North Carolina CRA Programs: Community Development for the Military
LMI Support for Service Members, Veterans, and Spouses Through Financial Education
GoVA Foundation provides community development military financial education programs across North Carolina’s extensive network of military bases and Veteran communities. Through our initiatives, banks can connect with service members, Veterans, and military families seeking banking services and financial education resources through Community Development grants and CRA programs.
North Carolina Military Bases & CRA Assessment Areas
North Carolina maintains a significant military presence with six major installations supporting over 102,000 active-duty service members. Fort Liberty in Fayetteville and Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville serve as the largest concentrations, together supporting over 82,000 active-duty personnel.
Major installations and their active-duty populations include:
- Fort Bragg (Fayetteville) – 43,414 active duty
- Camp Lejeune (Jacksonville) – 38,778 active duty
- Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (Havelock) – 6,832 active duty
- Marine Corps Air Station New River (Jacksonville) – 6,301 active duty
- Seymour Johnson Air Force Base (Goldsboro) – 4,330 active duty
- Pope Army Airfield (Fayetteville) – 2,500 active duty
Approximately 40% of active-duty military households qualify as low-to-moderate income (LMI), representing 40,862 service members across North Carolina installations who can benefit from targeted military banking services and financial education. Additionally, the state hosts an estimated 51,077 military spouses, calculated as 50% of the active-duty population, many of whom face employment challenges that impact household financial stability.
Military Community Development Impact
The combined military community in North Carolina represents a significant demographic presence:
- 102,155 active-duty service members
- 51,077 military spouses
- 680,709 Veterans
This total military-connected population of 833,941 North Carolinians represents a substantial opportunity for banks to expand their services while serving their communities. The concentration of these communities near military installations creates natural assessment areas where banks can make meaningful impact through targeted financial education and services.
LMI Military Programs: Supporting North Carolina Veterans
Within North Carolina’s Veteran population of over 680,000, approximately 136,141 Veterans qualify as LMI households. The highest concentrations of Veterans are found in:
- Wake County – 55,171 Veterans
- Mecklenburg County – 52,228 Veterans
- Cumberland County – 52,190 Veterans
- Onslow County – 33,561 Veterans
- Guilford County – 26,709 Veterans
- Forsyth County – 19,034 Veterans
- Buncombe County – 17,633 Veterans
- New Hanover County – 15,920 Veterans
- Durham County – 15,174 Veterans
- Brunswick County – 14,598 Veterans
These population centers create distinct opportunities for bank partnerships in these assessment areas through community development programs and community development grants.
GoVA Foundation currently has military families in your area who could benefit. Complete the form at the bottom of the page for more details.
Military Community Development & Banking Partnerships
GoVA Foundation delivers free financial education to military families in North Carolina and documents that activity for bank partners. Bank partners have received CRA consideration for this program at examination. GoVA documents community development activity; examiners determine CRA credit. Our documentation covers:
- Assessment area documentation:
- Verified LMI census tracts
- Documented military banking service areas
- Military assessment area mapping
- Military Community Development Activities:
- Military-specific financial education programs
- Veteran transition banking services
- Military entrepreneur development
- VA home loan education
Military Financial Education Results: The Edge Platform
The Edge platform, GoVA Foundation’s digital military financial education hub, is made available free of charge to LMI military community members through Community Development grant funding from bank partners. The platform currently serves over 200 active members across North Carolina, with 16% verified as LMI households. Our highest membership concentrations align with major military populations in:
- Cumberland County
- Mecklenburg County
- Wake County
- Harnett County
- Onslow County
Military community members receive targeted financial education addressing:
- Transition planning for separating service members
- Spouse employment and family budgeting
- VA home loan education and housing decisions
- Small business development for Veterans
- Credit building and debt management
- Emergency savings strategies for military families
- PCS (Permanent Change of Station) Move financial preparation
North Carolina community development Military Programs
Banks operating in North Carolina can leverage our established military financial education programs to support community development in military communities. We partner with banks, who provide community development grants to fund financial literacy among the LMI military community. We provide complete documentation for CRA reporting, including:
- Verified LMI status of program participants
- Census tract confirmation
- LMI Community impact metrics
- Assessment area alignment
- Quarterly progress reports
- Annual LMI impact assessments
Discover immediate opportunities to support LMI military households in your assessment area through our community development programs. Our custom reports provide detailed analysis of military demographics, LMI verification, and potential Community Development grant impact through financial education programs.
Explore CRA Opportunities
Discover the impact potential for your bank’s Community Development initiatives. Our customized report reveals:
- Number of military households in your assessment area
- Financial education needs assessment
- Specific opportunities for LMI community investment
Simply share your assessment area, and we’ll prepare a custom report showing how your bank can support military financial wellness as part of your community development activity.
Figures are GoVA estimates based on public military and Veteran population data and GoVA member data.
Last updated: November 7, 2026.