The Average Social Security Check in Every State

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The typical Social Security check by state varies significantly from one state to the next; however, state averages can be a bit misleading. They might be impacted by more than the general economic conditions and opportunities available in a particular state.

Retiree migration skews Social Security check averages in certain states.

For example, California, New York, Massachusetts and Illinois see a net exodus of retirees, while states preferred by retirees, such as Tennessee, Florida, Arizona, Texas and the Carolinas, see a net inflow, according to the National Movers Study.

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The South accounts for eight of the top 11 states for net migration interest, in comparison with the West and Northeast, where most of the top 10 states that Americans are looking to leave are concentrated.

Although most retirees are in pursuit of a lower cost of living, the well-heeled are more likely to have the income and assets to move and re-establish themselves somewhere new in retirement. This population shift can increase the average check amount in destination states and lower it in states that lose financially mobile retirees.

Social Security benefits are based on your lifetime income and the age at which you claim your benefits. Ultimately, how much you get depends on the Social Security benefits formula.

The amount of your Social Security check is based on a primary insurance amount (PIA); it determines your benefit amount at full retirement age (FRA), which falls from ages 66 to 67, depending on the year you were born.

The age at which you begin to take your benefits can significantly reduce or increase your monthly check. If you retire early at age 62, your benefit will be reduced by 30%. However, taking Social Security at full retirement age (FRA) gives you 100% of your benefits. Delay Social Security after your FRA, and you'll get an extra 2/3 of 1% for each month you delay after your birthday month, adding up to 8% for each full year you wait until age 70.

In October 2025, the average monthly Social Security check for retired workers was $2012.30, an increase of $2.80 over September's average amount of $2,009.50. Let's look at the average Social Security checks across the country, according to the data from Table 5.J6 (PDF) included in the Annual Statistical Supplement, 2025.

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Average and median retiree benefit by state — from Alabama to Mississippi (12/2024)
State	Number of beneficiaries	Average benefit	Median benefit
All areas	51,772,651	$1,975.34	$1,915.00
Alabama	822,825	$1,920.20	$1,853.00
Alaska	91,481	$1,906.99	$1,795.00
Arizona	1,212,252	$2,019.52	$1,976.00
Arkansas	501,220	$1,852.07	$1,774.00
California	5,120,435	$1,935.16	$1,824.00
Colorado	791,895	$2,036.79	$1,969.00
Connecticut	582,671	$2,196.15	$2,159.00
Delaware	198,391	$2,170.63	$2,139.00
District of Columbia	64,753	$2,000.39	$1,764.90
Florida	4,063,202	$1,961.58	$1,899.00
Georgia	1,504,785	$1,924.43	$1,847.00
Hawaii	250,578	$1,980.89	$1,920.00
Idaho	316,826	$1,951.43	$1,892.10
Illinois	1,815,473	$2,004.98	$1,971.00
Indiana	1,071,434	$2,033.94	$2,016.00
Iowa	547,590	$1,992.07	$1,948.00
Kansas	461,786	$2,055.17	$1,997.00
Kentucky	698,981	$1,865.76	$1,806.00
Louisiana	636,891	$1,818.40	$1,726.00
Maine	283,387	$1,888.67	$1,809.00
Maryland	856,554	$2,139.54	$2,084.00
Massachusetts	1,031,409	$2,084.32	$2,021.90
Michigan	1,736,413	$2,066.03	$2,067.00
Minnesota	918,937	$2,095.13	$2,053.00
Mississippi	482,049	$1,814.24	$1,726.00

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Average and median retiree benefit by state — from Missouri to Wyoming (12/2024)
State	Number of beneficiaries	Average benefit	Median benefit
Missouri	1,014,276	$1,936.50	$1,883.00
Montana	210,371	$1,886.95	$1,815.00
Nebraska	295,551	$2,010.80	$1,947.00
Nevada	480,128	$1,906.36	$1,841.00
New Hampshire	265,404	$2,183.82	$2,121.00
New Jersey	1,358,286	$2,190.05	$2,172.00
New Mexico	355,954	$1,865.12	$1,753.00
New York	2,908,411	$2,018.22	$1,974.00
North Carolina	1,768,974	$1,980.01	$1,894.00
North Dakota	117,304	$1,928.53	$1,862.00
Ohio	1,833,512	$1,922.91	$1,912.00
Oklahoma	610,260	$1,921.69	$1,854.00
Oregon	747,785	$1,989.74	$1,931.00
Pennsylvania	2,255,780	$2,052.30	$2,012.00
Rhode Island	183,329	$2,049.82	$1,994.00
South Carolina	985,737	$1,996.30	$1,929.00
South Dakota	161,231	$1,919.29	$1,845.10
Tennessee	1,135,346	$1,958.01	$1,883.00
Texas	3,546,829	$1,932.02	$1,833.00
Utah	358,396	$2,065.18	$2,007.00
Vermont	127,704	$2,039.64	$1,954.$00
Virginia	1,290,319	$2,063.95	$1,978.00
Washington	1,173,685	$2,099.38	$2,061.00
West Virginia	319,489	$1,898.05	$1,861.00
Wisconsin	1,077,180	$2,027.60	$1,996.00
Wyoming	102,068	$2,023.54	$1,976.00

Connecticut wins for biggest check, but not by much

A map highlighting the state of Connecticut, along with borders and key states.

The states that receive the largest number of Social Security checks come as no surprise: California (5,120,435); Florida (4,063,202); Texas (3,546,829); New York (2,908,411); and Pennsylvania (2,255,780), accounting for 17.9 million of the 51.8 million retired-worker beneficiaries receiving benefits, or 33% of all retired workers collecting checks.

Which states get the biggest average checks? Those in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are home to the highest average benefits. Connecticut ($2,196.15), New Jersey ($2,190.05), New Hampshire ($2,183.82), Delaware ($2,170.63) and Maryland ($2,139.54) have the five highest average Social Security monthly checks.

Southern states make up the majority of those with the smallest benefit checks on average. Mississippi ($1,814.24), Louisiana ($1,818.40), Arkansas ($1,852.07), New Mexico ($1,865.12) and Kentucky ($1,865.76) have the five lowest average monthly benefits.

Donna joined Kiplinger as a personal finance writer in 2023. She spent more than a decade as the contributing editor of J.K.Lasser's Your Income Tax Guide and edited state specific legal treatises at ALM Media. She has shared her expertise as a guest on Bloomberg, CNN, Fox, NPR, CNBC and many other media outlets around the nation. She is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and the University at Buffalo.