Vietnam Veterans by State

The Vietnam War, a highly controversial armed conflict between the US and its allies against North Vietnam and the Viet Cong, spanned 20 years and profoundly reshaped American society. The war saw an estimated 9.1 million military personnel on active duty, with over 2.7 million Americans serving in Vietnam. Each remaining state today bears a legacy of the Vietnam War, visible in the form of Vietnam veterans who carry their experiences, both seen and unseen, from this tumultuous era.

Findings from the dataset include:

• California houses the most Vietnam veterans, with approximately 531.3K veterans residing in the state. Following closely behind are Florida and Texas, with a Veteran population of 507.3K and 461.7K respectively.
• On the contrary, the fewest Vietnam veterans reside in the District of Columbia and Vermont, tallying around 7.0K and 13.7K respectively.
• Significantly, high populations of Vietnam veterans reside in states that have substantial military facilities or bases such as California, Texas, and Florida.
• Interestingly, despite the smaller overall populations, several states, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina, are home to a large number of Vietnam veterans, numbering over 200,000 each.
• The states with the largest number of veterans are not just simply the most populous ones; for example, New York, the fourth most populous, ranks sixth in terms of its veteran population.