Facts & Figures: Veterans Day By The Numbers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau:

Veterans Day originated as “Armistice Day” on Nov. 11, 1919, the first anniversary of the end of World War I. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 for an annual observance, and Nov. 11 became a national holiday beginning in 1938. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation in 1954 to change the name to Veterans Day as a way to honor those who served in all American wars. The day honors military veterans with local and national events and activities.

The following statistics come from the 2010 American Community Survey:

 • There were 21.8 million military veterans in the United States in 2010.
• There were 1.6 million female veterans in 2010 and 2.4 million black veterans.

• Also: 1.2 million veterans were Hispanic; 265,000 were Asian; 156,000 were American Indian or Alaska Native; 28,000 were Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and 17.5 million were non-Hispanic white.

• There were 9 million veterans ages 65 and older in 2010 and 1.7 million were younger than age 35.

• There were 7.6 million Vietnam-era veterans in 2010; 35 percent of all living veterans served during this time (1964-1975).

• Also 4.8 million served during the Gulf War (representing service from Aug. 2, 1990, to present); 2.1 million in World War II (1941-1945); 2.6 million in the Korean War (1950-1953); and 5.5 million in peacetime only.

• The following states had 1 million or more veterans in 2010: California with 2 million, Florida with 1.6 million and Texas with 1.6 million.

• The annual median income of veterans in a 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars was $35,367 compared to $25,605 for the population as a whole.

• In 2010, 9.6 million veterans ages 18 to 64 were in the labor force in 2010.