10 States That Receive the Most Social Security

Does Florida, California, New York or Texas receive the most?

By John Csiszar Jun 25, 2022 Social Security 101

Social Security benefits are paid out through a complex formula that factors in how much a taxpayer earned during their working career and at which age they file for benefits. When taken en masse, the average Social Security retirement payout for all retired workers as of January 2022 was $1,657, but the maximum possible benefit reached $4,194.

See: 10 Reasons You Should Claim Social Security Early
Check Out: 13 Best Places on the West Coast for Couples To Live on Only a Social Security Check

To determine which states received the most Social Security, GOBankingRates accessed data from the Social Security Administration regarding the total benefits paid by state, along with the number of Social Security beneficiaries in each state. For purposes of this analysis, only Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance, or OASDI, was included. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) was not considered. States are ranked in reverse order, with the state receiving the most Social Security ranked No. 1. Take a look at the 10 states that receive the most.

Retire Comfortably

10. Georgia

Total Social Security Received: $2.65 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 1,902,790

POLL: Have You Skipped Any of These Essential Expenses Due to Rising Prices?

9. North Carolina

Total Social Security Received: $3.12 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 2,183,353

8. Illinois

Total Social Security Received: $3.32 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 2,274,372

7. Michigan

Total Social Security Received: $3.36 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 2,250,141

6. Ohio

Total Social Security Received: $3.34 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 2,405,217

5. Pennsylvania

Total Social Security Received: $4.25 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 2,877,728

See: 15 Cheap, Beautiful Places To Retire

4. New York

Total Social Security Received: $5.40 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 3,680,264

3. Texas

Total Social Security Received: $6.11 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 4,421,803

2. Florida

Total Social Security Received: $6.94 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 4,840,275

1. California

Total Social Security Received: $8.66 billion
Total Number of Recipients: 6,150,009

More From GOBankingRates

About the Author

John Csiszar

After earning a B.A. in English with a Specialization in Business from UCLA, John Csiszar worked in the financial services industry as a registered representative for 18 years. Along the way, Csiszar earned both Certified Financial Planner and Registered Investment Adviser designations, in addition to being licensed as a life agent, while working for both a major Wall Street wirehouse and for his own investment advisory firm. During his time as an advisor, Csiszar managed over $100 million in client assets while providing individualized investment plans for hundreds of clients.