The Social Security Administration has long warned Americans that Social Security benefits aren’t designed to act as one’s sole income in retirement. And if you think there’s somewhere in the United States you can relocate where these rules don’t apply, think again. These funds will run out in every state in less than a month’s time for single individuals attempting to live off benefits alone, according to a new GOBankingRates study.
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GOBankingRates sourced the average Social Security income for a person filing solo and calculated the average mortgage and expenditure costs for each state to determine the total cost of living for retired households.
Key Findings
- West Virginia ranks as the best state for getting by on Social Security. These benefits last up to 21 days for a single person.
- Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma round out the five cheapest states for retirement. Social Security lasts Individuals 19-20 days per month in those states.
- Not surprisingly, Social Security depletes the fastest in Hawaii, California and Massachusetts. In these high cost-of-living states, benefits run out in under 10 days’ time.
- Social Security covers no more than 21 days each month for individuals before it runs out in every state. This critical data makes it more necessary for singles to save for retirement beyond relying on benefits.
Here’s how long individuals last on just Social Security in every state.
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1. West Virginia
- Monthly mortgage cost: $989
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,830
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 21.5
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2. Mississippi
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,107
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,910
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 20.9
3. Arkansas
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,268
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,986
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 20.4
4. Louisiana
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,226
- Total monthly cost of living: $2,999
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 20.3
5. Oklahoma
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,264
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,069
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 19.9
6. Alabama
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,351
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,122
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 19.5
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7. Kentucky
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,294
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,175
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 19.2
8. Iowa
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,358
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,185
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 19.1
9. Kansas
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,393
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,192
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 19.1
10. Ohio
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,416
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,262
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 18.7
11. Missouri
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,524
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,300
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 18.5
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12. Indiana
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,472
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,307
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 18.4
13. Michigan
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,491
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,309
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 18.4
14. Nebraska
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,599
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,450
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 17.7
15. Pennsylvania
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,638
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,517
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 17.3
16. North Dakota
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,655
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,526
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 17.3
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17. Illinois
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,671
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,574
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 17.0
18. South Carolina
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,775
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,622
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 16.8
19. Texas
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,784
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,628
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 16.8
20. New Mexico
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,830
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,645
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 16.7
21. South Dakota
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,841
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,673
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 16.6
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22. Tennessee
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,950
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,678
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 16.6
23. Georgia
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,959
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,829
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 15.9
24. Wisconsin
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,926
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,835
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 15.9
25. North Carolina
- Monthly mortgage cost: $1,965
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,864
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 15.8
26. Wyoming
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,101
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,970
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 15.3
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27. Minnesota
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,063
- Total monthly cost of living: $3,986
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 15.3
28. Delaware
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,340
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,279
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 14.2
29. Florida
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,357
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,281
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 14.2
30. Virginia
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,409
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,327
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 14.1
31. Vermont
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,339
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,387
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.9
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32. Arizona
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,552
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,457
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.7
33. Maine
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,383
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,460
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.7
34. Maryland
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,605
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,599
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.2
35. Idaho
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,743
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,619
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.2
36. Montana
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,696
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,625
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.2
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37. Nevada
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,737
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,653
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 13.1
38. Connecticut
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,658
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,798
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.7
39. New York
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,788
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,802
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.7
40. Alaska
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,260
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,873
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.5
41. Utah
- Monthly mortgage cost: $3,155
- Total monthly cost of living: $4,996
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.2
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42. Rhode Island
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,918
- Total monthly cost of living: $5,006
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.2
43. Oregon
- Monthly mortgage cost: $2,987
- Total monthly cost of living: $5,020
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.1
44. New Hampshire
- Monthly mortgage cost: $3,042
- Total monthly cost of living: $5,057
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 12.0
45. Colorado
- Monthly mortgage cost: $3,296
- Total monthly cost of living: $5,179
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 11.8
46. New Jersey
- Monthly mortgage cost: $3,382
- Total monthly cost of living: $5,387
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 11.3
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47. Washington
- Monthly mortgage cost: $3,626
- Total monthly cost of living: $5,750
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 10.6
48. Massachusetts
- Monthly mortgage cost: $3,950
- Total monthly cost of living: $6,277
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 9.7
49. California
- Monthly mortgage cost: $4,698
- Total monthly cost of living: $7,003
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 8.7
50. Hawaii
- Monthly mortgage cost: $5,675
- Total monthly cost of living: $8,357
- Days per month Social Security would last a single person: 7.3
Methodology: For this study, GOBankingRates analyzed the cost of living in each state to find the states where the average Social Security income can cover the necessities. Data was sourced from the U.S. Census 5-year 2023 American Community Survey, the Missouri Economic and Research Information Center, the 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditure Survey, the Zillow Home Value Index for May 2025 and the Federal Reserve Economic Data. Using the average cost of living and the Social Security income, the cost of living after paying with Social Security income was calculated. The states were sorted from cheapest to most expensive. All data was collected on and is up to date as of July 7, 2025.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Long You Could Last on Social Security Alone in Every State
