From 2010 to 2020, the total population of veterans in the U.S. declined by nearly 5 million, from 22.6 million to 17.8 million. The ranks of Vietnam and Korean War veterans each dropped by more than 1.5 million over that span, while the decline for World War II veterans totaled more than 2 million. These declines have reduced the overall population of veterans even as the number of veterans from the Gulf War and Post-9/11 wars has grown.
World War II veterans totaled around 500,000 in the U.S. in 2020, and the Census Bureau estimates that by 2030, only 8,000 WWII veterans will remain. These veterans live in every state in the U.S., but large states like California (53,807), Florida (48,220), and New York (31,730) have the largest total counts of WWII veterans. But as a share of the over-85 population, many smaller states have higher proportions of World War II veterans, with as many as 10% of their oldest citizens having served in the war.
The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2020 American Community Survey. To determine the states with the most World War II veterans, researchers at Porch calculated the World War II veteran share of the 85-and-over population. In the event of a tie, the state with the greater World War II veteran share of the total veteran population was ranked higher.
The analysis found that in Kansas, 8.1% of the population aged 85 or older served during World War II. Here is a summary of the data for Kansas:
- WWII veteran share of the 85+ population: 8.1%
- WWII veteran share of the total veteran population: 3.1%
- Total WWII veterans: 5,374
- Total veteran population: 172,750
For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:
- WWII veteran share of the 85+ population: 7.7%
- WWII veteran share of the total veteran population: 2.9%
- Total WWII veterans: 512,607
- Total veteran population: 17,835,456
For more information, a detailed methodology, and complete results, you can find the original report on Porch’s website: https://porch.com/advice/states-with-most-world-war-ii-veterans