Author: Jeff Rosenthal
North Carolina continues to be an important state for the military and for veterans. For important holidays and observances like Veterans Day later this week, the Census Bureau provides a ‘Facts for Features’. This year’s compilation can be found here.
Below are some of the specific and most recent statistics from the American Community Survey for North Carolina in 2015 (unless otherwise noted):
Veterans
There are 657,203 civilian veterans living in North Carolina.
- 62,384 are female (9.5%)
- 137,511 are Black or African American Alone (20.9%)
- 20,960 are Hispanic or Latino (3.2%)
- 297,503 are aged 65 and older (45.3% of veterans in the state)
- 62,588 are aged under 35 (9.5% of veterans in the state)
Labor Force
270,308 of veterans 18-64 years old were in the labor force in 2015.
- Of these veterans, 257,259 million were employed.
- The unemployment rate for these veterans was 4.8%, which is lower than the 6.8% unemployment rate for nonveterans 18-64 years old.
From 2010-2014
- Only Jackson County had a statistically significant higher unemployment rate for veterans than nonveterans.
Income
- The annual median income of Male Veterans was $37,291. Male Nonveterans’ annual median income was $30,262.
- The annual median income of Female Veterans was $31,867. Female Nonveterans’ annual median income was $21,203.
When They Served
- 222,969 who served during either period of the Gulf War (representing service from August 1990 to August 2001 or September 2001 to present)*
- 233,740 who served during the Vietnam Era
- 52,044 who served during the Korean War
- 21,417 who served during World War II
- 152,517 served only during peace time
*This does not sum to the total civilian veterans above because veterans can serve in multiple wartime periods.
The number of living veterans that served during three wartime periods include:
- 2,219 who served during the Vietnam Era and both periods of the Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001 and September 2001 or later)
- 1,102 served during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam Era
The number of living veterans that served during two wartime periods include:
- 46,452 who served during both periods of the Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001 and September 2001 or later)
- 13,055 who served during the Gulf War (August 1990 to August 2001) and the Vietnam Era
- 6,821 who served during the Korean War and the Vietnam Era
- 1,185 who served during World War II and the Korean War
Where They Live
The following counties have more than 20,000 veterans residing within their county (2015 data):
- Wake County 49,474
- Mecklenburg County 47,837
- Cumberland County 43,556
- Guilford County 25,568
- Forsyth County 24,186
- Onslow County 23,128
The following counties have the highest percentages of veterans (2010-2014 data):
- Onslow County 22.2%
- Cumberland County 19.9%
- Camden County 18.0%
- Craven County 17.6%
- Carteret County 16.2%
Education
26.6% of Veterans 25 years and older had a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher. This compares with 29.7% of Nonveterans 25 years and older.
Service-Connected Disabilities
159,348 have a service-connected disability rating
- Of this number, 56,037 had a rating of 70.0 percent or higher. A “service-connected” disability is one that was a result of a disease or injury incurred or aggravated during active military service. Severity of one’s disability is scaled from 0.0 to 100.0 percent, and eligibility for compensation depends on one’s rating.