Key Takeaways
- The average Social Security retirement check rises to about $2,170 a month in January 2027.
- Connecticut ranks highest at an estimated $2,418; Mississippi is lowest at about $1,980.
- The gap between the top and bottom states is more than $400 a month.
- Your own benefit depends on your earnings record and claiming age, not your state.
The average Social Security retirement check is about $2,170 a month starting January 2027, after the 3.6% COLA. But where you live tells a different story: Connecticut retirees average about $2,418, while Mississippi retirees average about $1,980.
That’s a gap of more than $400 a month, or close to $5,000 a year. Here’s every state ranked, using SSA’s own state-level data.
Average Social Security Check by State, Ranked
The first column is SSA’s official average for retired workers in December 2025, the latest state data available. The second is my estimate for January 2027, scaled by the same amount SSA projects for the national average ($2,071 to $2,170).
| Rank | State | Dec 2025 | Est. Jan 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Connecticut (CT) | $2,308 | $2,418 |
| 2 | New Hampshire (NH) | $2,298 | $2,407 |
| 3 | New Jersey (NJ) | $2,288 | $2,397 |
| 4 | Delaware (DE) | $2,274 | $2,382 |
| 5 | Maryland (MD) | $2,258 | $2,365 |
| 6 | Massachusetts (MA) | $2,220 | $2,326 |
| 7 | Washington (WA) | $2,199 | $2,304 |
| 8 | Minnesota (MN) | $2,191 | $2,296 |
| 9 | Utah (UT) | $2,168 | $2,272 |
| 10 | Virginia (VA) | $2,168 | $2,271 |
| 11 | Colorado (CO) | $2,163 | $2,267 |
| 12 | Rhode Island (RI) | $2,155 | $2,258 |
| 13 | Michigan (MI) | $2,149 | $2,252 |
| 14 | Kansas (KS) | $2,148 | $2,250 |
| 15 | Pennsylvania (PA) | $2,142 | $2,244 |
| 16 | District of Columbia (DC) | $2,139 | $2,241 |
| 17 | Vermont (VT) | $2,137 | $2,239 |
| 18 | Indiana (IN) | $2,118 | $2,219 |
| 19 | Wyoming (WY) | $2,115 | $2,216 |
| 20 | Wisconsin (WI) | $2,112 | $2,213 |
| 21 | Arizona (AZ) | $2,112 | $2,213 |
| 22 | Illinois (IL) | $2,108 | $2,208 |
| 23 | Nebraska (NE) | $2,101 | $2,201 |
| 24 | New York (NY) | $2,100 | $2,200 |
| 25 | South Carolina (SC) | $2,085 | $2,184 |
| 26 | Oregon (OR) | $2,083 | $2,182 |
| 27 | Hawaii (HI) | $2,080 | $2,179 |
| 28 | Iowa (IA) | $2,078 | $2,177 |
| 29 | North Carolina (NC) | $2,068 | $2,166 |
| 30 | Alaska (AK) | $2,055 | $2,152 |
| 31 | Florida (FL) | $2,049 | $2,147 |
| 32 | Tennessee (TN) | $2,045 | $2,143 |
| 33 | Idaho (ID) | $2,042 | $2,140 |
| 34 | California (CA) | $2,038 | $2,135 |
| 35 | Ohio (OH) | $2,036 | $2,133 |
| 36 | Texas (TX) | $2,034 | $2,131 |
| 37 | Missouri (MO) | $2,030 | $2,127 |
| 38 | Georgia (GA) | $2,018 | $2,114 |
| 39 | North Dakota (ND) | $2,017 | $2,113 |
| 40 | Nevada (NV) | $2,016 | $2,112 |
| 41 | Oklahoma (OK) | $2,009 | $2,104 |
| 42 | South Dakota (SD) | $2,008 | $2,103 |
| 43 | Alabama (AL) | $2,003 | $2,098 |
| 44 | Maine (ME) | $2,002 | $2,097 |
| 45 | Montana (MT) | $1,976 | $2,070 |
| 46 | West Virginia (WV) | $1,974 | $2,068 |
| 47 | New Mexico (NM) | $1,955 | $2,048 |
| 48 | Kentucky (KY) | $1,953 | $2,046 |
| 49 | Arkansas (AR) | $1,932 | $2,024 |
| 50 | Louisiana (LA) | $1,927 | $2,019 |
| 51 | Mississippi (MS) | $1,890 | $1,980 |
Source: SSA, OASDI Beneficiaries by State and County, 2025, retired-worker benefits divided by retired workers. The 2027 column is an estimate; SSA publishes the December 2026 state data next fall.
The National Average for 2027
SSA estimates the average retired worker gets $2,170 a month in January 2027, up $75 from $2,095. That covers retired workers only. Disabled workers average about $1,701, and an aged widow or widower about $2,005.
The raise comes from the 3.6% COLA announced October 14, 2026. My 2027 Social Security COLA breakdown covers the Part B premium and other amounts that changed with it.
Why the Northeast Leads and the South Trails
Your benefit is set by your own highest 35 years of earnings and the age you claim, not by where you live. State averages just add up millions of individual records. A few patterns drive the spread:
- Career earnings. Connecticut, New Jersey and Maryland have more retirees with long, high-wage careers in finance, government and professional work.
- Claiming age. Waiting past full retirement age adds 8% a year up to 70. States where more people delay show higher averages.
- Retiree migration. Many Florida and Arizona retirees built their records elsewhere, which pulls those states toward the middle.
- Historic wages. States with lower wages decades ago show lower averages among long-time residents, regardless of today’s costs.
Notice that the big retirement states sit near the middle. Florida (31st), Texas (36th) and California (34th) all land within about $40 of each other.
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What the Average Means for Your Own Check
Your benefit depends on your record, not your state. Carol in Mississippi and Dan in Connecticut, with identical earnings histories and claiming ages, get the exact same check.
To see your own number, sign in at ssa.gov/myaccount. It shows your earnings record and estimates at 62, full retirement age and 70. Your personal 2027 COLA notice also posts there in late November.
If you’re still deciding when to start, the claiming age matters far more than geography. My guide to when to claim Social Security works through singles, couples and late filers.
State Taxes Can Change What You Keep
Federal benefits are the same everywhere, and so is the deposit calendar in my Social Security payment schedule by birth date. Take-home pay isn’t. About eight states, including Colorado (CO), Connecticut, Minnesota (MN), Montana (MT), New Mexico (NM), Rhode Island (RI), Utah (UT) and Vermont (VT), still tax some Social Security income, usually with exemptions for lower and middle incomes.
At the federal level, up to 85% of benefits can be taxable depending on your income. The new $6,000 senior deduction for people 65 and older helps offset that through 2028.
What I’m Watching for 2028
The 2028 COLA will be announced in mid-October 2027, based on inflation from July through September 2027. No one has a credible forecast yet. If it lands in the 2% to 3% range, the national average would rise to roughly $2,215 to $2,235.
SSA’s next state report, covering December 2026, should come out in late 2027. That will be the first official state data with the 3.6% raise built in, and I’ll swap it in for the estimates above.
The other thing worth watching is the trust fund. It’s projected to run short in late 2032, when payroll taxes would cover about 78% of benefits unless Congress acts.
Mistakes People Make With These Numbers
Comparing your check to your state’s average. It’s a population figure. Your record is what counts.
Moving for a “bigger” Social Security check. Moving doesn’t change your federal benefit. It can change state taxes and living costs, which matter more.
Mixing up retirement and disability averages. This table covers retired workers. If you get SSDI, compare against the $1,701 disabled-worker average instead, and see my SSI maximum payment amounts if you also qualify for SSI.
Forgetting Part B. Most retirees have the Medicare premium taken out of the check. The 2026 premium was $202.90, and CMS announces 2027’s in November; my 2026 Medicare changes and 2027 outlook guide will have it.
