Average Social Security Benefit by State (2026)
By Wealthvieu
·
Updated
Social Security provides the majority of retirement income for most Americans. Here’s exactly what people receive by state, age, and situation.
Table of Contents
Average Social Security Benefit (2026)
| Beneficiary Type |
Monthly Benefit |
Annual Benefit |
| Retired workers (average) |
$1,976 |
$23,712 |
| Retired workers (maximum at 67) |
$3,822 |
$45,864 |
| Retired workers (maximum at 70) |
$4,873 |
$58,476 |
| Couples (both receiving) |
$3,326 |
$39,912 |
| Disabled workers |
$1,537 |
$18,444 |
| Widow(er)s |
$1,773 |
$21,276 |
| Spouse benefits (non-working) |
$900 |
$10,800 |
| Children of retired/disabled |
$758 |
$9,096 |
| SSI (Supplemental Security Income) |
$943 |
$11,316 |
Average Social Security by State
| Rank |
State |
Avg. Monthly Benefit |
Avg. Annual Benefit |
vs. National Avg. |
| 1 |
New Jersey |
$2,228 |
$26,736 |
+13% |
| 2 |
Connecticut |
$2,215 |
$26,580 |
+12% |
| 3 |
New Hampshire |
$2,195 |
$26,340 |
+11% |
| 4 |
Maryland |
$2,180 |
$26,160 |
+10% |
| 5 |
Michigan |
$2,168 |
$26,016 |
+10% |
| 6 |
Washington |
$2,155 |
$25,860 |
+9% |
| 7 |
Massachusetts |
$2,142 |
$25,704 |
+8% |
| 8 |
Minnesota |
$2,130 |
$25,560 |
+8% |
| 9 |
Delaware |
$2,118 |
$25,416 |
+7% |
| 10 |
Indiana |
$2,105 |
$25,260 |
+7% |
| 11 |
Pennsylvania |
$2,092 |
$25,104 |
+6% |
| 12 |
Ohio |
$2,082 |
$24,984 |
+5% |
| 13 |
Virginia |
$2,070 |
$24,840 |
+5% |
| 14 |
Illinois |
$2,058 |
$24,696 |
+4% |
| 15 |
Wisconsin |
$2,045 |
$24,540 |
+3% |
| — |
National Average |
$1,976 |
$23,712 |
Baseline |
| 36 |
New Mexico |
$1,890 |
$22,680 |
-4% |
| 37 |
Montana |
$1,880 |
$22,560 |
-5% |
| 38 |
South Dakota |
$1,870 |
$22,440 |
-5% |
| 39 |
West Virginia |
$1,860 |
$22,320 |
-6% |
| 40 |
Idaho |
$1,850 |
$22,200 |
-6% |
| 41 |
North Dakota |
$1,840 |
$22,080 |
-7% |
| 42 |
Kentucky |
$1,830 |
$21,960 |
-7% |
| 43 |
Alabama |
$1,820 |
$21,840 |
-8% |
| 44 |
Oklahoma |
$1,810 |
$21,720 |
-8% |
| 45 |
South Carolina |
$1,800 |
$21,600 |
-9% |
| 46 |
Maine |
$1,790 |
$21,480 |
-9% |
| 47 |
Arkansas |
$1,780 |
$21,360 |
-10% |
| 48 |
Louisiana |
$1,770 |
$21,240 |
-10% |
| 49 |
Hawaii |
$1,760 |
$21,120 |
-11% |
| 50 |
Mississippi |
$1,685 |
$20,220 |
-15% |
Social Security Benefit by Claiming Age
| Claiming Age |
% of Full Benefit |
Monthly Benefit (Avg. Earner) |
Lifetime Total (Live to 85) |
| 62 |
70% |
$1,383 |
$382,068 |
| 63 |
75% |
$1,482 |
$390,288 |
| 64 |
80% |
$1,581 |
$398,412 |
| 65 |
86.7% |
$1,713 |
$411,120 |
| 66 |
93.3% |
$1,844 |
$420,432 |
| 67 (FRA) |
100% |
$1,976 |
$426,816 |
| 68 |
108% |
$2,134 |
$435,336 |
| 69 |
116% |
$2,292 |
$439,248 |
| 70 |
124% |
$2,450 |
$441,000 |
Delaying from 62 to 70 increases your monthly benefit by 77% and maximizes lifetime benefits if you live past 82.
Social Security Replacement Rate
How much of your pre-retirement income Social Security replaces:
| Pre-Retirement Annual Income |
Annual SS Benefit |
Replacement Rate |
| $30,000 |
$17,040 |
57% |
| $50,000 |
$21,600 |
43% |
| $75,000 |
$26,400 |
35% |
| $100,000 |
$30,000 |
30% |
| $150,000 |
$34,800 |
23% |
| $168,600+ (SS max taxable) |
$45,864 (max at FRA) |
27% or less |
Lower-income workers get a higher replacement rate. Higher earners need proportionally more savings.
Social Security Dependence by State
| State |
Retirees Relying on SS for 50%+ of Income |
Avg. Retirement Income (All Sources) |
| Mississippi |
72% |
$35,000 |
| West Virginia |
68% |
$38,000 |
| Arkansas |
67% |
$37,000 |
| Alabama |
65% |
$39,000 |
| Louisiana |
64% |
$40,000 |
| National Average |
50% |
$55,000 |
| Massachusetts |
35% |
$72,000 |
| New Jersey |
34% |
$75,000 |
| Hawaii |
33% |
$70,000 |
| Connecticut |
32% |
$78,000 |
| Maryland |
31% |
$76,000 |
Social Security Trust Fund Status
| Metric |
Value |
| Current trust fund balance (2025) |
~$2.7 trillion |
| Projected depletion year |
2033 |
| After depletion: benefit reduction |
77% of promised benefits payable |
| Annual shortfall (after depletion) |
~23% of benefits |
| Payroll tax rate (employee + employer) |
12.4% (6.2% each) |
| Income subject to SS tax |
Up to $168,600 (2025) |
| Workers per beneficiary (1960) |
5.1 |
| Workers per beneficiary (2024) |
2.7 |
| Workers per beneficiary (2035 projected) |
2.3 |
Proposed Fixes
| Proposal |
Projected Impact |
| Raise payroll tax to 14.8% |
Solves ~62% of shortfall |
| Remove cap on taxable earnings ($168,600) |
Solves ~70% of shortfall |
| Raise full retirement age to 69 |
Solves ~30% of shortfall |
| Reduce COLA by 0.5% annually |
Solves ~25% of shortfall |
| Means-test benefits (reduce for wealthy) |
Solves ~15% of shortfall |
| Combination of small changes |
Can close 100% of gap |
States That Tax Social Security
| Status |
States |
| No state income tax (SS not taxed) |
AK, FL, NV, NH, SD, TN, TX, WA, WY |
| Have income tax but exempt SS |
AL, AZ, AR, CA, DE, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, SC, VA, WI |
| Tax Social Security (some/all) |
CO, CT, KS, MN, MT, NE, NM, RI, UT, VT, WV |
Most states don’t tax Social Security. Only 11 states still tax some or all SS benefits (many with income-based exemptions).
How to Maximize Your Social Security
| Strategy |
Potential Impact |
| Work at least 35 years |
Avoid $0 years in calculation |
| Earn above SS cap in top 35 years |
Maximizes Average Indexed Monthly Earnings |
| Delay claiming to 70 |
+77% more than claiming at 62 |
| Spousal benefits (lower earner) |
Up to 50% of higher earner’s benefit |
| File and suspend strategy |
Coordinate for maximum couple benefit |
| Minimize SS taxes (keep income low) |
Up to 85% of SS can be taxed |
| Check your statement at ssa.gov |
Verify earnings history annually |
Related: Social Security Benefits | When to Claim Social Security | Average Retirement Savings | How Much to Retire
