Veterans Disability Compensation in Illinois

Public VA data, reported as published. Figures below come from VA's "Disability Compensation Recipients by County" files (data.va.gov), fiscal years 2019 and 2025. VA did not publish county files for 2021 or 2022. Counts under 10 are suppressed by VA and shown as "under 10".

In fiscal year 2025, 138,447 veterans in Illinois received VA disability compensation, a +22.9% change from 112,621 in 2019. 27.8% of them are rated 100% (up from 16.1% in 2019), and 16,206 are women (10,989 in 2019).

138,447
Recipients (FY2025)
+22.9%
Change since 2019
27.8%
Rated 100% (FY2025)

Rating levels in Illinois, 2019 vs 2025

Share of Illinois compensation recipients at each combined-rating level. Nationwide, the share rated 100% roughly doubled over this period; see the shift toward higher ratings for the full story.

0% to 20%
18.1% (was 27% in 2019)
30% to 40%
10.6% (was 16% in 2019)
50% to 60%
11.3% (was 14.7% in 2019)
70% to 90%
32.2% (was 26.1% in 2019)
100%
27.8% (was 16.1% in 2019)

Shares are computed over recipients whose rating band VA reported (small counts are suppressed). What each level pays: benefits by rating.

Who they are

Of Illinois's FY2025 recipients with a reported age, 31% are 17 to 44, 31% are 45 to 64, and 38% are 65 or older. 16,206 are women and 120,759 are men.

Illinois has 386 VA-accredited VSO representatives recorded in the free directory, about 27.88 per 10,000 compensation recipients. See VSO representatives in Illinois.

Recipients by county

Every Illinois county VA reported for FY2025, with the FY2019 comparison where the same county existed. "Rated 100%" is that county's share of recipients at the 100% level. "VSO reps" is the count of VA-accredited VSO representatives whose listed ZIP code falls in that county, an approximate, ZIP-based measure; many representatives serve neighboring counties too.

CountyFY2019FY2025ChangeRated 100%VSO reps
Cook32,39332,786+1.2%27.9%57
St. Clair7,93611,766+48.3%33.6%25
Lake6,9099,623+39.3%29%32
Will4,7597,061+48.4%29.3%23
Madison3,8815,757+48.3%29.4%15
DuPage5,4185,369-0.9%24.5%11
Kane3,1344,140+32.1%26.2%11
McHenry2,4113,584+48.7%28.2%17
Sangamon2,5143,324+32.2%29%9
Winnebago2,8743,312+15.2%24.8%8
Peoria2,0062,652+32.2%32.9%14
Rock Island1,8182,250+23.8%25.1%9
Tazewell1,5222,234+46.8%32.1%2
McLean1,5661,898+21.2%25.4%9
Champaign1,8071,893+4.8%27%4
Williamson1,3161,841+39.9%24.8%7
Kendall9421,600+69.9%29.8%10
Macon1,2881,552+20.5%26.7%6
LaSalle1,1611,441+24.1%22.9%5
Vermilion1,1741,422+21.1%26.2%4
Kankakee1,1101,416+27.6%26.8%9
Adams9951,297+30.4%27.9%10
DeKalb9101,092+20%27.6%11
Jackson8631,021+18.3%21.9%1
Macoupin635861+35.6%25.8%2
Clinton617846+37.1%27.9%1
Franklin757825+9%25.1%2
Whiteside649795+22.5%23.4%0
Monroe400786+96.5%30.4%0
Knox610778+27.5%25.4%4
Henry626775+23.8%23.7%2
Ogle571755+32.2%26.6%2
Jefferson612718+17.3%26%1
Coles586714+21.8%30.1%0
Marion609710+16.6%27.9%2
Grundy505690+36.6%21.9%4
Boone490629+28.4%22.6%3
Woodford379585+54.4%33.2%2
Stephenson525575+9.5%20.7%3
Christian397570+43.6%29.5%0
Fulton430530+23.3%31.1%1
Morgan434519+19.6%26%1
Saline398500+25.6%25%0
Effingham369495+34.1%22.8%3
Livingston370485+31.1%23.3%2
Montgomery350480+37.1%27.1%4
Randolph389478+22.9%24.3%1
McDonough459461+0.4%24.9%2
Lee396456+15.2%25.4%0
Bureau325454+39.7%23.1%0
Iroquois317433+36.6%21%3
Logan279417+49.5%24.9%2
Shelby250394+57.6%23.6%0
Jersey273390+42.9%28.2%0
Union271375+38.4%23.5%0
Jo Daviess292356+21.9%19.9%0
Perry293348+18.8%23%0
Johnson185330+78.4%24.5%0
Hancock298329+10.4%27.4%0
Massac254311+22.4%23.5%0
Carroll202307+52%23.1%3
Crawford256306+19.5%22.5%1
Fayette229293+27.9%19.1%0
Mercer228286+25.4%17.8%3
Washington195286+46.7%26.2%1
Clark214278+29.9%24.1%0
Pike208275+32.2%21.8%0
Bond238274+15.1%29.6%2
Mason169268+58.6%26.5%3
Edgar200261+30.5%25.7%0
Menard175255+45.7%31.4%0
Piatt178250+40.4%24.4%0
Wayne186248+33.3%24.2%0
Warren165244+47.9%26.6%0
White217240+10.6%30%0
Douglas183238+30.1%30.3%0
De Witt189236+24.9%22%0
Richland207227+9.7%25.1%2
Clay168216+28.6%19.4%0
Lawrence223216-3.1%25.5%0
Greene157186+18.5%22%0
Marshall139185+33.1%31.4%0
Moultrie155181+16.8%37.6%0
Cumberland128167+30.5%23.4%0
Cass144161+11.8%30.4%0
Ford154158+2.6%24.1%0
Wabash139154+10.8%23.4%0
Schuyler103151+46.6%27.2%0
Henderson100134+34%24.6%0
Hamilton101130+28.7%30%1
Alexander122125+2.5%23.2%0
Pulaski119117-1.7%26.5%0
Pope86114+32.6%21.9%0
Jasper103112+8.7%18.8%0
Gallatin109104-4.6%29.8%0
Edwards80100+25%25%0
Scott6592+41.5%23.9%0
Brown6581+24.6%29.6%0
Hardin4481+84.1%n/a0
Putnam6080+33.3%21.3%0
Stark5375+41.5%29.3%0
Calhoun5871+22.4%25.4%0