The amount of money a person gets from Social Security depends on how much money they made during the years they paid into the system and their age when they retire. If a person waits to retire until they hit their full retirement age, they will get a higher payment, but workers can start getting benefits at age 62.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) released information earlier this year from December 2023 about how many retired workers they sent checks to and how much money they gave out that month. We found the average reward by state by dividing the total amount by the number of people who received it.
States with the highest and lowest average payments
At $2,113.55, retirees in Connecticut saw the highest average Social Security checks in December 2023. Across the state, the payment sizes vary from $1,975 in the Northeastern region of the state, also known as the Quiet Region, to $2,319 in the Western region closure to New York City.
Following Connecticut were retirees in New Jersey ($2,110.41), New Hampshire ($2,094.43), Delaware ($2,089.60), and Maryland ($2,054.45).
States where the average Social Security check was above $2,000/month (December 2023)
- Connecticut: $2,113.55
- New Jersey: $2,110.41
- New Hampshire: $2,094.43
- Delaware: $2,089.60
- Maryland: $2,054.45
- Washington: $2,021.79
- Minnesota: $2,015.58
- Massachusetts: $2,002.60
Mississippi ($1,755.81) and Louisiana ($1,759.21) are at the other end of the scale. They are also two of the three states (along with North Carolina) where more than fourteen percent of seniors live in poverty.
Average Social Security check for retired workers in December 2023
- Alabama: $1,855.76
- Alaska: $1,837.49
- Arizona: $1,949.20
- Arkansas: $1,789.74
- California: $1,865.85
- Colorado: $1,957.84
- Connecticut: $2,113.55
- Delaware: $2,089.60
- District of Columbia: $1,916.82
- Florida: $1,893.70
- Georgia: $1,858.92
- Hawaii: $1,908.40
- Idaho: $1,880.27
- Illinois: $1,934.05
- Indiana: $1,965.67
- Iowa: $1,921.35
- Kansas: $1,982.01
- Kentucky: $1,802.88
- Louisiana: $1,759.21
- Maine: $1,815.69
- Maryland: $2,054.45
- Massachusetts: $2,002.60
- Michigan: $1,997.23
- Minnesota: $2,015.58
- Mississippi: $1,755.81
- Missouri: $1,869.32
- Montana: $1,817.31
- Nebraska: $1,937.23
- Nevada: $1,842.52
- New Hampshire: $2,094.43
- New Jersey: $2,110.41
- New Mexico: $1,799.23
- New York: $1,951.32
- North Carolina: $1,909.33
- North Dakota: $1,855.97
- Ohio: $1,857.72
- Oklahoma: $1,856.29
- Oregon: $1,917.65
- Pennsylvania: $1,978.59
- Rhode Island: $1,971.58
- South Carolina: $1,926.13
- South Dakota: $1,848.29
- Tennessee: $1,889.61
- Texas: $1,865.43
- Utah: $1,988.23
- Vermont: $1,960.91
- Virginia: $1,984.79
- Washington: $2,021.79
- West Virginia: $1,838.85
- Wisconsin: $1,957.05
- Wyoming: $1,950.46
Is the same COLA applied in all states?
Yes. The cost of living and price changes are very different across the country, but everyone who gets Social Security gets the same COLA, or Cost-of-living Adjustment. Beginning in January, a 2.5% COLA will be added to benefits. This will help lessen the negative effects that inflation has on Social Security benefits.
