10 Best Places to Retire on Social Security Alone
By Emily Brandon
Stretching Social Security Payments
The average Social Security benefit for retired workers was $1,294 a month at the end of 2013. A couple who each brought in this amount would have $31,056 in annual Social Security benefits. How far that amount goes largely depends on where you live. U.S. News Money analyzed Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data to determine that a couple age 65 and older could cover their basic expenses, including typical costs for housing, food, utilities, transportation and health care, with their Social Security income in these cities:
