,627
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 6,915
#1. Pope County
- Veterans by war:
--- World War II: 11
--- Korean War: 85
--- Vietnam War: 240
--- Gulf War (08/1990 to 08/2001): 138
--- Gulf War (09/2002 or later): 5