Living solely on Social Security can be a financial challenge, but many retirees and people with disabilities do just that. They budget carefully, find smart 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 areas with a lower cost of living to stretch their dollars even further or aim for a higher-than-average payment.
It is possible to beat the average Social Security benefit. Those who do generally work longer careers (strategically increasing 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 each state, according to the Social Security Administration.
Average Social Security Payments by State
Alabama
Overall average total payments for the state of Alabama:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 1,163,871.
- Total benefits: $1,706,991,000
- Average total benefits: $1,467
Alaska
Overall average total payments for the state of Alaska:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 110,006
- Total benefits: $162,824,000
- Average total benefits: $1,480
Arizona
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of Colorado:
- Total Number of Beneficiaries: 925,084
- Total benefits: $1,467,937,000
- Average total benefits: $1,587
Connecticut
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for Washington, DC:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 83,228
- Total benefits: $124,676,000
- Average total benefits: $1,498
Florida
Overall average total payments for the state of Florida:
- Total Number of Beneficiaries: 4,909,642
- Total benefits: $7,577,221,000
- Average total benefits: $1,543
Georgia
Overall average total 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 average total payments for the state of Hawaii:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 286,863.
- Total benefits: $449,099,000
- Average total benefits: $1,566
Idaho
Overall average total payments for the state of Idaho:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 377,904.
- Total benefits: $574,812,000
- Average total benefits: $1,521
Illinois
Overall average total payments for the state of Illinois:
- Total Number of Beneficiaries: 2,271,926
- Total benefits: $3,564,381,000
- Average total benefits: $1,569
Indiana
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of Kansas:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 573,476.
- Total benefits: $910,400,000
- Average total benefits: $1,588
Kentucky
Overall average total payments for the state of Kentucky:
- Total Number of Beneficiaries: 1,010,012
- Total benefits: $1,438,656,000
- Average total benefits: $1,424
Louisiana
Overall average total 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 average total payments for the state of Maine:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 359,152
- Total benefits: $521,038,000
- Average total benefits: $1,451
Maryland
Overall average total 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 average total payments for the state of Massachusetts:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 1,295,088.
- Total benefits: $2,061,173,000
- Average total benefits: $1,592
Michigan
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of Mississippi:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 681,844.
- Total benefits: $951,295,000
- Average total benefits: $1,395
Missouri
Overall average total payments for the state of Missouri:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 1,329,084.
- Total benefits: $1,990,464,000
- Average total benefits: $1,498
Montana
Overall average total payments for the state of Montana:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 248,513.
- Total benefits: $368,099,000
- Average total benefits: $1,481
Nebraska
Overall average total payments for the state of Nebraska:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 360,240
- Total benefits: $559,398,000
- Average total benefits: $1,553
Nevada
Overall average total 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 average total payments for the state of New Hampshire:
- Total Number of Beneficiaries: 321,925
- Total benefits: $534,012,000
- Average total benefits: $1,659
New Jersey
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for New York State:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 3,680,521.
- Total benefits: $5,804,433,000
- Average total benefits: $1,577
North Carolina
Overall average total 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
North Dakota
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of Oregon:
- Total Number of Beneficiaries: 910,086
- Total benefits: $1,420,319,000
- Average total benefits: $1,561
Pennsylvania
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of South Dakota:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 189,232
- Total benefits: $283,326,000
- Average total benefits: $1,497
Tennessee
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of Utah:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 438,581.
- Total benefits: $693,526,000
- Average total benefits: $1,581
Vermont
Overall average total payments for the state of Vermont:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 157,587
- Total benefits: $245,387,000
- Average total benefits: $1,557
Virginia
Overall average total 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 average total 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 average total 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 average total payments for the state of Wisconsin:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 1,289,260.
- Total benefits: $2,046,456,000
- Average total benefits: $1,587
Wyoming
Overall average total payments for the state of Wyoming:
- Total number of beneficiaries: 120,816
- Total benefits: $192,021,000
- Average total benefits: $1,589