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How to Find the Average Social Security Retirement Benefit in Your State

Use SSA Table 5.J6 to find your state’s average monthly retired-worker benefit. See all state figures and learn how current beneficiaries differ from 2025 awards.
From TheFinanceBase Team11 min to read
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To find the average Social Security retirement benefit for a state, open the Social Security Administration’s 2026 Annual Statistical Supplement, Table 5.J6, and read that state’s figure in the final “Average” column. The table reports average monthly retired-worker benefits payable in December 2025. Nationwide, the average was $2,071.30 per month among 53,624,664 retired-worker beneficiaries receiving payments that month.

Find your state’s average in SSA Table 5.J6

  1. Open the SSA’s 2026 Annual Statistical Supplement. Find Table 5.J6, titled “Percentage distribution of retired-worker beneficiaries by monthly benefit, and average and median benefit: By state or other area, December 2025.”
  2. Locate the state or area. The table lists all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
  3. Read the final “Average” column. That is the average monthly retired-worker benefit for the state or area in the table. Do not use the adjoining “Median” column if you are looking for the average.

The table’s reference month is December 2025, even though it appears in the 2026 supplement. Its figures describe benefits payable in that month, not a forecast for 2026 and not only benefits awarded to people who retired in 2025. The listed values are monthly amounts, not annual totals.

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A quick way to check you have the right figure

Before copying a number, check the table number, title, reference month, row label and column heading. The number you want is in Table 5.J6, on the row for the state or area, under “Average.” The title identifies the population as retired-worker beneficiaries and gives the month as December 2025. If the page you are viewing instead refers to awards made during 2025, or has a different table number, you are looking at a different measure.

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Keep the month and the word “monthly” with the figure when you write it down or share it. For example, “Connecticut’s average monthly retired-worker benefit was $2,308.36 in December 2025” identifies the place, measure and period. “Connecticut’s Social Security benefit is $2,308.36” is less precise: it can sound like a guaranteed amount for every resident or an estimate for a new applicant.

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Average monthly retired-worker benefits by state

These are the state and District of Columbia figures in Table 5.J6. Each amount is the average monthly benefit for retired-worker beneficiaries in current-payment status in December 2025.

State or area Average monthly benefit State or area Average monthly benefit
Alabama $2,003.04 Montana $1,975.96
Alaska $2,054.50 Nebraska $2,101.34
Arizona $2,111.91 Nevada $2,015.72
Arkansas $1,932.29 New Hampshire $2,297.70
California $2,037.83 New Jersey $2,287.75
Colorado $2,163.50 New Mexico $1,954.67
Connecticut $2,308.36 New York $2,099.59
Delaware $2,273.77 North Carolina $2,067.94
District of Columbia $2,139.24 North Dakota $2,016.71
Florida $2,048.91 Ohio $2,035.70
Georgia $2,018.18 Oklahoma $2,008.69
Hawaii $2,080.31 Oregon $2,082.53
Idaho $2,042.45 Pennsylvania $2,142.22
Illinois $2,107.68 Rhode Island $2,154.96
Indiana $2,117.87 South Carolina $2,084.98
Iowa $2,077.98 South Dakota $2,007.81
Kansas $2,147.63 Tennessee $2,045.22
Kentucky $1,953.13 Texas $2,034.33
Louisiana $1,927.15 Utah $2,168.28
Maine $2,001.83 Vermont $2,136.94
Maryland $2,257.51 Virginia $2,168.06
Massachusetts $2,220.49 Washington $2,199.17
Michigan $2,149.20 West Virginia $1,974.30
Minnesota $2,191.44 Wisconsin $2,112.40
Mississippi $1,889.72 Wyoming $2,115.21
Missouri $2,030.22

How the state figures compare

Among the 50 states, the average monthly amount ranges from $1,889.72 in Mississippi to $2,308.36 in Connecticut, a difference of $418.64. The District of Columbia is listed separately at $2,139.24, so it is not part of that 50-state range. New Hampshire ($2,297.70), New Jersey ($2,287.75) and Delaware ($2,273.77) are also among the higher state figures in this table. Louisiana ($1,927.15), Arkansas ($1,932.29), Kentucky ($1,953.13) and New Mexico ($1,954.67) are among the lower ones.

Compared with the national average of $2,071.30, Connecticut’s figure is $237.06 higher and Mississippi’s is $181.58 lower. These comparisons describe the published averages only; they do not explain why the amounts differ. The table does not provide a personal benefit estimate or establish what a recipient in one state should receive. Use the figures as a state-level snapshot, not as a ranking of an individual’s retirement prospects.

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The national figure is an average across 53,624,664 beneficiaries in current-payment status in December 2025. It is not the simple midpoint between the highest and lowest state figures, nor is it an average of the state averages. When comparing a state with the national benchmark, compare each state’s Average-column amount with the national average for the same month and beneficiary population.

What this state average measures

Table 5.J6 covers retired-worker beneficiaries whose benefits were in current-payment status in December 2025. It is a snapshot of people receiving retirement benefits in that month, including beneficiaries whose benefits began in different years. It is not limited to new retirees or to people who filed claims during 2025.

An average is a summary of a group, not a promise of what an individual will receive. A state figure cannot account for your earnings history, the age at which you claim, or other details of your record. It also does not tell you what every recipient in the state gets: individual monthly benefit amounts vary, and the table publishes a distribution as well as summary figures.

The statistic answers a narrow question: what was the average monthly retired-worker benefit payable to the group represented in that state row at the reference time? It is not a measure of the income of all older adults, all Social Security recipients or all residents. The table is specifically about retired-worker beneficiaries, so it should not be described as the average of every kind of Social Security payment.

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Likewise, a state’s average is not an individual forecast based on where someone lives. The table reports a state association for beneficiaries, while SSA’s personal estimate is based on the individual’s earnings record and application timing. Moving to a state with a higher published average does not, by itself, make a person’s own benefit equal to that state average.

The SSA reports a median alongside the average. The average is the arithmetic mean; the median is the midpoint of the ordered benefit amounts. Those measures answer different questions and need not be equal. The national median in December 2025 was $1,991.90, compared with the national average of $2,071.30. Use the “Average” column for an average-benefit question and the “Median” column only when you specifically want the midpoint.

The gap between the national average and median is one reason to check the heading before quoting a figure. An average can be influenced by values throughout the distribution, while the median identifies its midpoint. Neither measure tells the full story of the distribution on its own. Table 5.J6 includes percentage distributions by monthly benefit in addition to both summary statistics, so readers interested in how amounts are spread across ranges can consult the full table rather than infer that pattern from the average alone.

Do not confuse current beneficiaries with 2025 awards

The SSA’s Table 6.A6 answers a different question. Its title is “Number, percentage distribution, and average monthly benefit for retired-worker and disabled-worker awards, by state or other area, 2025.” It describes awards made during 2025, rather than all retired-worker beneficiaries receiving payments in December. The national average retired-worker award in that table was $2,129.43 per month.

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If you want to know… Use this SSA table What the population represents
The average benefit being paid to retired-worker beneficiaries in a state at a point in time Table 5.J6 Beneficiaries in current-payment status in December 2025
The average benefit awarded to retired workers in a state during 2025 Table 6.A6 Retired-worker awards made in 2025

The national averages differ because the tables cover different populations and reporting periods; neither is a correction to the other. Table 6.A6 notes that awards made before the December cost-of-living increase are converted to December rates before averages are calculated. It also cautions that statistics may differ from those of SSA Actuarial Services because the sources and calculation methods differ. When quoting a number, name the table and period so readers know which measure it represents.

This distinction matters when a question uses phrases such as “average Social Security benefit” without saying whether it means benefits currently being paid or initial awards. For a state-by-state answer about what retired-worker beneficiaries receive, Table 5.J6 is the direct fit. If the question specifically concerns people newly awarded benefits during 2025, use Table 6.A6 and say that the number is an average award for that year. Do not swap in the awards figure just because it is newer or higher: it describes a different group.

Nor should the two figures be described as competing estimates of the same population. One table looks at recipients in payment status in a particular month, with benefits that may have started in different years. The other looks at awards during a calendar year. The publication’s note about converting pre-increase awards to December rates is a table-specific adjustment; it does not change Table 5.J6 into an awards table.

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Use an SSA estimate for your own benefit

If you are trying to plan your own retirement income, use SSA’s “Get a benefits estimate” route and your my Social Security account rather than treating a state average as a personal projection. SSA says its account provides personalized estimates based on your earnings record and lets you adjust expected future income. Its retirement-estimate materials also describe comparing estimates at different retirement ages; for current instructions, use SSA’s current benefits-estimate guidance rather than relying on an older infographic.

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To make that estimate useful, treat it as an individual planning tool, not as another state statistic. The account uses the earnings history SSA has for you and provides estimates tied to your circumstances. It also allows expected future income to be adjusted, so the estimate can reflect different assumptions about future earnings. If your question is “What might I receive?” this is the relevant route; if your question is “What is the average for my state?” Table 5.J6 is the relevant source.

SSA calculates retirement benefits using a person’s work earnings. For benefit purposes, earnings are counted only up to the annual taxable maximum; pensions and investments are not counted as work earnings in this calculation. For 2026, the SSA states that the earnings limit counted for benefit purposes is $184,500. Earnings above that limit do not increase the benefit amount. This limit is a rule about which earnings count, not a cap on the monthly benefit itself.

Keep the year attached to this earnings figure: $184,500 is the stated 2026 limit. It is not the same thing as the December 2025 benefit amount in Table 5.J6, and it should not be used to calculate a person’s monthly check on its own. The broader point for interpreting the state average is that individual benefit calculations depend on earnings history and timing, while the state table is a summary of people already receiving payments.

How to interpret other state and local figures

SSA also publishes state and ZIP Code statistics. Those figures use the agency’s Master Beneficiary Record, cover benefits currently payable, and report December monthly benefits after reductions. Do not assume a ZIP Code or other local amount is directly comparable with the state-level average in Table 5.J6: the publication’s local geography and rounding notes apply to that state-and-ZIP publication. For a state comparison, use the same Table 5.J6 column and reference month across states.

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Changing the geographic level can change what a table is summarizing. A ZIP Code figure and a state figure may appear to answer the same question, but their geographic definitions and rounding conventions are not interchangeable. Check the publication’s notes for the local statistic, and avoid combining a ZIP-level figure from one publication with a state-level figure from Table 5.J6 as if they were produced on identical terms.

When comparing two states, use the same table, same column and same reference month for both. Mixing a current-beneficiary value for one state with an awards value for another would compare unlike populations. Similarly, a median for one state should not be compared with an average for another. Consistent labels make the comparison interpretable and help avoid mistaking a change in measure for a change in benefit levels.

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The SSA updates its statistical supplements, so the reference month and state amounts can change in a later edition. For a current comparison, identify the supplement year and the month named in the table title before using or sharing a figure.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the average Social Security retirement benefit in my state?

Find your state in SSA 2026 Annual Statistical Supplement Table 5.J6 and read the final “Average” column. The figures are average monthly retired-worker benefits payable in December 2025. The table above lists all states and the District of Columbia.

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Is the amount listed what a new retiree in my state will receive?

No. Table 5.J6 covers retired-worker beneficiaries in current-payment status in December 2025, including people whose benefits began in different years. For average retired-worker awards made during 2025, consult Table 6.A6 and label it as an awards statistic.

Why is the average different from the median?

The average is the arithmetic mean, while the median is the midpoint of the ordered benefit amounts. SSA publishes both. For December 2025, the national average was $2,071.30 and the national median was $1,991.90. Use the column that matches the question you are answering.

Are these figures annual amounts?

No. Table 5.J6 reports monthly benefit amounts. The state figures above are monthly averages for December 2025, not yearly totals.

Does living in a state with a higher average increase my benefit?

The state average does not determine an individual’s amount. SSA bases a personal estimate on the person’s earnings record and when they apply. Use the my Social Security account and SSA’s benefits-estimate route for an individualized estimate.

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Where can I get an estimate of my own Social Security retirement benefit?

Use SSA’s “Get a benefits estimate” route and your my Social Security account. SSA says the account provides personalized estimates based on your earnings record and lets you adjust expected future income. It also supports viewing estimates at different retirement ages; check SSA’s current guidance for instructions.

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Can I compare a state average with a ZIP Code average?

Take care. SSA’s state and ZIP Code publication has its own local geography and rounding notes. The ZIP Code and state-level amounts are not necessarily directly comparable. For state-to-state comparisons, use Table 5.J6 consistently.

How often should I check the state figures?

Check the supplement year and reference month whenever you use or share a figure. SSA updates its statistical supplements, and later editions may report a different reference month and state amounts. The figures in this article are from the 2026 supplement and refer to December 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average Social Security retirement benefit in my state?

Find your state in SSA 2026 Annual Statistical Supplement Table 5.J6 and read the final “Average” column. The figures are average monthly retired-worker benefits payable in December 2025.

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Is the state average what a new retiree will receive?

No. Table 5.J6 covers beneficiaries receiving payments in December 2025, including people whose benefits began in different years. Table 6.A6 covers retired-worker awards made during 2025.

Why are the average and median different?

The average is the arithmetic mean; the median is the midpoint of the ordered benefit amounts. SSA reported a December 2025 national average of $2,071.30 and median of $1,991.90.

Are the state figures annual amounts?

No. They are average monthly benefit amounts for December 2025, not yearly totals.

Does living in a state with a higher average increase my benefit?

The state average does not determine an individual’s amount. SSA bases personal estimates on earnings history and application timing; use the my Social Security account for your estimate.

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Can I compare a state average with a ZIP Code average?

Use care: the state and ZIP Code publication has its own geography and rounding notes. For state-to-state comparisons, use Table 5.J6 consistently.

Where can I estimate my own benefit?

Use SSA’s “Get a benefits estimate” route and your my Social Security account, which provides estimates based on your earnings record and lets you adjust expected future income.

The Bottom Line

For the average monthly retired-worker benefit in a state, use the “Average” column in SSA 2026 Annual Statistical Supplement Table 5.J6. It reports benefits payable in December 2025; it is a population snapshot, not a personal estimate or an average of awards made during 2025. For your own estimate, use SSA’s “Get a benefits estimate” route through my Social Security.

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