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.
Alabama
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
Alaska
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
Arizona
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
Arkansas
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
California
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
Colorado
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
Connecticut
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
Delaware
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
Florida
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
Georgia
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
Hawaii
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
Idaho
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
Illinois
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
Indiana
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
Iowa
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
Kansas
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
Kentucky
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
Louisiana
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
Maine
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
Maryland
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
Massachusetts
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
Michigan
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
Minnesota
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
Mississippi
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
Missouri
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
Montana
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
Nebraska
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
Nevada
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
New Hampshire
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
New Jersey
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
New Mexico
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
New York
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
North Carolina
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
North Dakota
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
Ohio
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
Oklahoma
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
Oregon
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
Pennsylvania
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
Rhode Island
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
South Carolina
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
South Dakota
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
Tennessee
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
Texas
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
Utah
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
Vermont
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
Virginia
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
Washington
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
West Virginia
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
Wisconsin
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
Wyoming
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.
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