Common Social Security Check by State: How Does Yours Compare?

Do you live in this New England state with the heftiest check? Your Social Security benefit can be affected by where you live.---

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

Some states see their Social Security check averages skewed by an exodus of retirees. For example, California, New York and Illinois see more people leaving to retire than arriving. Meanwhile, states like Florida, Arizona, Texas and the Carolinas see more retirees move in than out, according to Smart Asset.
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 someplace 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.

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Factors that impact the size of a Social Security checkSocial 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 between ages 66 and 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 January 2025, the average Social Security monthly check for retired workers was $1,978.77. Let's take a look at the average Social Security checks across the country, according to the data from Table 5.J6 included in the Annual Statistical Supplement, 2024.
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Average and median retiree benefit by state- from Alabama to Mississippi (2024)State
Number of beneficiaries
Average benefit
Median benefit
All areas
50,147,679
$1,905.31
$1,852.70
Alabama
800,556
$1,855.76
$1,793.70
Alaska
88,118
$1,837.49
$1,733.00
Arizona
1,173,710
$1,949.20
$1,912.70
Arkansas
489,372
$1,789.74
$1,716.70
California
4,935,826
$1,865.85
$1,766.70
Colorado
760,497
$1,957.85
$1,897.70
Connecticut
564,284
$2,113.55
$2,083.70
Delaware
190,772
$2,089.60
$2,064.00
District of Columbia
62,951
$1,916.82
$1,696.00
Florida
3,950,727
$1,893.70
$1,838.70
Georgia
1,451,725
$1,858.92
$1,789.00
Hawaii
244,108
$1,908.40
$1,853.70
Idaho
304,542
$1,880.27
$1,828.70
Illinois
1,762,528
$1,934.05
$1,907.70
Indiana
1,040,309
$1,965.67
$1,952.70
Iowa
531,390
$1,921.35
$1,883.70
Kansas
447,780
$1,982.01
$1,929.70
Kentucky
679,811
$1,802.88
$1,747.70
Louisiana
617,733
$1,759.21
$1,673.70
Maine
274,680
$1,815.69
$1,740.70
Maryland
826,795
$2,054.45
$2,007.70
Massachusetts
998,126
$2,002.60
$1,946.00
Michigan
1,686,642
$1,997.23
$2,004.70
Minnesota
887,418
$2,015.58
$1,981.70
Mississippi
469,560
$1,755.81
$1,672.70
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Average and median retiree benefit by state- from Missouri to Wyoming (2024)State
Number of beneficiaries
Average benefit
Median benefit
Missouri
985,925
$1,869.32
$1,822.70
Montana
203,563
$1,817.32
$1,750.70
Nebraska
286,550
$1,937.23
$1,879.70
Nevada
464,820
$1,842.52
$1,784.85
New Hampshire
255,349
$2,094.43
$2,039.00
New Jersey
1,316,238
$2,110.41
$2,099.70
New Mexico
345,706
$1,799.23
$1,695.70
New York
2,825,851
$1,951.32
$1,913.70
North Carolina
1,712,389
$1,909.33
$1,831.70
North Dakota
113,352
$1,855.97
$1,794.70
Ohio
1,779,927
$1,857.72
$1,853.70
Oklahoma
593,586
$1,856.29
$1,794.70
Oregon
729,072
$1,917.65
$1,866.70
Pennsylvania
2,193,704
$1,978.59
$1,945.70
Rhode Island
177,649
$1,971.59
$1,922.70
South Carolina
950,631
$1,926.13
$1,864.70
South Dakota
156,249
$1,848.29
$1,780.00
Tennessee
1,102,927
$1,889.61
$1,821.70
Texas
3,404,297
$1,865.43
$1,775.70
Utah
123,996
$1,988.23
$1,938.70
Vermont
123,996
$1,960.91
$1,883.15
Virginia
1,247,886
$1,984.79
$1,906.40
Washington
1,135,608
$2,021.79
$1,991.70
West Virginia
313,027
$1,838.85
$1,806.70
Wisconsin
1,041,496
$1,957.05
$1,932.00
Wyoming
98,346
$1,950.46
$1,908.45
Connecticut wins for biggest check, but not by muchThe states that receive the largest number of Social Security checks come as no surprise; California (4,935,826), Florida (3,950,727), Texas (3,404,297), New York (2,825,851) and Pennsylvania (2,193,704) top that list, accounting for 17.3 million of the 50.1 million retired-worker beneficiaries receiving benefits or 35.4% of all retired-workers collecting checks.
But which states get the biggest average checks? States in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic are home to the highest average benefits. Connecticut ($2,113.55), New Jersey ($2,110.41), New Hampshire ($2,094.43), Delaware ($2,089.60) and Maryland ($2,054.45) have the five highest average Social Security monthly checks.
Southern states make up the majority of the states with the smallest benefits. Mississippi ($1,755.81), Louisiana ($1,759.21), Arkansas ($1,789.74), New Mexico ($1,799.23) and Kentucky ($1,802.88) have the five lowest average monthly benefits.