The percentage of veterans receiving compensation for disabilities from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs varies widely by state. Officials say there are many reasons for this, including differences in local outreach efforts and demographics. The national average is 9.9 percent.
In the ranking below, the first category lists the state, the second is number of veterans, and the third is the percentage receiving disability payments.
| State | Veterans | % receiving disability payments |
| Alaska | 67,016 | 16.5% |
| Puerto Rico | 142,395 | 13.5% |
| New Mexico | 185,254 | 13.1% |
| Oklahoma | 360,795 | 12.9% |
| Maine | 145,440 | 12.7% |
| Alabama | 431,049 | 12.5% |
| Washington | 640,520 | 12.3% |
| Texas | 1,679,056 | 12.1% |
| Nebraska | 165,039 | 12.0% |
| Virginia | 755,089 | 11.9% |
| South Dakota | 76,799 | 11.8% |
| North Carolina | 772,814 | 11.6% |
| Hawaii | 114,778 | 11.5% |
| Montana | 105,026 | 11.4% |
| Georgia | 745,737 | 11.4% |
| Arkansas | 274,272 | 11.3% |
| District of Columbia | 39,248 | 11.3% |
| North Dakota | 58,087 | 11.2% |
| Florida | 1,829,761 | 11.1% |
| Massachusetts | 509,868 | 11.0% |
| Colorado | 433,291 | 11.0% |
| South Carolina | 411,650 | 11.0% |
| New Hampshire | 130,824 | 10.9% |
| West Virginia | 192,348 | 10.8% |
| Idaho | 136,482 | 10.5% |
| Mississippi | 243,604 | 10.5% |
| Rhode Island | 93,894 | 10.4% |
| Kentucky | 366,475 | 10.3% |
| Wyoming | 56,880 | 10.1% |
| Tennessee | 544,695 | 9.9% |
| Nevada | 241,612 | 9.9% |
| Arizona | 562,405 | 9.9% |
| Louisiana | 373,922 | 9.7% |
| Maryland | 484,323 | 9.5% |
| Oregon | 370,344 | 9.5% |
| California | 2,325,634 | 9.2% |
| Kansas | 253,181 | 9.1% |
| Delaware | 81,288 | 9.0% |
| Minnesota | 439,131 | 8.9% |
| Utah | 158,132 | 8.8% |
| Vermont | 59,373 | 8.8% |
| New York | 1,211,909 | 8.7% |
| Wisconsin | 486,585 | 8.6% |
| Missouri | 562,046 | 8.3% |
| New Jersey | 610,499 | 8.1% |
| Ohio | 1,062,906 | 7.8% |
| Pennsylvania | 1,180,309 | 7.6% |
| Indiana | 555,173 | 7.6% |
| Michigan | 845,833 | 7.2% |
| Connecticut | 280,037 | 7.2% |
| Iowa | 276,560 | 7.0% |
| Illinois | 922,087 | 6.3% |
Source: Veterans Benefits Administration data; numbers are from the start of fiscal year 2004