How Far $500K Plus Social Security Goes on the East Coast

While it’s possible to enjoy a lengthy retirement in many U.S. regions with Social Security benefits and $500,000 in savings, this sum doesn’t last long for retirees on the East Coast. Depending on where you live, you’ll be lucky if you can get a decade out of this savings.

GOBankingRates referred to existing in-house research analyzing how far $500,000 plus Social Security lasts across the United States and isolated data from the East Coast. Each East Coast state shares the commonality that this amount of savings will not last more than 15 years, regardless of where you live in retirement. 

See how far a $500,000 retirement savings and Social Security goes on the East Coast.

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 11.4
• Annual expenditure: $67,117
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $44,009

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 13.5
• Annual expenditure: $60,207
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $37,099

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 13
• Annual expenditure: $61,529
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $38,421

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 15.7
• Annual expenditure: $54,980
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $31,872

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 11.1
• Annual expenditure: $68,199
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $45,091

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 13.8
• Annual expenditure: $59,426
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $36,318

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 7.7
• Annual expenditure: $88,268
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $65,160

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 11.4
• Annual expenditure: $66,997
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $43,889

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 10.9
• Annual expenditure: $68,980
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $45,872

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 9.8
• Annual expenditure: $74,147
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $51,039

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 14.1
• Annual expenditure: $58,645
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $35,537

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 11.3
• Annual expenditure: $67,538
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $44,430

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 14.7
• Annual expenditure: $57,203
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $34,095

• Number of years $500,000 will last with Social Security: 13.4
• Annual expenditure: $60,387
• Annual expenditure after Social Security: $37,280

Methodology: In order to find how long $500,000 will last across the country with Social Security, GOBankingRates found (1) the national average annual expenditures for people 65 and older, sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey data and (2) annual Social Security income as sourced from the Social Security Administration’s December 2024 data. Then, GOBankingRates created (2) state-level annual expenditure estimates by multiplying the national figure by each state’s overall cost-of-living index score for 2024 Q3 from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Finally, GOBankingRates found (3) how many years $500,000 will last in each state by dividing $500,000 by each state’s average annual expenditures estimate minus yearly Social Security income. All data was collected on and is up to date as of Feb. 4, 2025.