Female veteran populations are highest in these PA counties. Explore with these graphics
While women have always been a part of military operations, they have not always been allowed to serve in all positions or received proper recognition for their service.
As opportunities for women in the U.S. military have increased, the population of female veterans has grown across the country.
Since 2010, the population of female veterans in the U.S. has increased by about 81,000. With the total number of veterans and the number of male veterans decreasing every year, women are making up a larger proportion of the veteran population.
So, where do female veterans live? The map shows the number of female veterans per 1,000 women in each state in the U.S. Alaska and Virginia boast the highest proportion of female veterans, with the former leading the entire country with 29 female veterans per 1,000 women in the state.
Nowhere in the U.S. has a larger per capita population of female veterans than Kenedy County Texas, where there were roughly 191.5 female veterans per 1,000 residents in 2022.
Where are the largest female veteran populations in Pennsylvania?
No Pennsylvania county had a larger population of female veterans in 2022 than Forest County, which had nearly 18 female veterans per 1,000 female residents. Bradford, Cameron, Cumberland and Franklin counties all boasted at least 15 female veterans per 1,000 female residents that year, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics.
Locally, Centre County produced 8.65 female veterans per 1,000 female residents, which ranked near the bottom of the commonwealth in 2022. Bucks County, located just north of Philadelphia in southeastern Pennsylvania, offered the lowest rate across the Keystone State (6.4 female veterans per 1,000 female residents).
How can women veterans find resources in Pennsylvania?
A new program in Pennsylvania, PA VETConnect, can help veterans find earned benefits and eligible services throughout the commonwealth. Resources through the program are available in all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
You can contact the Centre County Veterans Affairs Office by calling 814-355-6812. The office, which requires appointments, can help connect local veterans with benefits and refer them to other county, state and federal agencies that could lend further assistance.
Nationally, you can connect with the VA’s Center for Women Veterans to find federal mental health resources, help with loans, educational opportunities, maternity care, employment readiness services and more. The VA’s Transition Assistance Program can provide training, tools and resources to veterans one year before they leave service or two years before they retire.
Are you a veteran or a veteran’s loved one in need of crisis support? Dial 988 and press 1 or text 838255 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line. You do not need to be enrolled in veterans benefits to connect with crisis line professionals.
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