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Quick Summary<\/p>\n
The average retired household in the U.S. brings in about $2,302 a month, but where you live makes a major difference. Some states average well above $3,000 a month, while others sit closer to $1,700, often leaving little margin beyond Social Security.<\/p>\n
If you’re trying to figure out whether your retirement income will actually stretch where you live or plan to retire, it can help to walk through the numbers with a financial advisor. SmartAsset lets readers take a short quiz and connect with financial advisors for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n Retirement income looks very different depending on where you live. In some places, the typical retired household has enough income to comfortably cover basics plus travel and discretionary spending.<\/p>\n In others, the margin is much thinner, with many households leaning heavily on Social Security.<\/p>\n Analysis of U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data shows the average retired household retirement income nationally is $27,617 per year, or about $2,302 per month.<\/p>\n That’s an average, not a target, and it includes a wide mix of households, from retirees living primarily on Social Security to higher-income households drawing from pensions and investment income.<\/p>\n At the top end of the range, Washington, D.C. at $43,080 per year and Alaska at $36,023 per year stand out. Indiana with $20,542 per year, and West Virginia $21,118 per year rank are among the lowest.<\/p>\n The takeaway “average” retirement income is often as much about local economics and benefit structures as it is about individual planning. Higher wage histories can translate into larger Social Security checks, certain regions have more pension prevalence, and cost-of-living differences influence where retirees settle.<\/p>\n For a lot of households, Social Security is the foundation. As of November, the average monthly benefit for retired workers was about $2,013, according to a Congressional Research Service summary of Social Security data.<\/p>\n That matters because many states in the table below have average monthly total retirement income in the ballpark of $1,700 to $2,300. If your household income in retirement is close to the Social Security average, you may have less room for rising healthcare costs, housing shocks, or helping adult kids than you think.<\/p>\n If you’re trying to understand whether your retirement income will actually cover your costs where you live, it can help to walk through the numbers with a financial advisor. You don’t need a specific net worth or a finished plan. SmartAsset lets readers take a short quiz and connect with financial advisors for free<\/a>.<\/p>\n State<\/p>\n Avg annual retirement income<\/p>\n Avg monthly equivalent<\/p>\n Alabama<\/p>\n $24,896<\/p>\n $2,075<\/p>\n Alaska<\/p>\n $36,023<\/p>\n $3,002<\/p>\n Arizona<\/p>\n $28,725<\/p>\n $2,394<\/p>\n Arkansas<\/p>\n $21,967<\/p>\n $1,831<\/p>\n California<\/p>\n $34,737<\/p>\n $2,895<\/p>\n Colorado<\/p>\n $32,379<\/p>\n $2,698<\/p>\n Connecticut<\/p>\n $32,052<\/p>\n $2,671<\/p>\n Delaware<\/p>\n $31,283<\/p>\n $2,607<\/p>\n District of Columbia<\/p>\n $43,080<\/p>\n $3,590<\/p>\n Florida<\/p>\n $30,158<\/p>\n $2,513<\/p>\n Georgia<\/p>\n $27,961<\/p>\n $2,330<\/p>\n Hawaii<\/p>\n $32,294<\/p>\n $2,691<\/p>\n Idaho<\/p>\n $24,752<\/p>\n $2,063<\/p>\n Illinois<\/p>\n $31,223<\/p>\n $2,602<\/p>\n Indiana<\/p>\n $20,542<\/p>\n $1,712<\/p>\n Iowa<\/p>\n $22,308<\/p>\n $1,859<\/p>\n Kansas<\/p>\n $23,294<\/p>\n $1,941<\/p>\n Kentucky<\/p>\n $24,419<\/p>\n $2,035<\/p>\n Louisiana<\/p>\n $26,512<\/p>\n $2,209<\/p>\n Maine<\/p>\n $25,545<\/p>\n $2,129<\/p>\n Maryland<\/p>\n $35,732<\/p>\n $2,978<\/p>\n Massachusetts<\/p>\n $31,198<\/p>\n $2,600<\/p>\n Michigan<\/p>\n $24,389<\/p>\n $2,032<\/p>\n Minnesota<\/p>\n $26,385<\/p>\n $2,199<\/p>\n Mississippi<\/p>\n $23,347<\/p>\n $1,946<\/p>\n Missouri<\/p>\n $24,125<\/p>\n $2,010<\/p>\n Montana<\/p>\n $25,463<\/p>\n $2,122<\/p>\n Nebraska<\/p>\n $23,821<\/p>\n $1,985<\/p>\n Nevada<\/p>\n $31,171<\/p>\n $2,598<\/p>\n New Hampshire<\/p>\n $26,395<\/p>\n $2,200<\/p>\n New Jersey<\/p>\n $30,660<\/p>\n $2,555<\/p>\n New Mexico<\/p>\n $29,707<\/p>\n $2,476<\/p>\n New York<\/p>\n $30,326<\/p>\n $2,527<\/p>\n North Carolina<\/p>\n $25,324<\/p>\n $2,110<\/p>\n North Dakota<\/p>\n $23,347<\/p>\n $1,946<\/p>\n Ohio<\/p>\n $26,316<\/p>\n $2,193<\/p>\n Oklahoma<\/p>\n $23,963<\/p>\n $1,997<\/p>\n Oregon<\/p>\n $28,565<\/p>\n $2,380<\/p>\n Pennsylvania<\/p>\n $24,392<\/p>\n $2,033<\/p>\n Rhode Island<\/p>\n $27,118<\/p>\n $2,260<\/p>\n South Carolina<\/p>\n $26,227<\/p>\n $2,186<\/p>\n South Dakota<\/p>\n $24,020<\/p>\n $2,002<\/p>\n Tennessee<\/p>\n $23,715<\/p>\n $1,976<\/p>\n Texas<\/p>\n $27,471<\/p>\n $2,289<\/p>\n Utah<\/p>\n $28,632<\/p>\n $2,386<\/p>\n Vermont<\/p>\n $24,870<\/p>\n $2,073<\/p>\n Virginia<\/p>\n $35,306<\/p>\n $2,942<\/p>\n Washington<\/p>\n $29,351<\/p>\n $2,446<\/p>\n West Virginia<\/p>\n $21,118<\/p>\n $1,760<\/p>\n Wisconsin<\/p>\n $25,378<\/p>\n $2,115<\/p>\n Wyoming<\/p>\n $26,465<\/p>\n $2,205<\/p>\n Retirement income doesn’t rise and fall randomly across the map. It tends to follow the same forces that shape paychecks during people’s working years, and then gets amplified by local retirement systems and migration patterns. A financial advisor can help you understand whether your income will stretch where you plan to retire<\/a>.<\/p>\n One big driver is earnings history. Social Security is based on what you earned over your career, so states with more high-wage industries and higher lifetime pay often show higher retirement income even before you factor in investments or pensions.<\/p>\n Another driver is pensions and public-sector concentration. Places with larger shares of retired government workers or legacy employers with defined-benefit plans can have a higher baseline of predictable retirement income. In other states, retirees rely more heavily on Social Security plus whatever they managed to save in a 401(k) or IRA.<\/p>\n Then there’s who moves where. Some states attract higher-income retirees who arrive with bigger portfolios and paid-off homes. Others keep more lifelong residents who may not have had the same wages, the same access to employer plans, or the same ability to build assets.<\/p>\n The important nuance is that a higher number isn’t automatically better. States with higher retirement incomes often also have higher housing costs, insurance costs, and everyday expenses.<\/p>\n A monthly budget that feels comfortable in one part of the country can feel tight somewhere else, even with the same income.<\/p>\n Image: Shutterstock<\/p>\n This article The Average Monthly Retirement Income in Every State \u2014 How Does Yours Stack Up?<\/a> originally appeared on Benzinga.com<\/a><\/p>\n \u00a9 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below. 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