Will Social Security meet your monthly living costs in retirement? That depends on where you live…
RELATED: AARP’s free Social Security calculator helps you maximize your benefits
See how far your Social Security check will stretch each month
HowMuch.net recently took a look at how far a Social Security check will go to meet monthly expenses including median rent, average grocery bills, utilities, transportation and healthcare costs.
For the purposes of their investigation, they used $1,295 as the average monthly Social Security benefit. However, it is worth pointing out that the current average benefit for retired workers is $1,413, according to the Social Security Administration.
Regardless of what number you use, it doesn’t go very far except for in a handful of states…
Top 10 states where Social Security covers the least amount of living costs
| State of residence | Percent of living expenses covered by monthly check |
| Hawaii | 26.7% |
| Washington, D.C. | 28.8% |
| California | 29.1% |
| Massachusetts | 31.6% |
| Alaska | 32.1% |
| New York | 34.2% |
| New Jersey | 34.2% |
| Connecticut | 35.4% |
| Washington | 35.4% |
| New Hampshire | 36.0% |
Top 10 states where Social Security covers the greatest amount of living costs
| State of residence | Percent of living expenses covered by monthly check |
| Arkansas | 52.9% |
| West Virginia | 52.8% |
| Oklahoma | 52% |
| Alabama | 51% |
| Mississippi | 50.6% |
| Missouri | 49% |
| Kansas | 48.9% |
| Tennessee | 48.7% |
| Iowa | 48.7% |
| Michigan | 48.5% |
It’s interesting to note that there is only a handful of states — Arkansas, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Alabama and Mississippi — where you can expect Social Security to pay even half of your expenses.
You can see the full list and find your state here.
This is a wake-up call for future Social Security recipients
More than four out of 10 older people rely on Social Security for 90% or more of their monthly income.
There are several ways your check can actually grow in retirement, but most people will probably want to maintain a higher standard of living than $1,295 or even $1,404 can deliver.
Fortunately, there are ways to save money for the future — no matter what your income level is today.
For example, did you know that low-to-moderate income earners can get up to $1,000 as a reward for saving money through a little-known IRS program? Check it out right here on Clark.com!
