VHA Office of Rural Health

State of Rural Veterans Report (Fiscal Year 2024)

State of Rural Veterans Report,
Fiscal Year 2024

Almost a quarter of all Veterans in the United States choose to reside in rural areas, approximately 60% are enrolled in and rely on the VA for healthcare. Although rural-residing Veterans enjoy the many benefits of living in these areas, they also experience many challenges, which are exacerbated by combat related injuries and illness. To address the challenges they face, it is important to understand the rural Veteran population.

This report details the state of the enrolled rural Veteran by highlighting the multifaceted nature of this unique population and providing a high-level understanding of rural Veteran:

• Demographics
• Socioeconomic characteristics
• Telehealth engagement
• Health care access
• Barriers and challenges to accessing care in rural areas

In this report you will find information about:

• Rural Veteran Characteristics:Rural Veterans are a dynamic and multifaceted part of the U.S. population as demonstrated by the following sections on enrolled rural Veteran demographic and socioeconomic characteristics.
• Rural Veteran Health Care Utilization: The Choice Act of 2014 and the VA Mission Act of 2018 expanded Veteran’s eligibility to seek health care services from community care providers. These policies were intended to enhance Veterans access to care and avoid long VHA wait times, reduce travel distance to the nearest VHA facility, and increase access specialisty care providers.
• Rural Veteran Demographics: Population factors such as age, sex, ethnicity, and income impact rural Veterans health. It is important to better understand the disease burden and potential risk factors in racial and ethnic groups, which can inform interventions to improve health outcomes.
• State Highlights for Rural Veterans: Data of states with the largest rural Veteran population and highest number of rural Veteran enrollees, and state-level one-page data sheets are included in the report.

Funding Acknowledgement: This work was funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health, Veterans Rural Health Resource Center-Gainesville, NOMAD # PRFY-00635. The contents do not represent the views of Department of Veterans Affairs of the United States government.

Suggested Citation: Subhash, S., Bopp, C., Myers, K., Romero, S., Litt, E., Wilson, L.K., Wing, K. (2025). State of the Rural Veterans Report. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration, Office of Rural Health, Veterans Rural Health Center, Gainesville, FL. Available from https://www.ruralhealth.va.gov/products/docs/State-of-Rural-Veterans-Report-FY2024-508c.pdf