How Long You Could Last on Nothing but Social Security in 25 Major Cities

Could you make it through one month on just a Social Security check?

If you live in a major American city, the answer is probably no. In some cases, you would fall thousands of dollars short of covering housing and basic living expenses. And if you’re single and living in the most expensive cities, that Social Security check might not even last one week.

Married couples fare better, according to a recently released analysis by GOBankingRates. That’s because the cost of living in the study is calculated by household. Still, married couples in major U.S. cities would fall short of covering basic expenses through Social Security.

To provide a sense of how many days into the month you might last, GOBankingRates has crunched numbers for the 25 most populous U.S. cities. The analysis factors in data from the U.S. Census, Sperling’s BestPlaces, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Zillow, the Federal Reserve and the Social Security Administration.

Read on for a rundown. For each city, we’ve included the percentage of the population aged 65 and older, the number of days Social Security will last on average for single and married people, the additional amount each would need to get by, the average monthly cost of living, and average monthly expenditures minus housing.

• % of population 65+: 13.3%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 20.1 days
  • How much more you need: $1,034
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 29.6 days
  • How much more you need: $79
• Monthly cost of living: $3,043
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,898

Among the 25 largest U.S. cities, Oklahoma’s capital is where your Social Security check will go the furthest — for both single and married folks. Oklahoma City has the lowest average monthly mortgage, the lowest non-housing living expenses, and the lowest average value for a single-family home (about $206,000).

• % of population 65+: 13.9%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 19.9 days
  • How much more you need: $1,063
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 29.4 days
  • How much more you need: $108
• Monthly cost of living: $3,071
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,794

Married couples in El Paso would need about $100 more each month on top of Social Security to get by, according to GBR’s analysis. A single person would need $1,000 more. El Paso’s average expenditures minus housing are the lowest among the 25 largest U.S. cities.

• % of population 65+: 12.9%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 19.6 days
  • How much more you need: $1,105
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 29 days
  • How much more you need: $150
• Monthly cost of living: $3,113
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,815

An average single-family home in Indianapolis is worth about $234,000. Indy’s average monthly mortgage, just under $1,300, is the fourth lowest in GBR’s list.

• % of population 65+: 13.1%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 18.9 days
  • How much more you need: $1,218
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 27.9 days
  • How much more you need: $263
• Monthly cost of living: $3,227
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,826

One of nine U.S. cities with a population over one million, San Antonio has an average total cost of living around $3,200 a month. That’s the fourth lowest among the 25 largest U.S. cities.

• % of population 65+: 11.0%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 18.6 days
  • How much more you need: $1,280
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 27.4 days
  • How much more you need: $325
• Monthly cost of living: $3,288
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,809

Ohio’s capital has the third-lowest percentage of retirement-age residents among the cities listed. Average monthly expenditures minus housing here are second lowest, behind only El Paso.

• % of population 65+: 14.4%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 18.1 days
  • How much more you need: $1,376
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 26.6 days
  • How much more you need: $421
• Monthly cost of living: $3,384
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,130

A single person living on Social Security alone in Philly would need about $2,100 more each month just to get by. That’s despite relatively low mortgage costs here — only $1,255 a month.

• % of population 65+: 12.0%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 17.8 days
  • How much more you need: $1,425
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 26.3 days
  • How much more you need: $470
• Monthly cost of living: $3,433
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,933

Married couples in Houston would need around $500 more than just Social Security to make ends meet each month. Houston is America’s fourth most populous city, with about 2.3 million residents.

• % of population 65+: 14.7%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 17.1 days
  • How much more you need: $1,562
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 25.2 days
  • How much more you need: $607
• Monthly cost of living: $3,570
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,924

Jacksonville has the highest AreaVibes livability score among the 25 largest U.S. cities (84). You also could get fairly deep into the month here on Social Security alone, particularly if you’re married.

• % of population 65+: 10.5%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 16.9 days
  • How much more you need: $1,603
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 25 days
  • How much more you need: $648
• Monthly cost of living: $3,611
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,957

Among the 25 largest U.S. cities, Fort Worth has the second-lowest percentage of residents age 65 and up. Single-family homes here are worth just shy of $300,000 on average.

• % of population 65+: 13.6%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 16.5 days
  • How much more you need: $1,696
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 24.3 days
  • How much more you need: $741
• Monthly cost of living: $3,704
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,974

The Windy City has roughly 2.7 million residents, nearly 14 percent of whom are age 65 and up. The average cost of a monthly mortgage in Chicago these days is $1,730.

• % of population 65+: 11.4%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 16.3 days
  • How much more you need: $1,735
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 24.1 days
  • How much more you need: $781
• Monthly cost of living: $3,744
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,964

You can get by in Dallas spending less than $4,000 on housing and basic expenses, but Social Security alone won’t cut it. Married couples would need an additional $780 each month, and a single person would need another $1,700.

• % of population 65+: 10.8%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 14.8 days
  • How much more you need: $2,116
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 21.9 days
  • How much more you need: $1,161
• Monthly cost of living: $4,124
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,865

Charlotte has the third-lowest percentage of residents age 65+ among the cities listed. With an AreaVibes livability score of 80, it is one of 10 cities in the list to match or top that mark.

• % of population 65+: 11.9%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 14.4 days
  • How much more you need: $2,246.48
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 21.2 days
  • How much more you need: $1,291.55
• Monthly cost of living: $4,254.79
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,927.51

A single person in Phoenix could make it a couple of weeks on Social Security alone. Married couples could make it about thee weeks. Total living expenses here pencil out to around $4,200 each month.

• % of population 65+: 12.5%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 13.8 days
  • How much more you need: $2,405
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 20.4 days
  • How much more you need: $1,450
• Monthly cost of living: $4,414
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,912

The average single-family home in Nashville is worth around $450,000. The average monthly mortgage comes in around $2,500.

• % of population 65+: 15.6%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 13.5 days
  • How much more you need: $2,515
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 19.9 days
  • How much more you need: $1,560
• Monthly cost of living: $4,523
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,999

Las Vegas has the third-highest percentage of residents age 65+ among cities in this list. The average single-family home in Vegas is worth about $455,000.

• % of population 65+: 10.1%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 12.5 days
  • How much more you need: $2,882
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 18.4 days
  • How much more you need: $1,927
• Monthly cost of living: $4,890
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,945

The capital of Texas has the lowest percentage of residents age 65+ among the 25 most populous U.S. cities. The average value of a single-family home in Austin comes in around $530,000.

• % of population 65+: 12.3%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 11.9 days
  • How much more you need: $3,107
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 17.6 days
  • How much more you need: $2,152
• Monthly cost of living: $5,115
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,903

Among the 25 largest cities, Denver lands in the middle of the pack for most of the statistics tracked in this study. The average monthly mortgage here comes in around $3,200.

• % of population 65+: 12.7%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 9.8 days
  • How much more you need: $4,214
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 14.5 days
  • How much more you need: $3,259
• Monthly cost of living: $6,222
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,160

The average monthly mortgage in the nation’s capital will run you about $4,000 these days. Single-family homes here are worth around $730,000 on average.

• % of population 65+: 12.7%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 9.2 days
  • How much more you need: $4,634
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 13.6 days
  • How much more you need: $3,679
• Monthly cost of living: $6,642
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,120

Married couples in Boston could make it nearly two weeks on just Social Security. Single people would have a tough time making it 10 days. Housing here is more expensive than many of the cities in the list, with single-family homes worth $814,000 on average.

• % of population 65+: 12.8%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 8.6 days
  • How much more you need: $5,060
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 12.8 days
  • How much more you need: $4,105
• Monthly cost of living: $7,068
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $1,942

Even married couples wouldn’t last two weeks on Social Security alone, according to GBR’s analysis. Combined total living expenses in Seattle top $7,000 a month on average.

• % of population 65+: 16.0%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 8.3 days
  • How much more you need: $5,369
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 12.2 days
  • How much more you need: $4,414
• Monthly cost of living: $7,377
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,685

Among the 25 most populous cities, New York has the second-highest percentage of residents age 65 and up. The Big Apple has the largest overall population of any U.S. city, about 8.5 million.

• % of population 65+: 13.8%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 8.0 days
  • How much more you need: $5,670
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 11.7 days
  • How much more you need: $4,715
• Monthly cost of living: $7,67
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,117

Los Angeles is well established as a pricey place, but its livability score from AreaVibes (67) is the lowest among the 25 largest cities. The average cost of a monthly mortgage in Los Angeles comes in around $5,600.

• % of population 65+: 14.2%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 7.4 days
  • How much more you need: $6,213
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 11 days
  • How much more you need: $5,258
• Monthly cost of living: $8,221
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,010

San Diego’s average mortgage will set you back about $8,200 each month, which means your Social Security check will be gobbled up quickly. The average single-family home here is worth around $1.1 million.

• % of population 65+: 17.2%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 6.1 days
  • How much more you need: $7,958
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 9 days
  • How much more you need: $7,003
• Monthly cost of living: $9,966
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,344

The famously expensive City by the Bay has the highest percentage of retirees among the 25 largest U.S. cities. San Francisco’s household median income of $141,446 is the second highest in GBR’s list. But the cost of living is so high, a single person relying on Social Security alone would make it only about six days.

• % of population 65+: 14.1%
• How long Social Security lasts a single person each month: 5.8 days
  • How much more you need: $8,470
• How long Social Security lasts a couple each month: 8.6 days
  • How much more you need: $7,515
• Monthly cost of living: $10,479
• Monthly expenditures (minus housing): $2,249

On their own, Social Security checks vanish more quickly for married couples in San Jose than in any other city in the top 25. San Jose’s median household income ($141,565) barely beats out San Francisco for the top spot. Average housing costs in San Jose are the biggest reason for the high cost of living, coming in at more than $8,000 a month.

Methodology: The U.S. Census American Community Survey provided demographic and economic data, including total population, number of residents age 65 and older, total households and median household income. Cost-of-living indexes were sourced from Sperling’s BestPlaces. Average expenditure estimates for retired households came from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Expenditure Survey, allowing for city-specific spending calculations. Housing costs were based on average single-family home values from the Zillow Home Value Index. Assuming a 10% down payment and the national 30-year fixed mortgage rate (sourced from Federal Reserve Economic Data), average monthly mortgage payments were estimated for each city. By combining housing and other essential expenses, the study calculated the total cost of living for basic necessities. Social Security income figures — for individuals and married couples filing jointly — were drawn from the Social Security Administration’s Monthly Statistical Snapshot. All data is current as of Oct. 23, 2025.