Middlesex County
As of 2022, there were around 48,667 veterans living in Middlesex County, including 3,420 women veterans. This page includes local event listings and directories of veterans’ services; veteran outreach centers; posts and auxiliaries; elder services; and veteran owned businesses, along with census, VA spending, and public health data for Middlesex County.
All events in cities and towns in Middlesex County are tagged #greater-boston; some are also in #boston-metro or #merrimack-valley. When you submit events, include relevant tags so they show up on relevant pages. Include the town name in the event so it will appear in the local listings.
Executive Office of Veterans Services
The mission of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans’ Services (EOVS) is to act as the primary advocate on behalf of all the Commonwealth’s veterans. The Office provides outreach and support through various programs.
EOVS offers assistance to eligible veterans and their surviving spouses through the MassVets Financial Benefits Program, administered by local veterans’ services. Veterans may use the Mass Vet Benefit Calculator to see what they may qualify for and contact their local veterans’ services office.
Middlesex County Veterans Services Districts
MGL Chapter 115 requires each town/city have a veterans’ agent to administer these benefits, but two or more contiguous towns can also appoint someone to serve as veterans’ agent and form Veterans’ Services Districts.
Veterans Northeast Outreach Center
The Veterans Northeast Outreach Center (VNEOC) in Haverhill provides a full continuum of care to veterans and their families in Essex, Middlesex, and Barnstable Counties, assisting at risk and low-income veterans with basic food and shelter needs, housing, advocacy, social engagement, community activities, case management, and VA benefits and claims assistance. Veterans in the area who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, can call (978) 372-3626 for assistance.
Clear Path for Veterans New England
Clear Path for Veterans New England works to create a safe, supportive, and respectful environment for veterans to seamlessly integrate into their communities in Devens and offers support through community meals, employment, peer-to-peer programs, wellness and clinical services, service/support dogs, community and group spaces, and recreation and training grounds.
Veterans Posts & Auxiliaries
The Veterans Posts and Auxiliaries directory includes information about the VFW and American Legion Posts, Marine Corps League Detachments, and DAV Chapters based in cities and towns in the Northeast Region.
Elder Services
Aging Services Access Points (ASAPs) are private, non-profit agencies established under MGL Chapter 19A. ASAPs provide direct and protective services, including information and referrals; interdisciplinary case management; intake and assessment; developing, implementing, and monitoring service plans; reassessing needs; and investigating reports of elder abuse and neglect.
MassOptions is a service of the Executive Office of Health & Human Services (EOHHS) that can also help older adults, people with disabilities, and family members or caregivers identify aging and disability services and connect to those that can meet their needs. Call (800) 243-4636 or click here to complete a referral.
Veteran Owned Businesses
This Veteran Owned Businesses directory is based on publicly available information and listings of veteran owned businesses in Middlesex County. Click here to submit a business or update information.
Annual business survey
In October 2023, the US Census Bureau released the most recent 2022 data from the Annual Business Survey, which includes information at the state level on veteran-owned businesses within:
Company Summaries and Characteristics of Businesses tables by industry, sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status and Characteristics of Business Owners tables by Service-Disabled and Other Veteran Characteristics.
Module Business Characteristics tables by industry, sex, ethnicity, race, and veteran status, including Effect of Coronavirus on Business Sales, Level of Operations During Coronavirus Pandemic, Level of Operations During Coronavirus Pandemic, and Outstanding Debt.
Veterans in Middlesex County
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In 2020, Middlesex County had the most veterans (54,833) and the most women veterans (3,642) of all counties.
Middlesex County had the most veterans in poverty and the most veterans with disabilities within the Northeast Region.
There are substantial differences in lifetime earnings by educational attainment. Although veterans in Northeast Massachusetts were more likely to have graduated high school and more likely to have completed some college or an associate’s degree, they were less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to non-veterans.
Middlesex County had the biggest gap with 42% of veterans having a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to almost 58% percent of non-veterans.
Middlesex County veterans were as likely to be in the labor force and as likely to be employed as non-veterans. In inflation adjusted dollars in 2020:
Male veterans earned less than non-veteran men in Middlesex County.
Women veterans earned less than male veterans in the Northeast Region.
Women veterans earned more than non-veteran women in the Northeast Region.
Click here for a breakdown of the 2020 American Community Survey estimates for Middlesex, Suffolk, and Essex Counties (Northeastern Massachusetts).
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Based on 2021 1-year estimates, 42,508 veterans lived in Middlesex County, including 2,543 women. Around 3.5% of veterans in Middlesex County experienced poverty in the prior year (1,438 veterans). Around half of veterans in poverty had a disability. Estimates in the charts below are based on the 2021 ACS 1-year data.
2022 Veteran Population Estimates
Based on the ACS 5-year estimates, there were 48,667 veterans living in Middlesex County as of 2022, including 3,420 women. You can explore the most recent census data from the 2022 American Community Survey using the links below for Middlesex County, as well as other military and veteran census data with interactive maps/tables on the Census Reporter.
Estimates about Middlesex County veterans below referencing age, gender, and veteran status, median incomes, service-connected disability, and service era are available at the city/town and county level with 5-year estimates (most reliable).
Estimates about age, disability, and poverty status of veterans are available at the county level with 1-year estimates (most current).
VA Spending in Middlesex County
According to the GDX Report, VA spending in Middlesex County increased from $587.3 million in fiscal year 2021 to $703.2 million in fiscal year 2023 and included:
$374.1 million on medical care for 13,755 unique patients in 2023 ($27,195 per patient), compared to $304 million for 15,769 unique patients in 2021 ($19,296 per patient);
$277.1 million in VA compensation and pension benefit payments in 2023, compared to $233.4 million in 2021; and
$47.7 million for education benefits and vocational rehabilitation and employment services, compared to $40.7 million in 2021.
Around 10,209 veterans in Middlesex County have a disability based on 2022 ACS 1-year county level estimates. Based on the 5-year county level estimates, there are 10,775 veterans with a disability considered service-connected by the VA. At least 78% of these veterans were receiving VA compensation benefits based on their disability rating (8,375 veterans).
Whether or not a veteran has time during a “wartime” service era determines in part whether a veteran (or their survivor) is potentially eligible for the VA pension. Very low income wartime veterans over age 65 may be eligible for the pension whether or not they have a qualifying disability. Veterans with service in the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II eras are over age 65.
Suicide Deaths in Middlesex County
The U.S. Center for Disease Control’s Suicide Prevention Strategies for Communities support the implementation of a public health approach that uses data to drive decision-making. Massachusetts does not publish comprehensive data surrounding the deaths of service members and veterans. The chart below includes toxicology data for suicide deaths overall in Middlesex County.
From 2015 to 2022, opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions in Middlesex County steadily decreased, but suicide rates involving them remained high, suggesting unintended consequences of deprescribing, such as withdrawal or untreated mental health issues. Partial opioid agonist use increased until 2019 before stabilizing, while stimulant prescriptions consistently rose.
Toxicology data showed consistent involvement of antidepressants, alcohol, and benzodiazepines, with antidepressant involvement in suicides increasing over time. Marijuana, opiates, and anticonvulsants also rose and were more likely to be involved compared to other areas, with a notable increase in muscle relaxer involved and carbon monoxide (CO) suicides between 2019 and 2021.
Addressing this, the rise in stimulant, alcohol, and antidepressant use, and polysubstance use involving marijuana and opiates, requires targeted prevention strategies. A public health approach that balances prescription policies, mental health care access, and harm reduction strategies is essential to mitigate these growing risks.