Essex County

This page includes local event listings and directories of veterans’ services; posts and auxiliaries; veterans outreach centers; Aging Services Access Points; and veteran owned businesses, along with information about VA spending and veterans living in Essex County.

All events in Essex County are tagged #greater-boston; some towns are also tagged #boston-metro #metrowest, #north-shore, or #merrimack-valley. When you submit events, include the relevant tags and the name of the town in the event listing so they show up in the relevant calendars.

 
 

The mission of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) is to act as the primary advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealth’s veterans. The Office provides outreach and support through various programs. EOVS offers assistance to eligible veterans and their surviving spouses through the MassVets Financial Benefits Program, administered by local veterans’ services.

Veterans may use the Mass Vet Benefit Calculator to see what they may qualify for and contact their local veterans’ services office to apply. MGL Chapter 115 requires each town/city have a veterans’ agent to administer these benefits, but two or more contiguous towns can also appoint someone to serve as veterans’ agent and form Veterans’ Services Districts.

Essex County Directories

Northeast Veterans Outreach Center

The Veterans Northeast Outreach Center (VNEOC)  in Haverhill provides a full continuum of care to veterans and their families in Essex, Middlesex, and Barnstable Counties, assisting at risk and low-income veterans with basic food and shelter needs, housing, advocacy, social engagement, community activities, case management, and VA benefits and claims assistance.

Veterans in the area who are homeless, or at immediate risk of becoming homeless, can contact VNOC at (978) 372-3626 for assistance.

Aging Services Access Points

Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) are private, non-profit agencies established under MGL Chapter 19A. ASAPs provide direct and protective services, including information and referrals; interdisciplinary case management; intake and assessment; developing, implementing, and monitoring service plans; reassessing needs; and investigating reports of elder abuse and neglect.

MassOptions is a service of the Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) that can also help older adults, people with disabilities, and family members or caregivers identify aging and disability services and connect to those that can meet their needs. Call (800) 243-4636 or click here to complete a referral.

American Community Survey Data

  • Click here for a breakdown of the 2020 American Community Survey estimates for all counties in Northeast Massachusetts. Although Essex County veterans were the most likely to have a disability, they were the least likely to experience poverty within the three counties.

    • Essex County veterans were less likely to experience poverty compared to non-veterans.

    • Essex County veterans were more likely to participate in the labor force than non-veterans and more likely to be unemployed. 

    There are substantial differences in lifetime earnings by educational attainment. Although veterans in Essex County were more likely to have graduated high school and to have completed some college or an associate’s degree compared to non-veterans, they were less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher.

    In 2020 inflation adjusted dollars, women veterans earned less than male veterans in all counties. Male veterans earned less than non-veteran men in Essex County. Women veterans earned more than non-veteran women in Northeast Massachusetts counties, with the biggest difference reported in Essex County.

  • You can explore 2021 American Community Survey census data referenced below, as well as other census data specific to Massachusetts veterans with interactive maps and tables via Census Reporter.

    • Information about the veteran population in Essex County below referencing age, gender, and veteran status is based on data at the city and town and county level with 5-year estimates (most reliable).

    • Information referencing the median incomes, service-connected disability, and disability & poverty status of veterans is available at the county level and service era is available at the city and town level for Essex County with 1-year estimates (most current).

Around 11.8% of veterans (3,035) in Essex County experienced poverty in the prior year. Around 43% of veterans in poverty had a disability.

Based on 1-year estimates, over 25,707 veterans lived in Essex County, including 2,285 women.

VA Spending in Essex County

Based on the 2021 VA GDX Report, the VA spent almost $272 million in Essex County in FY21, including $132.4 million on VA compensation and pension benefit payments. VA doesn’t include the number of beneficiaries or spending by program in its report.

  • Based the VA Annual Benefits Reports, there were 2,241 veterans in Massachusetts on the VA’s pension rolls at the end of FY21, including 153 under age 65. Statewide spending was estimated to be $26.9 million annually.

  • This was a decrease compared to the end of FY20, when there were 2,490 veterans on the VA pension rolls, including 249 under age 65, with spending estimated at $29.4 million annually.

VA spending in Essex County included $117.5 million providing medical care to 9,465 patients, with an average cost of $12,421 per patient––the lowest spending per patient among the counties in the Northeast Region.

VA spent an additional $19.1 million on education and vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits in Essex County, and $2.7 million on insurance and indemnities.

 

VA Pension Benefits

Whether or not a veteran has time during “wartime” or “peacetime” service eras determines in part whether a veteran (or their survivor) is potentially eligible for the VA pension. Visit the Financial Security page for more information. Very low income veterans over age 65 with wartime service are potentially eligible for the VA pension whether or not they have a qualifying disability.

  • Almost 59% of Essex County veterans in poverty over age 65 did not report a disability (648).

  • Around 53% of Essex County’s disabled veterans in poverty were over age 65 (1,100).

Around 76% of all veterans (22,720) in Essex County served during wartime. All veterans with service in the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II eras are over age 65, which includes over 66% (15,063) of veterans with wartime status in Essex County.

The 1-year estimates (most current) on this page are from 2021. Population estimates at the links on this page has been updated with the 2022 data.

VA Compensation Benefits

Around 28% (7,296) of Essex County veterans reported having a disability. Disabled veterans are potentially eligible for VA compensation if they have a service-connected disability. Visit the Financial Security page for more information. Although only 14% of all disabled veterans in Essex County fell below the poverty line, disabled veterans made up around half of the veterans in poverty.

  • Around 87% of all disabled veterans (6,317) were over age 65.

  • Around 53% of all disabled veterans in poverty (1,100) were over age 65.

Based on the 2021 ACS data, there were 5,750 service-connected veterans in Essex County. At least 85% of the service-connected veterans had compensable disability ratings.