Plymouth County
As of 2022, there were around 26,101 veterans living in Plymouth County, including 172 women veterans. This page includes local event listings and directories of veterans’ services; veterans’ posts and auxiliaries; specialty courts; elder services; and veteran owned businesses in Plymouth County, along with census, VA spending, veteran homelessness, and public health data.
All events in Plymouth County are tagged #southeast. Some cities and towns are also in the #south-coast (Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, and Wareham) or #south-shore (Duxbury, Hanover, Hingham, Marshfield, Norwell, Pembroke, Rockland, and Scituate) areas. When you submit events, include tags and include the town name so they automatically show up in the relevant calendars.
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 assists 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.
Veterans’ Services in Plymouth County
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. Some cities and towns in Plymouth County share a veterans’ agent or are part of a district below.
Veterans’ Posts & Auxiliaries in Plymouth 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 the Northeast Region.
Plymouth County Specialty Courts
The Massachusetts Center of Excellence for Specialty Courts, an initiative of the Executive Office of the Massachusetts Trial Court, brings innovative, evidence-based, and equitable interventions to Specialty Courts.
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Veterans’ Treatment Courts are court-supervised, treatment-focused collaboratives designed to handle criminal cases involving defendants with a history of military service through a coordinated effort among the veterans services delivery system, community-based providers, and the court.
Veterans’ treatment court sessions aim to improve public safety while dealing with underlying issues of PTSD, TBI, and MST. Abstinence from drugs/alcohol, mandated treatment, swift accountability, and weekly interaction with the court is required. The Brockton District Court holds Veterans’ Treatment Court sessions in Plymouth County.
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Mental Health Courts, also referred to as Recovery Courts and Recovery with Justice, address the behavioral health and social support needs of adults involved with the criminal-legal system. Mental Health Courts are designed to increase access to mental health treatment for court-involved people and assist them in their path away from unlawful behavior. The Plymouth District Court operates Mental Health Court sessions in Plymouth County.
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Recovery Courts, also referred to as Drug Treatment Courts and Drug Courts, address the behavioral health and social support needs of adults involved with the criminal-legal system. Recovery Courts are designed to assist court-involved people in their path toward recovery from substance use and away from unlawful behavior. The Brockton, Hingham, Plymouth, and Wareham District Courts operate Recovery Court sessions in Plymouth County.
Elder Services in Plymouth 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 in Plymouth County
This Veteran Owned Businesses directory is based on publicly available information and listings of veteran owned businesses in Plymouth 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 Plymouth County
Based on the 2022 ACS 5-year estimates, there are around 26,101 veterans living in Plymouth County, including 1,464 women veterans. You can explore the most recent American Community Survey estimates for Plymouth County via Census Reporter at the city/town and county level below.
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Age, gender, and veteran status, median income, educational attainment, employment status, service-connected disability status, service era is available with 5-year estimates (most accurate).
Age, sex, and veteran status, median income, educational attainment, employment status, service-connected disability, service era, and age, disability, and poverty status are available at the city/town and county levels with 1-year estimates (most current).
Age by veteran by disability and poverty status is available at the county level with 1-year estimates.
Labor Force and employment status by industry break out Armed Forces as a separate column: Marital Status by sex and labor force participation; Presence of Own Children by age of children and by family type and employment status; Educational Attainment by employment status; Poverty Status by disability and employment status with 1-year estimates.
Information about veterans’ age, disability and poverty status is only available at the county level with 1-year estimates. Based on these estimates, 23,868 veterans lived in Plymouth County, including 1,537 women veterans in 2022. Around 22% had a disability and 3% experienced poverty.
Around 5.1% of veterans with a disability fell below the poverty line, but disabled veterans made up around 40% of veterans in poverty. Very low income veterans over age 65 may qualify for the VA pension whether or not they have a qualifying disability.
Whether or not a veteran has service during a “wartime” service era determines in part whether a veteran qualifies for the VA pension. Around 79% of veterans in Plymouth County served during wartime (18,910 veterans), including 58% with service in the Vietnam, Korea, and World War II eras who are presumed to be over age 65 (11,056 veterans).
VA Spending in Plymouth County
According to the GDX Report, VA spending in Plymouth County increased from $444 million in fiscal year 2022 to $475 million million in fiscal year 2023 and included:
$245 million on medical care for 9,213 unique patients in 2023 ($26,609 per patient), compared to $147.7 million for 9,174 unique patients in 2022 ($25,330 per patient);
$206 million in VA compensation and pension benefit payments in 2023, compared to $159.8 million in 2022; and
$18 million for education benefits and vocational rehabilitation and employment services, compared to $13.5 million in 2022.
Veterans with disabilities are potentially eligible for VA compensation if their disability is service-connected. Based on the 2022 5-year ACS data, around 5,829 veterans had a service-connected disability in Plymouth County, with at least 93% receiving VA compensation.
Veteran Homelessness in Plymouth County
HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) Program is designed to promote community-wide commitment to the goal of ending homelessness. The Massachusetts CoC includes 12 regional CoCs, including the South Shore CoC covering Plymouth County (and Quincy/Weymouth in Norfolk County).
During the last week of January, CoC’s count all of the homeless people reported by service providers and counted by local police and volunteer groups on the streets. In 2023, veterans made up around 3.4% of the overall homeless population in Massachusetts, an increase from 2.2% in 2022.
From 2022 to 2023, the number of homeless veterans increased from 534 to 545, including 70 women, who made up 12.8% of homeless veterans counted. Veteran homelessness increased by less than 3% overall, with a 23% increase for women veterans.
Plymouth County Public Health Data
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 Plymouth County.
From 2015 to 2022, opioid and benzodiazepine prescriptions dropped significantly, while suicide rates involving these substances increased, suggesting unintended consequences of deprescribing, such as withdrawal or untreated mental health needs. Partial opioid agonist use initially rose but declined after 2019, pointing to gaps in treatment access.
In contrast, stimulant prescriptions steadily rose, accompanied by an increase in amphetamine-involved suicides, pointing to potential risks related to psychological distress or substance misuse. Alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine continue to play major roles in suicide deaths, with alcohol remaining a leading factor.
This data emphasizes the need for a comprehensive public health approach that balances prescription policies with access to mental health care and opioid agonist therapies. Treatment, harm reduction strategies, and behavioral health services are essential to preventing unintended outcomes and reducing risks.