11 States That Dominate Social Security Benefits

You’ve probably heard of the Million Miler Club for airline travel. Meet the Million Household Club for Social Security.

Eleven states have more than a million households receiving Social Security benefits, according to the latest data from the Social Security Administration. Those 11 states account for 57% of all of the households receiving Social Security benefits in the nation.

While overall population certainly factors into these rankings, the list of most populous states isn’t an exact match with the list of states with the most households receiving benefits. That’s because the percentages of households receiving benefits vary widely from state to state.

For example, the state with the largest number of households receiving help — California — actually has the fourth-lowest percentage of households receiving help (28.1%). Smaller West Virginia has by far the highest percentage of households receiving Social Security (41.2%). But that amounts to only about 300,000 households, only the 35^th highest total among the 50 states.

Here’s a countdown of the Million Household Club, from the least amount of Social Security households to the most. We’ve also included each state’s percentage of households receiving benefits, the average amount received and the annual cost of living.

Also see the states that need Social Security the most.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 3,779,490
• % of households with Social Security income: 28.1%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $23,022
• Annual cost of living: $85,413

California’s roughly 3.8 million households receiving benefits is more than 600,000 higher than the next highest state, Florida. The Golden State’s average single-family home value ($809,893) is second only to Hawaii ($985,731) among the 50 states.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 3,139,979
• % of households with Social Security income: 36.7%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $24,048
• Annual cost of living: $52,244

Known for its large numbers of retirees, Florida is actually second in the nation for percentage of residents age 65 and up. The Sunshine State’s figure of 21.1% trails Maine (21.9%). Of Florida’s 65+ population, 11.4% live below the poverty line. Florida also has the highest percentage of residents receiving benefits in this list (36.7%).

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,170,920
• % of households with Social Security income: 29.2%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $22,934
• Annual cost of living: $46,146

Less than 15% of Georgia residents are age 65 or older — the fourth-lowest total in the nation. The Peach State ranks in the middle of the pack for annual median household income (25^th, $75,000) and average single-family home value (27^th, $331,000).

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,453,430
• % of households with Social Security income: 29.1%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $23,429
• Annual cost of living: $42,795

The Prairie State has the seventh-highest number of households receiving Social Security benefits. Nearly 10% of Illinois residents age 65 and up live below the poverty line.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,402,046
• % of households with Social Security income: 34.7%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $24,503
• Annual cost of living: $39,532

The nation’s 10^th-most populous state, Michigan ranks 12^th lowest in annual cost of living. It ranks 15^th in percentage of households receiving Social Security benefits (34.7%).

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,085,771
• % of households with Social Security income: 31.2%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $25,318
• Annual cost of living: $64,532

New Jersey has the third-highest household median income in the nation ($101,050). Its annual cost-of-living ($64,532) is the country’s fifth-highest. About 10% of the state’s residents age 65 and older live below the poverty line.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 2,445,342
• % of households with Social Security income: 31.9%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $23,330
• Annual cost of living: $57,166

New York’s average annual cost of living (about $57,000) is only the 13^th highest in the nation. It depends on which part of the state you live in, of course, with average living costs in Upstate New York only a small fraction of costs in New York City.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,343,673
• % of households with Social Security income: 32.1%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $23,610
• Annual cost of living: $46,728

Roughly 17% of North Carolina’s 10.6 million residents are age 65 or older. Of that group, a little more than 10 percent live below the poverty line. North Carolina ranks 37^th in the country for annual household median income ($70,000).

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,538,984
• % of households with Social Security income: 31.9%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $22,438
• Annual cost of living: $39,178

Ohio offers the 10^th lowest average annual cost of living in the United States ($39,178). The Buckeye State is middle-of-the-pack when it comes to percentage of residents age 65 and up beneath the poverty line — its figure of 9.5% ranks 24^th.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 1,829,023
• % of households with Social Security income: 34.9%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $23,989
• Annual cost of living: $42,196

The Keystone State has the ninth-highest percentage of residents age 65 and up (19.1%). About 9% of those residents find themselves below the poverty line.

• Number of households with Social Security income: 2,720,364
• % of households with Social Security income: 25.3%
• Average Social Security income (annual): $22,536
• Annual cost of living: $43,956

Texas has the fifth-highest percentage of 65-and-up residents living below the poverty line in the nation (11.7%). The Lone Star State’s 3.9 million residents age 65+ is third in the U.S., trailing only California and Florida.

Methodology: For this study, GOBanking Rates identified each state’s total population, population age 65 and over, total households, household median income, households that receive Social Security income, the average Income for households that receive Social Security income, and the percentage of people aged 65 and over who are below the poverty line (all sourced from the U.S. Census 2023 5-year American Community Survey). Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. Using average expenditures for people age 65 and over as sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the average expenditure cost was calculated. The average single-family home value was sourced from the Zillow Home Value Index. By assuming a 10% down payment and using the national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate as sourced from the Federal Reserve Economic Data, the average mortgage cost was calculated. Using the average mortgage and average expenditure costs, the average total monthly and annual cost of living was calculated. All data was collected on and is up to date as of May 15, 2025.