Social Security by State: Average Benefits, Ranked
All 50 states + DC, by average retired-worker benefit
| # | State | Retired workers | Avg benefit (Dec 2024) | Est. 2027 avg (+3.6%) | All beneficiaries | Benefits paid, 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut | 582,671 | $2,196 | $2,275 | 737,503 | $17.6B |
| 2 | New Jersey | 1,358,286 | $2,190 | $2,269 | 1,735,645 | $41.4B |
| 3 | New Hampshire | 265,404 | $2,183 | $2,262 | 343,052 | $8.0B |
| 4 | Delaware | 198,391 | $2,170 | $2,248 | 248,565 | $5.9B |
| 5 | Maryland | 856,554 | $2,139 | $2,216 | 1,092,693 | $25.4B |
| 6 | Washington | 1,173,685 | $2,099 | $2,175 | 1,485,645 | $33.9B |
| 7 | Minnesota | 918,937 | $2,095 | $2,170 | 1,152,818 | $26.2B |
| 8 | Massachusetts | 1,031,409 | $2,084 | $2,159 | 1,348,171 | $30.3B |
| 9 | Michigan | 1,736,413 | $2,066 | $2,140 | 2,339,826 | $52.6B |
| 10 | Utah | 358,396 | $2,065 | $2,139 | 471,696 | $10.5B |
| 11 | Virginia | 1,290,319 | $2,063 | $2,137 | 1,685,819 | $37.7B |
| 12 | Kansas | 461,786 | $2,055 | $2,129 | 599,566 | $13.4B |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 2,255,780 | $2,052 | $2,126 | 2,981,684 | $66.8B |
| 14 | Rhode Island | 183,329 | $2,049 | $2,123 | 241,323 | $5.3B |
| 15 | Vermont | 127,704 | $2,039 | $2,112 | 164,694 | $3.6B |
| 16 | Colorado | 791,895 | $2,036 | $2,109 | 987,075 | $21.9B |
| 17 | Indiana | 1,071,434 | $2,033 | $2,106 | 1,447,416 | $32.1B |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 1,077,180 | $2,027 | $2,100 | 1,365,446 | $30.2B |
| 19 | Wyoming | 102,068 | $2,023 | $2,096 | 129,564 | $2.9B |
| 20 | Arizona | 1,212,252 | $2,019 | $2,092 | 1,533,323 | $33.9B |
| 21 | New York | 2,908,411 | $2,018 | $2,091 | 3,838,030 | $84.2B |
| 22 | Nebraska | 295,551 | $2,010 | $2,082 | 378,332 | $8.3B |
| 23 | Illinois | 1,815,473 | $2,004 | $2,076 | 2,360,590 | $51.9B |
| 24 | District of Columbia | 64,753 | $2,000 | $2,072 | 85,682 | $1.8B |
| 25 | South Carolina | 985,737 | $1,996 | $2,068 | 1,297,829 | $28.2B |
| 26 | Iowa | 547,590 | $1,992 | $2,064 | 701,239 | $15.3B |
| 27 | Oregon | 747,785 | $1,989 | $2,061 | 943,032 | $20.6B |
| 28 | Hawaii | 250,578 | $1,980 | $2,051 | 302,577 | $6.6B |
| 29 | North Carolina | 1,768,974 | $1,980 | $2,051 | 2,329,477 | $50.1B |
| 30 | Florida | 4,063,202 | $1,961 | $2,032 | 5,161,992 | $111.2B |
| 31 | Tennessee | 1,135,346 | $1,958 | $2,028 | 1,564,675 | $33.3B |
| 32 | Idaho | 316,826 | $1,951 | $2,021 | 407,057 | $8.7B |
| 33 | Missouri | 1,014,276 | $1,936 | $2,006 | 1,380,814 | $29.2B |
| 34 | California | 5,120,435 | $1,935 | $2,005 | 6,544,000 | $137.9B |
| 35 | Texas | 3,546,829 | $1,932 | $2,002 | 4,802,392 | $100.8B |
| 36 | North Dakota | 117,304 | $1,928 | $1,997 | 150,098 | $3.2B |
| 37 | Georgia | 1,504,785 | $1,924 | $1,993 | 2,023,789 | $42.5B |
| 38 | Ohio | 1,833,512 | $1,922 | $1,991 | 2,507,421 | $52.9B |
| 39 | Oklahoma | 610,260 | $1,921 | $1,990 | 853,382 | $17.9B |
| 40 | Alabama | 822,825 | $1,920 | $1,989 | 1,193,685 | $24.9B |
| 41 | South Dakota | 161,231 | $1,919 | $1,988 | 201,259 | $4.2B |
| 42 | Alaska | 91,481 | $1,906 | $1,975 | 118,014 | $2.5B |
| 43 | Nevada | 480,128 | $1,906 | $1,975 | 607,411 | $12.8B |
| 44 | West Virginia | 319,489 | $1,898 | $1,966 | 479,424 | $10.0B |
| 45 | Maine | 283,387 | $1,888 | $1,956 | 375,793 | $7.7B |
| 46 | Montana | 210,371 | $1,886 | $1,954 | 264,264 | $5.5B |
| 47 | Kentucky | 698,981 | $1,865 | $1,932 | 1,036,142 | $21.1B |
| 48 | New Mexico | 355,954 | $1,865 | $1,932 | 476,894 | $9.7B |
| 49 | Arkansas | 501,220 | $1,852 | $1,919 | 726,942 | $14.7B |
| 50 | Louisiana | 636,891 | $1,818 | $1,883 | 953,188 | $19.1B |
| 51 | Mississippi | 482,049 | $1,814 | $1,879 | 699,697 | $13.9B |
Source: SSA Annual Statistical Supplement 2025, Tables 5.J1 (total benefits paid, 2024 estimate), 5.J2 (beneficiaries, Dec 2024) and 5.J4 (monthly benefits by type, Dec 2024). Each average = the state's total monthly retired-worker benefits divided by its retired-worker count. The 2027 column applies the 3.6% COLA to the December 2024 average and rounds — an estimate of the level, not an official figure.
What your state changes — and what it doesn't
Your benefit amount and your COLA are federal: computed from your earnings record, identical in every state, and fully portable when you move. Your state controls three things around it:
| State lever | Where it bites |
|---|---|
| State income tax on benefits | Only 8 states tax benefits in 2027 — CO, CT, MN, MT, NM, RI, UT, VT — and most exempt lower incomes |
| SSI state supplement | 44 states + DC add a supplement to federal SSI; 6 pay none; amounts and administrators differ — full dataset |
| Cost of living | The same check buys more in a low-cost state — the real reason averages mislead when comparing retirements across states |
Every state page on this site combines the three: the SSA's official average and counts for the state, its SSI supplement arrangement and verified standard amount, and its benefit-tax rule — for example California, Florida, Texas and New York.
Frequently asked questions
Which state has the highest average Social Security benefit?
Connecticut, at $2,196 a month for a retired worker (December 2024) — and the lowest is Mississippi at $1,814. The gap reflects lifetime earnings: states with higher career wages produce higher benefits, because the benefit formula replaces a percentage of your own earnings.
Why is the national average here ($1,975) lower than the SSA's $2,095?
Different snapshots. This table is built from the SSA's December 2024 state data (Annual Statistical Supplement 2025). The $2,095 figure is the SSA's estimated average for January 2027, after two more COLAs (2.8% for 2026 and 3.6% for 2027) and a year of new, higher-earning retirees entering the rolls. The state-to-state pattern barely moves between snapshots.
Does the state I live in change my COLA?
No. The COLA is a single national percentage — 3.6% for 2027 — applied to your own benefit wherever you live. What varies by state is everything around the federal check: whether the state taxes it, whether it adds an SSI supplement, and the average benefit level, which reflects local earnings history.
Why do average benefits differ so much between states?
Three reasons: career earnings (the formula replaces a share of your own wages, so high-wage states average higher), claiming age (states differ in how early people claim), and work history mix (including how many beneficiaries spent careers in uncovered or part-time work). The benefit itself is computed federally and is fully portable — moving states never changes your amount.
Data: Social Security Administration, Annual Statistical Supplement 2025 (§5.J). Averages are December 2024 snapshots; the SSA's current national average retired-worker benefit is $2,095 (January 2027 basis, before the 2027 COLA takes it to $2,170).