7 Best Southern Cities To Live on Just a Social Security Check

Texas and Louisiana dominate this short list.

By Jordan Rosenfeld Jul 21, 2022 Social Security 101

For many people, the amount they make from their Social Security checks would not be enough to pay for their basic living and food essentials. However, in a handful of Southern cities, all of which happen to be in Louisiana and Texas, the average monthly Social Security benefit (as of May 2022) of $1,621 is just enough to live on.

Learn: 10 Reasons You Should Claim Social Security Early
Also Find: 5 Affordable Places To Retire Near the Beach

To figure out where you can live on your Social Security checks, GOBankingRates determined the average monthly benefit for retired workers, sourced from the Social Security Administration, and the average 2022 rent for a one-bedroom apartment, as sourced from ApartmentList.

GOBankingRates then researched Sperling’s Best to find the cost-of-living index for each listed city, looking at grocery and healthcare index scores. GOBankingRates also used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery (“food at home”) and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older, adding these costs together. Livability scores were sourced from AreaVibes.

Check out the best Southern cities to live on just a Social Security check.

Retire Comfortably

7. Amarillo, Texas

2022 1-bedroom rent: $791
Monthly expenditures: $1,617

In Amarillo, 14% of the population is age 65 or older. They can expect to pay about $378 per month in groceries and almost $450 in healthcare costs.

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6. Lubbock, Texas

2022 1-bedroom rent: $777
Monthly expenditures: $1,608

In Lubbock, while healthcare expenses are the highest on this list at $452, overall expenses are still below the average monthly Social Security check of $1,621.

5. Abilene, Texas

2022 1-bedroom rent: $771
Monthly expenditures: $1,597

15% of the population in Abilene is 65 or older, and the area has the highest livability score, at 75, on the list.

4. Shreveport, Louisiana

2022 1-bedroom rent: $800
Monthly expenditures: $1,568

Shreveport has the highest rent on the list, but it’s got the lowest monthly grocery cost, nearly $375, and the lowest monthly healthcare cost, $398.

3. Killeen, Texas

2022 1-bedroom rent: $760
Monthly expenditures: $1,557

Retirees in Killeen can expect to pay an average of $376 in monthly grocery costs and $421 in monthly healthcare costs.

2. Midland, Texas

2022 1-bedroom rent: $714
Monthly expenditures: $1,551

In Midland, only 10% of the population is over 65, but more may soon follow due to its low cost of living. While its monthly grocery cost is the highest on the list, at $400, it’s still lower than the national average of $412.

1. Lake Charles, Louisiana

2022 1-bedroom rent: $723
Monthly expenditures: $1,525

Lake Charles, where 15% of the population is 65 or older, takes the No. 1 spot, with the lowest cost of living and a livability score of 70.

Methodology: GOBankingRates determined where in the South to live on only a Social Security check based on the (1) average monthly benefit for retired workers, sourced from the Social Security Administration; and (2) average 2022 rent for a one-bedroom apartment, as sourced from ApartmentList. GOBankingRates then researched Sperling’s Best to find the cost-of-living index for each listed city, looking at (3) grocery and (4) healthcare index scores. GOBankingRates additionally used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2020 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 person 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. In order for a city to be qualified for the study, its (5) population had to be 10% or more over the age of 65, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and (6) it had to have a livability score of 65 or above, sourced from AreaVibes. All data was collected on and up to date as of July 13, 2022.

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About the Author

Jordan Rosenfeld

Jordan Rosenfeld is a freelance writer and author of nine books. She holds a B.A. from Sonoma State University and an MFA from Bennington College. Her articles and essays about finances and other topics has appeared in a wide range of publications and clients, including The Atlantic, The Billfold, Good Magazine, GoBanking Rates, Daily Worth, Quartz, Medical Economics, The New York Times, Ozy, Paypal, The Washington Post and for numerous business clients. As someone who had to learn many of her lessons about money the hard way, she enjoys writing about personal finance to empower and educate people on how to make the most of what they have and live a better quality of life.