Nov 10, 2025 - News

Alabama's vets

Derek Lacey

A choropleth map of U.S. states showing the estimated share of adult civilians who are veterans in 2024. Nationally, 5.9% of adults are veterans. The share is highest in Alaska, with 9.9%, and lowest in D.C., with 3.1%. — Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Map: Axios Visuals

Alabama has a higher share of veterans than much of the nation, with 7.5% of its residents having served in the military.

The big picture: Nationally, around 6% of the population are veterans, with Alaska topping the list at 9.9% and Washington D.C. at the bottom, with 3.1%.

Bar chart showing the periods of service for veterans in the Huntsville metro area from a 2024 estimate. 47.9% of veterans in the area served after September 2001. 44.6% served in the Gulf War, 17.7% in the Vietnam era, 1.4% in the Korean War, and 0.4% in World War II. — Data: U.S. Census Bureau; Note: Periods of service are not mutually exclusive, so values may add up to more than 100%; Chart: Axios Visuals

By the numbers: Of those, the vast majority are veterans of the Gulf War era and later, totaling 92.5% of the state's vets, though the percentages can have some overlap if a person served in multiple conflicts.

World War II vets make up just 0.4% of the state's veterans, and Korean War veterans just 1.4%, with Vietnam-era vets representing 17.7%.

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Alabama's vets

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