How Far a Retired Couple’s Social Security Check Goes in Every State
Many Americans rely on Social Security as their primary — and sometimes only — source of income in retirement. How far this income goes varies greatly depending on where you live, as living costs range drastically from state to state.
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To determine how far a couple’s Social Security checks will go in every state, GOBankingRates assumed an annual Social Security income of $44,689, the average amount for two people. GOBankingRates then looked at the costs of necessities in each state, including rent, groceries, utilities, transportation and healthcare, to see how much of these costs a couple’s Social Security income would cover.
Here’s a look at how far a couple’s Social Security income would go in every state, ranked from the state where it goes the furthest to the state where it covers the smallest percentage of essential costs.
Arkansas
Annual necessities cost: $31,910
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 140%
Social Security income left over: $12,779
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Oklahoma
Annual necessities cost: $32,115
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 139.2%
Social Security income left over: $12,573
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South Dakota
Annual necessities cost: $33,816
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 132.2%
Social Security income left over: $10,873
Wyoming
Annual necessities cost: $34,260
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 130.4%
Social Security income left over: $10,429
North Dakota
Annual necessities cost: $34,566
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 129.3%
Social Security income left over: $10,123
Louisiana
Annual necessities cost: $34,657
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 129%
Social Security income left over: $10,032
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Kentucky
Annual necessities cost: $34,756
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 128.6%
Social Security income left over: $9,932
Missouri
Annual necessities cost: $34,840
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 128.3%
Social Security income left over: $9,849
Alabama
Annual necessities cost: $35,008
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 127.7%
Social Security income left over: $9,681
Iowa
Annual necessities cost: $35,040
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 127.5%
Social Security income left over: $9,649
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Nebraska
Annual necessities cost: $35,130
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 127.2%
Social Security income left over: $9,558
Mississippi
Annual necessities cost: $35,156
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 127.1%
Social Security income left over: $9,533
Kansas
Annual necessities cost: $35,182
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 127%
Social Security income left over: $9,507
West Virginia
Annual necessities cost: $35,656
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 125.3%
Social Security income left over: $9,033
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Indiana
Annual necessities cost: $36,037
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 124%
Social Security income left over: $8,652
Ohio
Annual necessities cost: $36,039
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 124%
Social Security income left over: $8,650
Michigan
Annual necessities cost: $36,197
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 123.5%
Social Security income left over: $8,492
New Mexico
Annual necessities cost: $36,840
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 121.3%
Social Security income left over: $7,848
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Tennessee
Annual necessities cost: $37,276
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 119.9%
Social Security income left over: $7,412
Texas
Annual necessities cost: $38,026
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 117.5%
Social Security income left over: $6,663
South Carolina
Annual necessities cost: $39,544
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 113%
Social Security income left over: $5,145
North Carolina
Annual necessities cost: $39,709
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 112.5%
Social Security income left over: $4,979
Minnesota
Annual necessities cost: $39,753
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 112.4%
Social Security income left over: $4,935
Nevada
Annual necessities cost: $39,800
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 112.3%
Social Security income left over: $4,889
Idaho
Annual necessities cost: $39,816
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 112.2%
Social Security income left over: $4,872
Georgia
Annual necessities cost: $39,844
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 112.2%
Social Security income left over: $4,845
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Wisconsin
Annual necessities cost: $39,938
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 111.9%
Social Security income left over: $4,750
Utah
Annual necessities cost: $40,172
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 111.2%
Social Security income left over: $4,517
Montana
Annual necessities cost: $40,322
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 110.8%
Social Security income left over: $4,366
Arizona
Annual necessities cost: $40,420
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 110.6%
Social Security income left over: $4,268
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Delaware
Annual necessities cost: $41,092
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 108.8%
Social Security income left over: $3,597
Pennsylvania
Annual necessities cost: $41,568
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 107.5%
Social Security income left over: $3,120
Illinois
Annual necessities cost: $43,100
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 103.7%
Social Security income left over: $1,588
Oregon
Annual necessities cost: $43,517
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover:102.7%
Social Security income left over: $1,172
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Maryland
Annual necessities cost: $43,716
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 102.2%
Social Security income left over: $973
Virginia
Annual necessities cost: $44,136
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 101.3%
Social Security income left over: $553
Colorado
Annual necessities cost: $44,146
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 101.2%
Social Security income left over: $543
Florida
Annual necessities cost: $44,287
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 100.9%
Social Security income left over: $402
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Maine
Annual necessities cost: $44,762
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 99.8%
Social Security income left over: $0
Rhode Island
Annual necessities cost: $46,237
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 96.7%
Social Security income left over: $0
Vermont
Annual necessities cost: $46,653
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 95.8%
Social Security income left over: $0
Connecticut
Annual necessities cost: $46,673
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 95.8%
Social Security income left over: $0
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Alaska
Annual necessities cost: $47,119
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 94.8%
Social Security income left over: $0
New Hampshire
Annual necessities cost: $48,110
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 92.9%
Social Security income left over: $0
Washington
Annual necessities cost: $48,137
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 92.8%
Social Security income left over: $0
New Jersey
Annual necessities cost: $49,004
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 91.2%
Social Security income left over: $0
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New York
Annual necessities cost: $54,248
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 82.4%
Social Security income left over: $0
California
Annual necessities cost: $55,505
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 80.5%
Social Security income left over: $0
Massachusetts
Annual necessities cost: $57,612
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 77.6%
Social Security income left over: $0
Hawaii
Annual necessities cost: $58,106
Percent of necessities a couple’s Social Security income would cover: 76.9%
Social Security income left over: $0
Methodology: For this piece, GOBankingRates first found the average Social Security payment for a retiree ($1,862.03) as sourced from the Social Security Administration’s February 2024 snapshot. This figure was then factored out for an annual amount ($22,344.36) and then the annual Social Security for a couple ($44,688.72). With these figures in mind, GOBankingRates was able to find the following for each state: (1) annual rent, as sourced from RentCafe; (2) annual cost of groceries, (3) annual cost of utilities, (4) annual cost of transportation and (5) annual cost of healthcare, as sourced from the 2022 Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2022 Consumer Expenditure Survey for those 65+ and then factored by each state’s cost of living indices as sourced from the 2023 Cost of Living data series from the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center. Figures (1) – (5) were combined to calculate each state’s (6) annual necessities cost, which was then compared to the Social Security income for a couple ($44,688.72) to find each state’s (7) percent of annual necessities a couple on Social Security could cover and (8) Social Security income left over after necessities. All data was collected and up to date as of April 3, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Far a Retired Couple’s Social Security Check Goes in Every State