Living on Social Security alone can be financially challenging, but many retirees and people with disabilities do it every day. They budget carefully, find clever ways to save money and enroll in assistance programs designed to help people make ends meet, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Sometimes, they also move to lower-cost-of-living areas to stretch their dollars further or aim for a higher-than-average payment.
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It’s possible to beat the average Social Security benefit. Those who generally work longer careers — strategically increase their earnings over time — and wait as long as possible to apply for payments.
While the average monthly benefit varies by gender and age, here are the average Social Security payments in every state, according to the Social Security Administration.
Alabama
Overall total average payments for the state of Alabama:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,163,871
Total benefits: $1,706,991,000
Average total benefits: $1,467
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Alaska
Overall total average payments for the state of Alaska:
Total number of beneficiaries: 110,006
Total benefits: $162,824,000
Average total benefits: $1,480
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Arizona
Overall total average payments for the state of Arizona:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,449,120
Total benefits: $2,298,348,000
Average total benefits: $1,586
Arkansas
Overall total average payments for the state of Arkansas:
Total number of beneficiaries: 709,191
Total benefits: $1,005,891,000
Average total benefits: $1,418
California
Overall total average payments for the state of California:
Total number of beneficiaries: 6,166,205
Total benefits: $9,340,498,000
Average total benefits: $1,515
Colorado
Overall total average payments for the state of Colorado:
Total number of beneficiaries: 925,084
Total benefits: $1,467,937,000
Average total benefits: $1,587
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Connecticut
Overall total average payments for the state of Connecticut:
Total number of beneficiaries: 699,597
Total benefits: $1,193,327,000
Average total benefits: $1,706
Delaware
Overall total average payments for the state of Delaware:
Total number of beneficiaries: 229,047
Total benefits: $387,905,000
Average total benefits: $1,694
District of Columbia
Overall total average payments for Washington, D.C.:
Total number of beneficiaries: 83,228
Total benefits: $124,676,000
Average total benefits: $1,498
Florida
Overall total average payments for the state of Florida:
Total number of beneficiaries: 4,909,642
Total benefits: $7,577,221,000
Average total benefits: $1,543
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Georgia
Overall total average payments for the state of Georgia:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,918,848
Total benefits: $2,869,160,000
Average total benefits: $1,495
Hawaii
Overall total average payments for the state of Hawaii:
Total number of beneficiaries: 286,863
Total benefits: $449,099,000
Average total benefits: $1,566
Idaho
Overall total average payments for the state of Idaho:
Total number of beneficiaries: 377,904
Total benefits: $574,812,000
Average total benefits: $1,521
Illinois
Overall total average payments for the state of Illinois:
Total number of beneficiaries: 2,271,926
Total benefits: $3,564,381,000
Average total benefits: $1,569
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Indiana
Overall total average payments for the state of Indiana:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,388,573
Total benefits: $2,189,729,000
Average total benefits: $1,577
Iowa
Overall total average payments for the state of Iowa:
Total number of beneficiaries: 668,984
Total benefits: $1,039,410,000
Average total benefits: $1,554
Kansas
Overall total average payments for the state of Kansas:
Total number of beneficiaries: 573,476
Total benefits: $910,400,000
Average total benefits: $1,588
Kentucky
Overall total average payments for the state of Kentucky:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,010,012
Total benefits: $1,438,656,000
Average total benefits: $1,424
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Louisiana
Overall total average payments for the state of Louisiana:
Total number of beneficiaries: 924,881
Total benefits: $1,287,133,000
Average total benefits: $1,392
Maine
Overall total average payments for the state of Maine:
Total number of beneficiaries: 359,152
Total benefits: $521,038,000
Average total benefits: $1,451
Maryland
Overall total average payments for the state of Maryland:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,038,041
Total benefits: $1,710,224,000
Average total benefits: $1,648
Massachusetts
Overall total average payments for the state of Massachusetts:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,295,088
Total benefits: $2,061,173,000
Average total benefits: $1,592
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Michigan
Overall total average payments for the state of Michigan:
Total number of beneficiaries: 2,253,295
Total benefits: $3,611,694,000
Average total benefits: $1,603
Minnesota
Overall total average payments for the state of Minnesota:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,082,519
Total benefits: $1,756,202,000
Average total benefits: $1,622
Mississippi
Overall total average payments for the state of Mississippi:
Total number of beneficiaries: 681,844
Total benefits: $951,295,000
Average total benefits: $1,395
Missouri
Overall total average payments for the state of Missouri:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,329,084
Total benefits: $1,990,464,000
Average total benefits: $1,498
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Montana
Overall total average payments for the state of Montana:
Total number of beneficiaries: 248,513
Total benefits: $368,099,000
Average total benefits: $1,481
Nebraska
Overall total average payments for the state of Nebraska:
Total number of beneficiaries: 360,240
Total benefits: $559,398,000
Average total benefits: $1,553
Nevada
Overall total average payments for the state of Nevada:
Total number of beneficiaries: 571,841
Total benefits: $872,772,000
Average total benefits: $1,526
New Hampshire
Overall total average payments for the state of New Hampshire:
Total number of beneficiaries: 321,925
Total benefits: $534,012,000
Average total benefits: $1,659
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New Jersey
Overall total average payments for the state of New Jersey:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,652,973
Total benefits: $2,823,697,000
Average total benefits: $1,708
New Mexico
Overall total average payments for the state of New Mexico:
Total number of beneficiaries: 455,414
Total benefits: $655,876,000
Average total benefits: $1,440
New York
Overall total average payments for the state of New York:
Total number of beneficiaries: 3,680,521
Total benefits: $5,804,433,000
Average total benefits: $1,577
North Carolina
Overall total average payments for the state of North Carolina:
Total number of beneficiaries: 2,202,898
Total benefits: $3,388,657,000
Average total benefits: $1,538
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North Dakota
Overall total average payments for the state of North Dakota:
Total number of beneficiaries: 140,668
Total benefits: $211,034,000
Average total benefits: $1,500
Ohio
Overall total average payments for the state of Ohio:
Total number of beneficiaries: 2,409,265
Total benefits: $3,596,930,000
Average total benefits: $1,493
Oklahoma
Overall total average payments for the state of Oklahoma:
Total number of beneficiaries: 813,941
Total benefits: $1,204,224,000
Average total benefits: $1,480
Oregon
Overall total average payments for the state of Oregon:
Total number of beneficiaries: 910,086
Total benefits: $1,420,319,000
Average total benefits: $1,561
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Pennsylvania
Overall total average payments for the state of Pennsylvania:
Total number of beneficiaries: 2,878,165
Total benefits: $4,573,216,000
Average total benefits: $1,589
Rhode Island
Overall total average payments for the state of Rhode Island:
Total number of beneficiaries: 230,763
Total benefits: $362,689,000
Average total benefits: $1,572
South Carolina
Overall total average payments for the state of South Carolina:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,215,646
Total benefits: $1,886,729,000
Average total benefits: $1,552
South Dakota
Overall total average payments for the state of South Dakota:
Total number of beneficiaries: 189,232
Total benefits: $283,326,000
Average total benefits: $1,497
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Tennessee
Overall total average payments for the state of Tennessee:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,503,361
Total benefits: $2,257,993,000
Average total benefits: $1,502
Texas
Overall total average payments for the state of Texas:
Total number of beneficiaries: 4,475,805
Total benefits: $6,664,498,000
Average total benefits: $1,489
Utah
Overall total average payments for the state of Utah:
Total number of beneficiaries: 438,581
Total benefits: $693,526,000
Average total benefits: $1,581
Vermont
Overall total average payments for the state of Vermont:
Total number of beneficiaries: 157,587
Total benefits: $245,387,000
Average total benefits: $1,557
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Virginia
Overall total average payments for the state of Virginia:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,598,078
Total benefits: $2,538,995,000
Average total benefits: $1,589
Washington
Overall total average payments for the state of Washington:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,413,306
Total benefits: $2,303,623,000
Average total benefits: $1,630
West Virginia
Overall total average payments for the state of West Virginia:
Total number of beneficiaries: 475,824
Total benefits: $692,161,000
Average total benefits: $1,455
Wisconsin
Overall total average payments for the state of Wisconsin:
Total number of beneficiaries: 1,289,260
Total benefits: $2,046,456,000
Average total benefits: $1,587
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Wyoming
Overall total average payments for the state of Wyoming:
Total number of beneficiaries: 120,816
Total benefits: $192,021,000
Average total benefits: $1,589
GOBankingRates found the average Social Security payment in every state by looking at the Social Security Administration’s “OASDI Beneficiaries by State and County, 2021”. For each state, GOBankingRates found (1) overall total average payment; (2) retired workers average payment; and (3) disabled workers average payment. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 6, 2024.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: This Is the Average Social Security Payment in Every State
