20 Best Places in the Midwest To Live on Only a Social Security Check

With an average monthly payment of $1,632.04 for individuals and $3,264.08 for couples, according to the SSA, Social Security is not enough to get by in retirement for most people who have no other money coming in — unless they move to one of the most financially forgiving cities in the already-inexpensive Midwest.

To find out where those cities are, GOBankingRates used cost-of-living data from Sperling’s Best Places and rent data from ApartmentList as well as the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the cities where daily life is cheap and the average one-bedroom apartment is affordable. Finally, the study used data from AreaVibes to isolate the low-rent, low-cost cities that also have comparably high livability scores, which are calculated based on quality-of-life factors such as crime and amenities. 

If your retirement income consists of Social Security alone, your dollars will go further in the Midwest than in just about any other region of the country — and these 20 cities are the very best of them all.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,182
• Livability score: 84
• Monthly expenditures: $2,541.58

Bellevue residents have a high livability score, but they’re paying for it. Rent is higher than many other cities on this list. Healthcare costs are almost 14% higher than the national average here, as well, though monthly grocery costs are 3.2% lower than the national average.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,480
• Livability score: 90
• Monthly expenditures: $2,718.52

St. Peters’ is another town where a high livability score translates to a higher cost of living, at least when it comes to rent, even though it’s still among the better cities for couples on Social Security to live. Its rent of $1,480 is the second highest on the list, however the rest of the expenses are below the national average.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,389
• Livability score: 85
• Monthly expenditures: $2,522.43

Holland also boasts higher rent than other cities on this list, but remaining expenses are lower than the national average, some significantly so. Monthly healthcare costs are 18.7% lower than average and utilities are 8.4% lower.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $777
• Livability score: 71
• Monthly expenditures: $2,035.02

Waterloo has the second cheapest rent on this list, and though its livability score is also among the lower, it’s still a respectable score. Other expenditures are lower than the national average here, except for healthcare, which is 4.8% higher.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $921
• Livability score: 73
• Monthly expenditures: $2,091.35

Elyria is one of the towns where you can afford a one-bedroom apartment for less than $1,000. Its other expenditures are all below national average, especially healthcare, which is 15.5% lower than average.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $955
• Livability score: 76
• Monthly expenditures: $2,185.81

Fargo is another great place for couples on a limited budget. With rent at just $955, and a good livability score, total monthly expenditures will be less than your Social Security payment. 

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,555
• Livability score: 95
• Monthly expenditures: $2,792.97

You can live in Hilliard for less than $3,000 per month, but almost half of what a couple receives in Social Security will go to rent. Of course, that apartment is probably worth it given that the city has the second highest livability score on the list.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,009
• Livability score: 78
• Monthly expenditures: $2,227.91

Bismarck is a place where all of your expenses will be average, some even a bit lower than the national average. While rent is over $1,000 by a bit, and groceries are barely 1% higher than the national average, healthcare and utilities costs are lower.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $942
• Livability score: 79
• Monthly expenditures: $2,238.66

Dubuque is a place where couples can pay less than $1,000 in rent but have the benefits of a decently good livability score. Monthly expenditures here are mostly lower than the national average, except for healthcare costs, which are 4.8% higher.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,064
• Livability score: 81
• Monthly expenditures: $2,295.35

Appleton falls somewhere in the middle of most of the cities on this list. Its rent is neither the lowest nor the highest; its livability score is quite good, but not the highest, and monthly expenditures here are just below the national average. 

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $741
• Livability score: 81
• Monthly expenditures: $2,295.35

At $741, no other city can boast lower housing costs than Grand Forks. Although its healthcare costs are higher than national average and grocery costs are a bit on the high side, its super-low rent makes it a great spot to retire.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,229
• Livability score: 88
• Monthly expenditures: $2,494.10

West Des Moines rises higher than some other cities, even though its rent is slightly higher than some, because of its high livability score. Even with slightly higher rent, total monthly expenditures fall under $2,500.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $973
• Livability score: 83
• Monthly expenditures: $2,267.19

Waukesha also offers rent under $1,000 and a high livability score. Monthly expenditures are just below the national average, except for healthcare, which is just a smidge over.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,005
• Livability score: 81
• Monthly expenditures: $2,195.18

Mishawaka is a place where the rent is affordable, and the livability is good. Monthly expenditures are below the national average, too. For example, average monthly healthcare is $547.75, almost $40 less than the national average.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,308
• Livability score: 90
• Monthly expenditures: $2,476.59

Farmington Hills has reasonable rent and other expenses when you consider its high livability of score, at 90. A retired couple can comfortably live here on their Social Security, with money left over to spare.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,397
• Livability score: 97
• Monthly expenditures: $2,698.81

Though Ankeny has the second highest overall monthly expenses, it’s no surprise, because it also has the highest livability on this list, 97. Rent is still under $1,500 per month, and other expenses are only a smidge above the national average.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $860
• Livability score: 79
• Monthly expenditures: $2,095.82

Janesville Wisconsin is among a few cities on this list where the rent is less than $1,000. Though the livability is not as high as other cities, it’s still good. Monthly grocery costs are $347.77, healthcare costs are $569.43, and utilities are $318.58.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $905
• Livability score: 82
• Monthly expenditures: $2,126.46

OshKosh Wisconsin may have a cute name, but it’s a seriously great place to reside if you’re living on Social Security. Its low overall expenses, high livability and affordable rent put it at No. 3. 

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $1,063
• Livability score: 86
• Monthly expenditures: $2,213.69

Parma Ohio takes the No.2 spot even though overall monthly expenditures are slightly higher than OshKosh, partly due to its higher livability score.

• 2022 average 1-bedroom rent: $842
• Livability score: 87
• Monthly expenditures: $2,016.51

Massillon, Ohio is the best city on this list for couples living on Social Security to move to in the Midwest. Rent is extremely affordable here, livability is high, and overall monthly expenditures would leave more than $1,247 leftover.

Andrew Lisa contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best cities in the Midwest (IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI) for a couple to live on only a Social Security check based on the average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,632.04 ($3,2604 for a couple), sourced from Social Security Administration. GOBankingRates first isolated all cities in the Midwest with a 2022 average monthly rent under $1,632. GOBankingRates then used Sperling’s Best to find the cost of living index for each listed city, looking at grocery and healthcare index scores. Next, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery (“food at home”) and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older in order to find how much a couple 65 and over would spend on groceries and healthcare in each city on a monthly basis. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, and healthcare costs together to find where a couple 65 and older could survive on their Social Security or less. In order for a city to be qualified for the study the city had to have a livability score above 70 as sourced from AreaVibes. GOBankingRates scored and combined both livability and monthly necessities expenditure, with the lowest score being best, to determine final rankings. All data was collected and is up to date as of January 4, 2023.