How Big Is the Average Social Security Check in California?
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Daria Uhlig
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California might be losing some of its residents to less expensive places, but it’s still the most populous state in the U.S. by a wide margin, with roughly 8 million more residents than No. 2 Texas. California is also home to the most Social Security recipients in the country, though it doesn’t have the highest average Social Security check.
As of December 2022, more than 6.2 million Social Security beneficiaries lived in California, according to the Social Security Administration. That put it well ahead of No. 2 Florida (about 5 billion) and No. 3 Texas (4.6 billion).
Social Security recipients in California were paid a total of $10.44 billion in Social Security benefits at the end of 2022, which is the latest data available. Based on the number of recipients in the Golden State, the average Social Security check there was about $1,670 a month in December 2022.
In contrast, the average check in Florida was about $1,703 and the average in Texas was $1,642. The average Social Security check nationwide was $1,688.35 a month in December 2022, according to the SSA, which put California a bit below average.
In 2023, Social Security recipients everywhere got an 8.7% cost-of-living adjustment, which was the highest in more than four decades due to skyrocketing inflation. An 8.7% COLA would have pushed California’s average last year up to around $1,815 a month. However, you have to keep in mind that averages change every month due to new recipients joining Social Security and others leaving the program.
The COLA this year is 3.2%, which presumably would have pushed the California average up to about $1,873 a month. But that’s probably not what happened. The average Social Security payment nationwide was $1,770.71 as of January 2024, the SSA reported, which means California’s average is likely closer to that figure.
Another thing to keep in mind is that the average Social Security check and the average Social Security retirement check are not the same. The former also includes recipients who get Supplemental Security Income benefits and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. That’s why the average retirement benefit is usually higher than the average overall benefit. In January 2024, the average retirement benefit was $1,860.23 nationwide — about $90 higher than the overall average.
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