Research · Veterans
Military City's veterans: Bexar County by the numbers
By Jim Denning, MA, LPC, Texas license #73687 · Published 12 November 2026 · Data: VA VetPop2023 (30 September 2023 estimates and projections) and Census Bureau population estimates
About 173,000 veterans lived in Bexar County on 30 September 2023, more than in any other Texas county and the fourth most of any U.S. county, according to VA estimates. That is 10.9 veterans for every 100 adults, against 6.6 in Texas and 6.9 nationally.
Key numbers
- 173,000veterans in Bexar County on 30 September 2023; Harris County is next in Texas, with about 169,000VA VetPop2023, Table 9L (estimate, nearest 1,000)
- fourth of 3,144Bexar's rank among U.S. counties by number of veterans, after Maricopa, Los Angeles and San DiegoVA VetPop2023, Table 9L, 30 September 2023
- 10.9veterans for every 100 adults in Bexar County, against 6.6 in Texas and 6.9 in the U.S.Our calculation: VA VetPop2023 (30 September 2023) and Census Bureau adults 18+ (1 July 2023)
- 32,000women veterans in Bexar County (18.2% of its veterans, against 11.4% nationally), the most of any U.S. county in VA's estimatesVA VetPop2023, Table 9L, 30 September 2023
- 67.8%of Bexar County's veterans are under 65, against 54.4% nationallyVA VetPop2023, Table 9L, 30 September 2023
How Bexar County compares
San Antonio calls itself Military City, USA, and the VA’s figures bear the name out. Bexar County had about 173,000 veterans in September 2023, 11.3% of all the veterans in Texas. Harris County, with more than twice Bexar’s adult population, had about 169,000. Nationally only Maricopa, Los Angeles and San Diego counties had more.
Measured against the number of adults who live here, the concentration is higher still: 10.9 veterans for every 100 adults, against 6.6 across Texas. Among the 10 Texas counties with the most veterans, only Bell County, around Fort Cavazos, has a higher share (22.5).
VA estimates, rounded to the nearest 1,000. Source: VA VetPop2023, Table 9L.
| County | 2023 | 2026 (projected) | 2033 (projected) | Change 2023 to 2033 | Per 100 adults, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bexar County | 173,000 | 171,000 | 164,000 | −5.6% | 10.9 |
| Harris County | 169,000 | 163,000 | 147,000 | −12.8% | 4.6 |
| Tarrant County | 111,000 | 109,000 | 104,000 | −6.2% | 6.7 |
| Dallas County | 87,000 | 83,000 | 72,000 | −17.4% | 4.4 |
| Bell County | 65,000 | 65,000 | 64,000 | −2.3% | 22.5 |
| El Paso County | 62,000 | 60,000 | 57,000 | −8.1% | 9.4 |
| Travis County | 50,000 | 49,000 | 45,000 | −10.4% | 4.6 |
| Collin County | 43,000 | 43,000 | 44,000 | +3.4% | 4.7 |
| Denton County | 40,000 | 41,000 | 40,000 | −0.4% | 5.2 |
| Williamson County | 37,000 | 39,000 | 42,000 | +14.1% | 7.0 |
| Texas | 1,538,000 | 1,509,000 | 1,435,000 | −6.7% | 6.6 |
| United States | 18,091,000 | 17,097,000 | 15,014,000 | −17.0% | 6.9 |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
A younger veteran population, with more women
Bexar County’s veterans are younger than the nation’s. 67.8% were under 65 in 2023, against 61.7% in Texas and 54.4% nationally. The largest group here is aged 45 to 64; nationally it is 65 to 84.
Women make up 18.2% of Bexar County’s veterans, about 32,000 people, against 13.3% in Texas and 11.4% nationally. In VA’s estimates that is more women veterans than in any other U.S. county; San Diego County is next, with about 31,000. The two are close, and both figures are model estimates.
| Age group | Bexar 2023 | Share, Bexar 2023 | Share, U.S. 2023 | Bexar 2033 (projected) | Share, Bexar 2033 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 to 44 | 52,000 | 30.0% | 21.7% | 40,000 | 24.6% |
| 45 to 64 | 65,000 | 37.8% | 32.8% | 68,000 | 41.3% |
| 65 to 84 | 50,000 | 28.7% | 38.5% | 47,000 | 28.5% |
| 85 and over | 6,000 | 3.5% | 7.1% | 9,000 | 5.6% |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column.
How the number is changing
VA projects Bexar County’s veteran population to ease from about 173,000 in 2023 to about 171,000 in 2026 and about 164,000 in 2033, a fall of 5.6%. That is a much slower decline than the nation’s 17.0%, so by these projections Bexar is still first in Texas and fourth in the U.S. in 2026.
The mix shifts with age. VA projects fewer veterans aged 17 to 44 here by 2033 (about 40,000, down from 52,000) and more aged 85 and over (about 9,000, up from 6,000).
What this means for veterans and military families looking for therapy
- You are far from the only one. With 10.9 veterans for every 100 adults, Bexar County has a large community of people who have served, and of families who have lived alongside that service.
- Check your benefits first. VA health care, Vet Centers and TRICARE each have their own rules, and it is worth knowing what you are entitled to before you pay for anything privately. Our page on therapy for veterans and military families sets out the questions to ask, and rates and insurance lists the plans the practice is in network with. Our guide to veteran support organizations in San Antonio lists local groups. The Denning Center is not part of or affiliated with the VA.
- Women veterans are a large group here. If you are one of them, the figures above are a reminder that your service is part of this city’s story, even if you rarely see it reflected.
- Families carry a load too. Spouses and family members of veterans and service members can seek support in their own right.
Method and limits
VetPop2023 is the VA’s model of the veteran population. It combines VA and Department of Defense records with Census Bureau survey data to estimate how many veterans live in each county on 30 September 2023 and to project the numbers forward. The figures are model estimates and projections, not head counts, and VA asks that they be reported to the nearest 1,000, which we do. We added up the table’s detail by age group and sex for each county and checked the totals against the ones VA displays.
Ranks compare the 3,144 counties and county equivalents of the 50 states and DC. “Per 100 adults” divides VA’s veterans (aged 17 and over, 30 September 2023) by the Census Bureau’s estimate of adults aged 18 and over on 1 July 2023, so it is a close guide rather than an exact share. Veterans are people who have served and are not on active duty now; service members currently stationed at Joint Base San Antonio are not in these numbers.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics, VetPop2023 Table 9L: county veteran population by age group and sex. estimates for 30 September 2023, projections to 2053. www.va.gov/VETDATA/docs/Demographics/New_Vetpop_Model/9L_VetPop2023_County_NCVAS.xlsx
- U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 county population estimates by age and sex (CC-EST2025-AGESEX). adults 18 and over, 1 July 2023. www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-counties-detail.html
Cite this study
Jim Denning, The Denning Center, “Military City's veterans: Bexar County by the numbers,” 12 November 2026, https://jimdenninglpc.com/research/bexar-county-veterans. Data: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VetPop2023; U.S. Census Bureau.
Download the data (CSV). Free to use with credit to The Denning Center and a link to this page (CC BY 4.0). The underlying public data belongs to the agencies and organizations named under Sources.
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