The Social Security Administration (SSA) is the US government agency in charge of sending millions of payments to recipients of retirement, survivor, and disability insurance (RSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs across the country. The agency just certified a new boost in retiree pay, but some states will see larger increases than others. Every year, the Social Security Administration modifies monthly benefit levels based on the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The cost-of-living adjustment is intended to help seniors maintain their purchasing power as the price of goods and services rises. This adjustment is quantified by the change in inflation, which will not be formally disclosed for another two months.
Social Security announced a new increase in retiree payouts:
The Senior Citizens League estimated earlier this week that remuneration will increase by 2.6% COLA next year. This would be the lowest increase beneficiaries have received since 2021. However, not all states experience the same level of benefit increases each month. Because of the way Social Security is calculated, some retirees in certain states may receive larger payments than others. Your actual benefit amount may differ based on when you initially applied for Social Security and your earnings history.
As a result, your monthly payments will increase by your earnings and the length of time you wait to apply for assistance. According to recent Motley Fool research, these elements would result in higher Social Security benefits for some states than others. This allows Social Security benefits to be enhanced in states where the median wage is significantly greater than in others, as determined by the cost of living adjustment (COLA). According to the analysis, the following states had the highest median monthly Social Security payouts:
- New Jersey: $2,100
- Connecticut: $2,084
- Delaware: $2,064
- New Hampshire: $2,039
- Maryland: $2,008
- Michigan: $2,005
- Washington: $1,992
- Minnesota: $1,982
- Indiana: $1,952
- Massachusetts: $1,946
The reason why certain states in the US have bigger COLA hikes than others
Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, explains why Social Security has grown more in different areas. He further stated that this is not due to complex benefit distribution calculations, but rather to the reality that these states’ median salaries are greater than the national average, which is reflected in the Social Security benefits that recipients get. Then, because their current monthly payment amount is larger on average, Social Security recipients in these states are expected to receive the largest COLA increases.
Assuming the current cost of living adjustment (COLA) forecasts are correct, the average retiree in New Jersey will get $54.60 more in Social Security benefits. Massachusetts would see an increase of $50.60. The states listed above have higher average incomes; New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maryland, Washington, and Massachusetts rank among the top ten. However, the underlying story goes deeper than income to explain why these locations will gain the most from bigger cost-of-living adjustment hikes. Even among retirees with more disposable cash, some prefer to stay in their retirement communities.
For example, the Motley Fool observes that Washington, D.C., and California have some of the highest median Social Security payments but the lowest incomes due to seniors going elsewhere. Finally, retirees who live outside of the top ten states can expect a significant rise in their benefits because the cost of living adjustment is applied to everyone recipient, regardless of where they live. Alex Beene elaborated: “Even if your state doesn’t make the top 10, your Social Security income will increase significantly the following year to cope with rising prices.”
