By the Numbers - Aug. 15, 2016
24%
The percentage of Veterans who live in rural area, compared to 18.6% of civilians, according to a new report from the VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics -- Characteristics of Rural Veterans: 2014 (PDF).
Some data points of interest from the report:
- Rural Veterans represent 34 percent of the total enrolled Veteran population in VA health care system. Around 33 percent of those enrolled rural Veterans served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) and Operation New Dawn.
- The number of rural Veterans = 4,638,709
- The number of urban Veterans = 14,713,139
- Rural communities had a higher percentage of Veterans in the age range of 55 to 74. Urban communities had a higher percentage of young Veterans (age 17 to 44) and elderly Veterans (75 and over).
- Rural Veterans were more white and less racially diverse than urban Veterans.
- Rural Veterans had higher concentrations in the lower-level education categories (less than high school degree) while urban Veterans had higher concentrations in the higher-level education categories (high school graduate, some college, and bachelor’s degree or higher).
- A higher percentage of Veterans in rural areas reported having at least one disability compared with Veterans in urban areas.
24%
The percentage of Veterans who live in rural area, compared to 18.6% of civilians, according to a new report from the VA's National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics -- Characteristics of Rural Veterans: 2014 (PDF).
Some data points of interest from the report:
- Rural Veterans represent 34 percent of the total enrolled Veteran population in VA health care system. Around 33 percent of those enrolled rural Veterans served in Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) and Operation New Dawn.
- The number of rural Veterans = 4,638,709
- The number of urban Veterans = 14,713,139
- Rural communities had a higher percentage of Veterans in the age range of 55 to 74. Urban communities had a higher percentage of young Veterans (age 17 to 44) and elderly Veterans (75 and over).
- Rural Veterans were more white and less racially diverse than urban Veterans.
- Rural Veterans had higher concentrations in the lower-level education categories (less than high school degree) while urban Veterans had higher concentrations in the higher-level education categories (high school graduate, some college, and bachelor’s degree or higher).
- A higher percentage of Veterans in rural areas reported having at least one disability compared with Veterans in urban areas.