8 Best Places in California for a Couple To Live Only on Social Security

Living in California is pricey, for sure. According to August 2023 figures from Zillow, the typical home in the state cost $744,280. And what about rent? The average price is $2,950, per Zillow.

The prospect of retiring may look especially dismal in the Golden State, but Californiadoes have pockets of affordability for retired people living on Social Security. A couple depending on the average monthly Social Security earnings can’t live along the ocean, but places exist in California where that amount is just enough.

GOBankingRates compiled a list of eight cities where a couple can live in California — solely on a Social Security budget for two. That means no assets, no savings — just that good old monthly income of $3,581.12 per month (the average monthly Social Security benefit of $1,790.56, doubled). Let’s have a look at where you can get the biggest bang for your limited buck if you and your partner want to retire in California.

• Livability Score: 66
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,965
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $389.37
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $587.01
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $365.96
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,307.55

Modesto, a largely residential community, is surrounded by farmlands that produce bountiful crops of lettuce, almonds and grapes. Located about 80 miles south of Sacramento, the capital city, Modesto is an easy drive to some of California’s most splendid sites — the Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco, the mountains and waters of Lake Tahoe, and the majesty of Yosemite National Park. Its monthly rental cost, just below the national average, helps Modesto eke onto the list of affordable California cities for those on Social Security.

• Livability Score: 66
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,945
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $391.61
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $587.01
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $345.37
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,268.55

About a 20-minute drive from Modesto is Turlock, which, after Modesto, is the second-largest city in Stanislaus County with more than 70,000 residents. The difference between the two in terms of living expenses? Not much — about $40 a month.

• Livability Score: 65
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,928
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $381.12
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $507.92
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $318.91
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,135.54

The Southern California bedroom community of Bellflower is situated between the cities of Los Angeles and Long Beach. In the 1940s, it began its transition from an agricultural to a residential center. Today’s Bellflower residents will find rent, healthcare and utilities that cost below the national average.

• Livability Score: 65
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,798
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $377.37
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $528.42
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $316.95
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,020.73

Another Los Angeles County suburb, South Gate is just 12 miles from Bellflower. The two cities are remarkably similar where costs are concerned. South Gate residents pay $130 per month less in rent, accounting for the difference in living expenses between the two. The cities share the same livability score, 65.

• Livability Score: 71
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,708
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $372.50
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $675.47
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $354.85
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,111.06

Visalia is another agriculture-rich California city, sitting on the road from Bakersfield north to Fresno in Tulare County, which is billed as the world’s top dairy producer. While cheaper cities exist in California, Visalia can’t be topped if you’re a nature lover. It sits at the base of the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.

• Livability Score: 73
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,900
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $371.00
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $526.66
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $366.29
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,163.97

Just 20 miles directly east of Visalia is Hanford, and you’ll pay just about the same in the two communities. Rent is about $200 a month more in Hanford, but you’ll make up the difference with less-expensive healthcare costs.

• Livability Score: 72
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,626
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $382.25
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $707.69
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $362.04
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $3,077.54

About 90 miles north of Sacramento is Chico, which boasts what the local chamber of commerce says is the 26^th-largest municipal park in the United States, the 3,670-acre Bidwell Park. It offers a variety of recreational activities for adventurous retirees, including mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing, swimming and even horseback riding. Or they can shop at farmers markets, view art exhibits and take in the sounds of area music festivals.

• Livability Score: 75
• 2023 Average Monthly Rent: $1,525
• Monthly Grocery Cost Per Couple: $374.38
• Monthly Healthcare Cost Per Couple: $716.47
• Monthly Utilities Cost Per Couple: $370.86
• Monthly Necessities Cost Per Couple: $2,987.20

Redding has the best of two worlds — the lowest average monthly rent and the highest livability score of cities on the list. Surrounded by national forests, Redding is about 140 miles south of the Oregon border. The people at Visit Redding say it’s the sunniest city in California, with more than 250 days of sunshine each year. For retirees who enjoy fishing, they can fish for trout in the Sacramento River, known for a stock of rainbow trout that swim the cold waters.

Nicole Spector contributed to the reporting for this article.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best cities in California for a couple to live on only a Social Security check based on the average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,790.56 ($3,581.12 for a couple), sourced from Social Security Administration. GOBankingRates first isolated all cities in California with a 2023 average monthly rent under $2,000 and a size rank below 1,000. 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 acquire 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 65 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 Sept. 6, 2023.

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