Social Security: This Is the Average Payment in Every State

Living on Social Security alone can be financially challenging, but many retirees and people with disabilities do it every day. They budget carefully, find clever ways to save money and enroll in assistance programs designed to help people make ends meet, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Sometimes, they also move to lower-cost-of-living areas to stretch their dollars further or aim for a higher-than-average payment.

It’s possible to beat the average Social Security benefit. Those who generally work longer careers — strategically increase their earnings over time — and wait as long as possible to apply for payments.

While the average monthly benefit varies by gender and age, here are the average Social Security payments in every state, according to the Social Security Administration.

Overall total average payments for the state of Alabama:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,163,871
• Total benefits: $1,706,991,000
• Average total benefits: $1,467

Overall total average payments for the state of Alaska:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 110,006
• Total benefits: $162,824,000
• Average total benefits: $1,480

Overall total average payments for the state of Arizona:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,449,120
• Total benefits: $2,298,348,000
• Average total benefits: $1,586

Overall total average payments for the state of Arkansas:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 709,191
• Total benefits: $1,005,891,000
• Average total benefits: $1,418

Overall total average payments for the state of California:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 6,166,205
• Total benefits: $9,340,498,000
• Average total benefits: $1,515

Overall total average payments for the state of Colorado:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 925,084
• Total benefits: $1,467,937,000
• Average total benefits: $1,587

Overall total average payments for the state of Connecticut:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 699,597
• Total benefits: $1,193,327,000
• Average total benefits: $1,706

Overall total average payments for the state of Delaware:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 229,047
• Total benefits: $387,905,000
• Average total benefits: $1,694

Overall total average payments for the state of Florida:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 4,909,642
• Total benefits: $7,577,221,000
• Average total benefits: $1,543

Overall total average payments for the state of Georgia:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,918,848
• Total benefits: $2,869,160,000
• Average total benefits: $1,495

Overall total average payments for the state of Hawaii:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 286,863
• Total benefits: $449,099,000
• Average total benefits: $1,566

Overall total average payments for the state of Idaho:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 377,904
• Total benefits: $574,812,000
• Average total benefits: $1,521

Overall total average payments for the state of Illinois:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 2,271,926
• Total benefits: $3,564,381,000
• Average total benefits: $1,569

Overall total average payments for the state of Indiana:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,388,573
• Total benefits: $2,189,729,000
• Average total benefits: $1,577

Overall total average payments for the state of Iowa:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 668,984
• Total benefits: $1,039,410,000
• Average total benefits: $1,554

Overall total average payments for the state of Kansas:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 573,476
• Total benefits: $910,400,000
• Average total benefits: $1,588

Overall total average payments for the state of Kentucky:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,010,012  
• Total benefits: $1,438,656,000
• Average total benefits: $1,424

Overall total average payments for the state of Louisiana:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 924,881
• Total benefits: $1,287,133,000
• Average total benefits: $1,392

Overall total average payments for the state of Maine:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 359,152
• Total benefits: $521,038,000
• Average total benefits: $1,451

Overall total average payments for the state of Maryland:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,038,041
• Total benefits: $1,710,224,000
• Average total benefits: $1,648

Overall total average payments for the state of Massachusetts:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,295,088
• Total benefits: $2,061,173,000
• Average total benefits: $1,592

Overall total average payments for the state of Michigan:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 2,253,295
• Total benefits: $3,611,694,000
• Average total benefits: $1,603

Overall total average payments for the state of Minnesota:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,082,519
• Total benefits: $1,756,202,000
• Average total benefits: $1,622

Overall total average payments for the state of Mississippi:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 681,844
• Total benefits: $951,295,000
• Average total benefits: $1,395

Overall total average payments for the state of Missouri:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,329,084
• Total benefits: $1,990,464,000
• Average total benefits: $1,498

Overall total average payments for the state of Montana:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 248,513
• Total benefits: $368,099,000
• Average total benefits: $1,481

Overall total average payments for the state of Nebraska:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 360,240
• Total benefits: $559,398,000
• Average total benefits: $1,553

Overall total average payments for the state of Nevada:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 571,841
• Total benefits: $872,772,000
• Average total benefits: $1,526

Overall total average payments for the state of New Hampshire:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 321,925
• Total benefits: $534,012,000
• Average total benefits: $1,659

Overall total average payments for the state of New Jersey:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,652,973
• Total benefits: $2,823,697,000
• Average total benefits: $1,708

Overall total average payments for the state of New Mexico:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 455,414
• Total benefits: $655,876,000
• Average total benefits: $1,440

Overall total average payments for the state of New York:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 3,680,521
• Total benefits: $5,804,433,000
• Average total benefits: $1,577

Overall total average payments for the state of North Carolina:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 2,202,898
• Total benefits: $3,388,657,000
• Average total benefits: $1,538

Overall total average payments for the state of North Dakota:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 140,668
• Total benefits: $211,034,000
• Average total benefits: $1,500

Overall total average payments for the state of Ohio:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 2,409,265
• Total benefits: $3,596,930,000
• Average total benefits: $1,493

Overall total average payments for the state of Oklahoma:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 813,941
• Total benefits: $1,204,224,000
• Average total benefits: $1,480

Overall total average payments for the state of Oregon:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 910,086
• Total benefits: $1,420,319,000
• Average total benefits: $1,561

Overall total average payments for the state of Pennsylvania:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 2,878,165
• Total benefits: $4,573,216,000
• Average total benefits: $1,589

Overall total average payments for the state of Rhode Island:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 230,763
• Total benefits: $362,689,000
• Average total benefits: $1,572

Overall total average payments for the state of South Carolina:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,215,646
• Total benefits: $1,886,729,000
• Average total benefits: $1,552

Overall total average payments for the state of South Dakota:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 189,232
• Total benefits: $283,326,000
• Average total benefits: $1,497

Overall total average payments for the state of Tennessee:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,503,361
• Total benefits: $2,257,993,000
• Average total benefits: $1,502

Overall total average payments for the state of Texas:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 4,475,805
• Total benefits: $6,664,498,000
• Average total benefits: $1,489

Overall total average payments for the state of Utah:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 438,581
• Total benefits: $693,526,000
• Average total benefits: $1,581

Overall total average payments for the state of Vermont:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 157,587
• Total benefits: $245,387,000
• Average total benefits: $1,557

Overall total average payments for the state of Virginia:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,598,078
• Total benefits: $2,538,995,000
• Average total benefits: $1,589

Overall total average payments for the state of Washington:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,413,306
• Total benefits: $2,303,623,000
• Average total benefits: $1,630

Overall total average payments for the state of West Virginia:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 475,824
• Total benefits: $692,161,000
• Average total benefits: $1,455

Overall total average payments for the state of Wisconsin:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 1,289,260
• Total benefits: $2,046,456,000
• Average total benefits: $1,587

Overall total average payments for the state of Wyoming:

• Total number of beneficiaries: 120,816
• Total benefits: $192,021,000
• Average total benefits: $1,589

GOBankingRates found the average Social Security payment in every state by looking at the Social Security Administration’s “OASDI Beneficiaries by State and County, 2021”. For each state, GOBankingRates found overall total average payment, retired workers average payment and disabled workers average payment. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 23, 2024.