In Essex County, 7,491 veterans get VA disability pay, up 5% in two years, and 1,490 have the top rating

Veterans who were disabled by an injury or illness that began or got worse during their military service can get monthly money from the VA. It is called disability compensation, and the VA counts how many veterans get it in every county. At the end of September 2025, 7,491 veterans in Essex County, Massachusetts, were getting it. That is 382 more than two years earlier, an increase of 5.4%.

What the numbers measure

The VA gives each veteran a "service connected" disability rating from 0% to 100%. A higher rating means the VA found the service-connected conditions affect health and daily life more. The City of Gloucester's Veterans Services page describes compensation as money paid to veterans who are disabled by an injury or illness that began or got worse during active service.

Essex County is Cape Ann's county. It also includes Lynn, Salem, Lawrence and many other places, and the VA does not publish counts for single towns.

What stands out in Essex County

• Fifth largest in the state. Essex County has 7,491 veterans getting compensation. Only Middlesex, Worcester, Plymouth and Bristol have more.
• Growing, but slower than most. The count rose 5.4% in two years. Massachusetts as a whole rose 6.7%, from 71,755 to 76,563.
• More veterans with high ratings. Veterans rated 100% went from 1,173 to 1,490, up 27%. In FY2023, 42% of Essex County recipients were rated 70% or more. In FY2025 it was 46%.
• Women are a small but growing group. 513 women got compensation in FY2025, up from 480. That is 6.8% of recipients.
• About half are 65 or older. 50% of Essex County recipients are 65 or older, 3,746 people.

Explore all 14 counties

Search for a county, tap a column name to sort, and tap a row to see how its veterans break down. Use the FY2023 and FY2025 buttons to compare the two years.

How many Essex County veterans is that?

This is a rough check. The VA estimates there were about 29,771 veterans in Essex County in 2023 and about 27,661 in 2025. Compared with the compensation counts, that suggests roughly 24 of every 100 Essex County veterans got disability pay in FY2023 and roughly 27 of every 100 in FY2025. The two numbers come from different VA datasets, and one is a model, so treat this as a rough guide and not a precise rate.

If you or a veteran you know has not applied

Cape Ann Veterans Services helps Gloucester veterans file compensation and pension claims. Call 978-325-5730 to ask about eligibility and to set up help. The office is at 12 Emerson Ave., Gloucester. The City's page also links the VA's own forms.

How to read these numbers

• "FY" means the VA's fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. The counts are for the last day of the year.
• The VA left out veterans who got compensation during the year but no longer did at the end of it.
• Blank VA cells are small counts the VA hides to protect privacy. They show as n/a. The Massachusetts comparison bars add only counties with every cell published.
• The FY2025 file is the newest the VA has posted. VA files list ratings in groups, so the table shows the share rated 70% or more.

Earlier coverage: Massachusetts has about half as many veterans as in 2000 (Nov. 4) and Veterans Day on Cape Ann (Nov. 1).