Essex County
As of 2022, there are around 29,188 veterans living in Essex County, including 2,028 women. This page includes local event listings and directories of veterans’ services; veteran outreach centers; posts and auxiliaries; VA clinics; community behavioral health centers; peer recovery support centers; elder services; and veteran owned businesses, as well as census, VA spending, and public health data for Essex County.
All events in Essex County are tagged #greater-boston; some towns are also tagged #boston-metro #metrowest, #north-shore, or #merrimack-valley. When you submit events, include the relevant tags and the name of the town in the event listing so they show up in the relevant calendars.
Massachusetts 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 to apply. 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.
Northeast Veterans 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 immediate risk of becoming homeless, can contact VNOC at (978) 372-3626 for assistance.
Veterans’ Posts & Auxiliaries in Essex County
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 Essex County.
VA Outpatient Clinics in Essex County
Veterans in Essex County are served by the VA Boston Healthcare System with two community-based outpatient clinics in Gloucester and Haverhill. Anyone who has served in the military is encouraged to apply to determine their eligibility and Priority Group. Some veterans are exempt from co-pays due to their VA rating, income, or special eligibility factors.
Community Behavioral Health Centers in Essex County
Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHCs) are one-stop shops for mental health and substance use services and treatment. The network includes three centers in Essex County in Danvers, Lynn, and Lawrence offering immediate, confidential care for mental health and substance use needs. CBHCs are open daily for walk-ins, routine appointments, and crisis care, including Mobile Crisis Intervention.
CBHCs are closely connected to the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Help Line (BHHL). The BHHL is a 24/7 clinical hotline staffed by trained behavioral health providers and peer coaches who offer clinical assessment, treatment referrals, and crisis triage services. Staff directly connect callers with the nearest CBHC when appropriate.
Peer Recovery Support Centers in Essex County
Peer Recovery Support Centers (PRSC) in Massachusetts are free accessible peer-led spaces that provide individuals in recovery from substance use, as well as their family members and loved ones, an opportunity to offer and receive human connection, community inclusion, peer support, and access to non-clinical resources. There are three centers in Essex County located in Gloucester, Lawrence, and Haverhill.
The Massachusetts Overdose Prevention Helpline is staffed by a dedicated team of harm reductionists and people with lived and living experience with overdose. The hotline is not a recovery or treatment helpline; it connects people using drugs with trained operators who can call for help in case of overdose. It is available to anyone at risk of overdose.
Elder Services in Essex County
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.
Veterans in Essex County
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Although Essex County veterans were the most likely to have a disability, they were the least likely to experience poverty within the three counties in Northeastern Massachusetts.
Essex County veterans were less likely to experience poverty compared to non-veterans.
Essex County veterans were more likely to participate in the labor force than non-veterans and more likely to be unemployed.
There are substantial differences in lifetime earnings by educational attainment. Although veterans in Essex County were more likely to have graduated high school and to have completed some college or an associate’s degree compared to non-veterans, they were less likely to have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher.
In 2020 inflation adjusted dollars, women veterans earned less than male veterans in all counties. Male veterans earned less than non-veteran men in Essex County. Women veterans earned more than non-veteran women in Northeast Massachusetts counties, with the biggest difference reported in Essex County.
Click here for a breakdown of the 2020 American Community Survey estimates for all counties in Northeast Massachusetts.
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Based on 2021 1-year estimates, 25,707 veterans lived in Essex County, including 2,285 women. Around 11.8% of veterans in Essex County experienced poverty in the prior year (3,035 veterans). Around 43% of veterans in poverty had a disability. Estimates in the charts below are based on the 2021 ACS 1-year data.
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You can explore the most recent American Community Survey census data referenced below, as well as other census data specific to Massachusetts veterans with interactive maps and tables via Census Reporter.
Information about the veteran population in Essex County below referencing age, gender, and veteran status, , median incomes, service era, and service-connected disability is based on data at the city and town and county level with 5-year estimates (most reliable).
Information referencing veterans by age, disability and poverty status is available at the county level for Essex County with 1-year estimates (most current).
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.
Based on the 2022 ACS 5-year estimates, there were around 29,188 veterans living in Essex County, including 2,028 women veterans. You can explore the most recent American Community Survey estimates for Essex County service members and veterans via Census Reporter. Estimates in the charts below are based on the 2021 and 2022 ACS 1-year data available at the county level.
VA Spending in Essex County
According to the GDX Report, VA spending in Essex County increased from $272 million in fiscal year 2021 to $311.9 million in fiscal year 2023, including:
$133.5 million on medical care for 8,356 unique patients ($15,979 per patient), compared to $117.5 million for 9,465 unique patients in 2021 ($12,421 per patient);
$159.7 million in VA compensation and pension benefit payments, compared to $132.4 million in 2021; and
$16.7 million for education benefits and vocational rehabilitation and employment services, compared to $19.1 million in 2021.
Around 8,406 veterans in Essex County have a disability based on 1-year estimates at the county level in 2022. Based on the 5-year estimates at the county level, there are 5,808 veterans with a disability considered by VA to be service-connected. At least 82% of these veterans were receiving VA compensation benefits based on their rating (4,771 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 Essex 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 Essex County.
From 2015 to 2022, opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions in Essex County steadily declined, but suicide rates involving these substances remained high, indicating potential 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 shows steady involvement of antidepressants, alcohol, and marijuana in suicides, with a notable increase in antidepressant-involved suicides. There was also a modest rise in amphetamines and cocaine involvement compared to other counties where these were less likely to be involved in suicides.
Addressing the rise in stimulant, alcohol, and antidepressant use, along with reducing polysubstance use, especially involving amphetamines and cocaine, requires targeted prevention strategies. A public health approach that balances prescription policies, mental health care access, and harm reduction strategies is essential to address these growing risks.