Cities with the most veterans in every state

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 19,709

Estimated total veterans: 4,004 (20.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,426

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,887

- Vietnam War: 1,349

- Korean War: 206

- World War II: 84

One in five adults living in Enterprise, Alabama, is a veteran. The city is located near Fort Rucker, which is the headquarters of the United States Army Aviation Branch. Nearly 40% of students in Enterprise schools are military youth.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 13,792

Estimated total veterans: 3,436 (24.9% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,461

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,532

- Vietnam War: 904

- Korean War: 102

- World War II: 32

Badger, Alaska, is located in the middle of the state and is home to a large population of veterans who served in the Gulf wars. The city spends $6,000 more per student than the U.S. average and has strong mining, tourism, and forest industries.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 29,042

Estimated total veterans: 8,041 (27.7% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 2,672

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 3,077

- Vietnam War: 2,670

- Korean War: 616

- World War II: 205

Sierra Vista is situated several miles from the United States-Mexico border in southeast Arizona. More than a quarter of the city’s 29,000-person population are veterans. The city is near Fort Huachuca, which was built in 1877 and is now a national landmark.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 12,709

Estimated total veterans: 2,481 (19.5% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 128

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 221

- Vietnam War: 1,091

- Korean War: 495

- World War II: 235

Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, has a large Vietnam War population. The city is located in the central part of the state. Veterans there are active in a local chapter of the Military Officers Association of America.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 12,860

Estimated total veterans: 2,664 (20.7% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,333

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 699

- Vietnam War: 587

- Korean War: 105

- World War II: 70

Twentynine Palms, California, is home to the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. The base serves as a military training ground for new recruits. The surrounding area is a popular spot for veterans of the second Gulf War.

 

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Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 16,926

Estimated total veterans: 4,576 (27.0% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 2,669

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,101

- Vietnam War: 661

- Korean War: 53

- World War II: 17

Fountain, Colorado, sits just outside of Colorado Springs and is several miles from Fort Carson. The army base is a major economic driver in the area, and the city is a popular place among young veterans.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 30,845

Estimated total veterans: 3,100 (10.1% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 618

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 732

- Vietnam War: 841

- Korean War: 259

- World War II: 130

The city of Norwich is in eastern Connecticut, near the Atlantic Ocean. Just over 10% of the population of 30,845 people are veterans.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 28,295

Estimated total veterans: 3,546 (12.5% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,096

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 990

- Vietnam War: 1,015

- Korean War: 327

- World War II: 146

Dover, Delaware, is home to Dover Air Force Base, which houses more than 9,000 active soldiers. The base was opened in 1941 to stage missions in World War II. Personnel from the base have also taken part in missions in Afghanistan, Haiti, and Nepal.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 15,827

Estimated total veterans: 4,190 (26.5% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 2,156

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,154

- Vietnam War: 911

- Korean War: 58

- World War II: 25

Crestview, located in Okaloosa County, Florida, is home to a large population of Gulf War veterans. The city of 15,827 people is a short drive to the beaches of Western Florida.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 22,061

Estimated total veterans: 5,686 (25.8% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 3,214

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,323

- Vietnam War: 1,152

- Korean War: 38

- World War II: 0

Hinesville, Georgia, is a town of just over 22,000 people and encompasses Fort Stewart. The army base is the largest in the eastern part of the United States. Fort Stewart was originally inhabited by Native Americans before it was turned into a military outpost by the British.

 

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Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 10,112

Estimated total veterans: 1,762 (17.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 558

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 492

- Vietnam War: 434

- Korean War: 80

- World War II: 59

Waimalu, Hawaii, is located in the central part of Oahu Island. The city of just over 10,000 people sits back from Pearl Harbor, the military site attacked by the Japanese in World War II.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 25,734

Estimated total veterans: 2,878 (11.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 333

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 608

- Vietnam War: 991

- Korean War: 365

- World War II: 233

Lewiston, Idaho, sits in the northwest part of the state. The city was once near Cottonwood Air Force Station, which was shut down in 1964 and converted to a detention center.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 20,259

Estimated total veterans: 3,927 (19.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,758

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,253

- Vietnam War: 1,206

- Korean War: 166

- World War II: 27

Scott Air Force Base is home to 5,500 active duty soldiers and sits near O’Fallon, Illinois. The city of O’Fallon is home to a large population of veterans from the two Gulf Wars.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 17,374

Estimated total veterans: 1,985 (11.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 278

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 300

- Vietnam War: 759

- Korean War: 184

- World War II: 87

Clarksville, Indiana, which is located north of the Ohio River and across from Louisville, Kentucky, is home to 1,985 veterans — many of whom served during the Vietnam War. The city is also near the old Indiana Army Ammunition Plant, which employed 27,500 people in manufacturing ammunition for World War II.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 20,508

Estimated total veterans: 2,309 (11.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 308

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 424

- Vietnam War: 742

- Korean War: 306

- World War II: 110

Around 11% of the population of Clinton, Iowa, are veterans. The city is located in the eastern part of the state, along the Mississippi River.

 

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Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 14,829

Estimated total veterans: 3,168 (21.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,684

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,170

- Vietnam War: 633

- Korean War: 114

- World War II: 60

Just six miles north of Junction City, Kansas, is Fort Riley, a U.S. Army base. Veterans represent a fifth of the population in this northeast Kansas town.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 15,955

Estimated total veterans: 4,220 (26.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,636

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,067

- Vietnam War: 1,249

- Korean War: 314

- World War II: 42

Radcliff, Kentucky, is home to a large population of Gulf War veterans, specifically veterans from the first Gulf War. The city is just south of Fort Knox, a 100-year-old Army training facility.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 46,719

Estimated total veterans: 6,811 (14.6% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,834

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,756

- Vietnam War: 2,282

- Korean War: 584

- World War II: 279

Bossier City, Louisiana, is home to Barksdale Air Force Base. The base, built in 1931, employs more than 15,000 active duty service members. The nearby Bossier City has a large population of Vietnam War veterans.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 16,032

Estimated total veterans: 1,956 (12.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 224

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 342

- Vietnam War: 586

- Korean War: 198

- World War II: 135

Sanford, Maine, is near the Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery. About 12% of the city’s population are veterans.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 19,855

Estimated total veterans: 3,297 (16.6% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 676

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 851

- Vietnam War: 1,308

- Korean War: 235

- World War II: 64

Fort Washington is located in southern Maryland, across from Alexandria, Virginia. The fort in the area was built to guard the river running north to Washington D.C. Today, the area is a national park.  

 

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Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 16,097

Estimated total veterans: 1,650 (10.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 209

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 297

- Vietnam War: 531

- Korean War: 191

- World War II: 116

Gardner, Massachusetts, is located in the central part of the state, about 55 miles west of Boston. The area surrounding the city includes several parks and ski resorts.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 38,516

Estimated total veterans: 4,068 (10.6% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 416

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 678

- Vietnam War: 1,458

- Korean War: 459

- World War II: 291

The 38,516-person city of Battle Creek, Michigan, is home to an Air National Guard base and Fort Custer Training Center. Fort Custer is a training ground for the National Guard and several other branches of service throughout the Midwest. The facility was originally opened to train U.S. soldiers for World War I.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 12,324

Estimated total veterans: 1,345 (10.9% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 131

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 90

- Vietnam War: 617

- Korean War: 134

- World War II: 85

Hibbing, Minnesota, located in the northern part of the state, is near Chisholm Armoy. The armory serves as a transportation and re-supply unit for the military. The majority of the veterans in Hibbing served in the Vietnam War.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 11,196

Estimated total veterans: 2,041 (18.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 611

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 544

- Vietnam War: 501

- Korean War: 148

- World War II: 31

Long Beach, Mississippi, is home to one of the main construction centers for the U.S. Navy. Construction of military materials began in the area in World War II. The city is also home to several World War II battleship guns, which are on display.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 15,816

Estimated total veterans: 1,938 (12.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 884

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 550

- Vietnam War: 373

- Korean War: 94

- World War II: 133

Whiteman Air Force Base is 10 miles east of Warrensburg, Missouri. The base in western Missouri has nearly 4,000 active duty soldiers.

 

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Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 45,492

Estimated total veterans: 6,510 (14.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,798

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,498

- Vietnam War: 1,930

- Korean War: 656

- World War II: 276

Located in Cascade County, Great Falls, Montana, is home to Malmstrom Air Force Base. The base began carrying out missions in 1962.  

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 38,729

Estimated total veterans: 6,982 (18.0% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 2,296

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,798

- Vietnam War: 2,416

- Korean War: 488

- World War II: 146

Offutt Air Force Base employs more than 12,000 people near Bellevue, Nebraska. The nearby town of 38,729 people sits on the state’s northeast border with Iowa.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 30,019

Estimated total veterans: 5,439 (18.1% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 335

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 641

- Vietnam War: 2,479

- Korean War: 796

- World War II: 199

Veterans represent nearly a fifth of the population in Pahrump, Nevada. The majority of veterans living in Pahrump served in the Vietnam War. The city is 63 miles west of Las Vegas and sits along the state’s border with California.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 24,244

Estimated total veterans: 3,301 (13.6% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 669

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 619

- Vietnam War: 1,182

- Korean War: 339

- World War II: 119

The largest population of military veterans in New Hampshire live in Rochester, located in the southeast part of the state. The city, which is a regional hiking area, is home to many veterans who served in the Vietnam War.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 11,774

Estimated total veterans: 2,289 (19.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 63

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 75

- Vietnam War: 627

- Korean War: 616

- World War II: 450

Holiday City-Berkeley, New Jersey, is a small city in the eastern part of the state and just several miles from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is near Joint Base McGuire–Dix–Lakehurst, which serves multiple U.S. military branches.  

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 23,102

Estimated total veterans: 4,678 (20.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,045

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,380

- Vietnam War: 2,005

- Korean War: 373

- World War II: 102

Alamogordo, New Mexico, is historically tied to the U.S. missile tests that would eventually lead to the atomic bomb. The nearby White Sands National Monument commemorates the world’s first atomic bomb detonation, and the nearby missile range is still active.  

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 19,357

Estimated total veterans: 2,455 (12.7% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,058

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 479

- Vietnam War: 445

- Korean War: 189

- World War II: 156

Located just a few miles from Fort Drum, Watertown has a population just north of 25,000 people, and claims to be the birthplace of the safety pin.  A large portion of its citizens fought in the Gulf Wars, with over 1,500 vets from those two wars alone living in Watertown.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 10,153

Estimated total veterans: 2,762 (27.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,704

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 954

- Vietnam War: 644

- Korean War: 95

- World War II: 8

Havelock, North Carolina, is home to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. The Marine base was opened in World War II. Today, a large population of Gulf War veterans live in Havelock.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 35,668

Estimated total veterans: 4,336 (12.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,613

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,194

- Vietnam War: 901

- Korean War: 356

- World War II: 95

Minot Air Force Base sits 13 miles north of Minot in North Dakota, near the United States-Canada border. Nearly 5,000 active duty soldiers work on the base.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 35,888

Estimated total veterans: 6,006 (16.7% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 2,155

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,383

- Vietnam War: 1,937

- Korean War: 437

- World War II: 154

Beavercreek, Ohio, is about nine miles south of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. The base, located in the western part of the state, has 27,000 employees and is the headquarters for the Air Force’s logistics system.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 64,724

Estimated total veterans: 12,146 (18.8% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 5,062

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 4,107

- Vietnam War: 3,520

- Korean War: 721

- World War II: 301

Near Lawton, Oklahoma, is Fort Sill, an army base for training soldiers. Lawton is home to more than 12,000 military veterans, 5,000 of whom served in the second Gulf War.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 17,748

Estimated total veterans: 2,898 (16.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 561

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 582

- Vietnam War: 903

- Korean War: 377

- World War II: 198

Situated near the Pacific Ocean on the western edge of Oregon is Roseburg, which has a veteran population of 2,898. The city is home to the Roseburg National Cemetery, which serves veterans and was established in 1897.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 13,225

Estimated total veterans: 1,698 (12.8% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 121

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 211

- Vietnam War: 538

- Korean War: 170

- World War II: 274

Hermitage, Pennsylvania, is a city on the western side of the state, near the Ohio border. The nearby Shenango River Lake is a flood control project run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 19,185

Estimated total veterans: 1,965 (10.2% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 471

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 376

- Vietnam War: 675

- Korean War: 242

- World War II: 33

The U.S. Navy base Naval Station Newport is set in the Rhode Island city of Newport. Besides the Navy, the base also serves the Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Army Reserve. The Navy remains a major economic driver for Rhode Island.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 27,523

Estimated total veterans: 4,905 (17.8% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,833

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,809

- Vietnam War: 1,521

- Korean War: 244

- World War II: 69

Goose Creek is a small city north of Charleston, South Carolina. The city is near Joint Base Charleston, which has a force of more than 90,000 service members from various branches.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 54,837

Estimated total veterans: 7,574 (13.8% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,725

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,067

- Vietnam War: 2,478

- Korean War: 851

- World War II: 355

Just east of Rapid City, South Dakota, is Ellsworth Air Force Base, which was established to support the country’s World War II efforts. The base is near the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 95,060

Estimated total veterans: 19,571 (20.6% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 9,468

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 7,639

- Vietnam War: 4,298

- Korean War: 425

- World War II: 54

The residents of Clarksville, Tennessee, live near Fort Campbell, an Army base along the Tennessee-Kentucky border. The base houses an air division of the Army and was built in 1941. More than 20% of the Clarksville residents are veterans.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 86,995

Estimated total veterans: 25,544 (29.4% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 15,872

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 11,495

- Vietnam War: 3,710

- Korean War: 371

- World War II: 236

Killeen, Texas, is known for being the location of Fort Hood, which rests on the north side of the city. Fort Hood is reportedly the only base big enough to hold and train two Armored Divisions. Nearly a third of the people living in Killeen are veterans, the majority of whom served in one of the two Gulf Wars.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 19,522

Estimated total veterans: 2,324 (11.9% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 909

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 746

- Vietnam War: 585

- Korean War: 82

- World War II: 34

Hill Air Force Base neighbors the city of Clearfield in northern Utah. This is the second-largest Air Force base in the country and provides $3 billion annually in economic impact to the state.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 12,987

Estimated total veterans: 1,040 (8.0% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 85

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 63

- Vietnam War: 349

- Korean War: 139

- World War II: 135

Rutland, Vermont, is a small city in central Vermont. The area is known for its historic downtown and local skiing slopes.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 14,379

Estimated total veterans: 2,888 (20.1% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 883

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,427

- Vietnam War: 947

- Korean War: 109

- World War II: 26

Montclair, Virginia, is home to Fort Belvoir, an army base built on a former Virginia plantation. Montclair is near Prince William Forest Park and the Potomac River.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 14,583

Estimated total veterans: 3,745 (25.7% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 1,934

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 1,341

- Vietnam War: 775

- Korean War: 228

- World War II: 145

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island is located near Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island. The leading naval base of the Northwest boasts the third-largest naval fleet in the continental U.S.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 15,941

Estimated total veterans: 1,799 (11.3% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 167

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 275

- Vietnam War: 501

- Korean War: 220

- World War II: 207

Weirton, West Virginia, is located in the northern tip of the state, near the Pennsylvania border. Many veterans living in the city served in the Vietnam War.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 10,825

Estimated total veterans: 1,371 (12.7% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 265

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 218

- Vietnam War: 390

- Korean War: 152

- World War II: 139

Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, is located near Lake Wisconsin in the northern part of the state. The city is home to the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company.

 

Estimated civilian population 18+ years: 47,090

Estimated total veterans: 6,862 (14.6% of civilian population)

- Gulf War II (Sep '01 or later): 2,113

- Gulf War I (Aug '90 - Aug '01): 2,498

- Vietnam War: 2,047

- Korean War: 449

- World War II: 188

Cheyenne, Wyoming, is home to the Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, which is the oldest active Air Force base. Many of the veterans living in Cheyenne served in one of the Gulf Wars.