10 States Where Living on Social Security Alone Is Particularly Challenging, Even Without a Mortgage

6 days ago 12

Dana George, The Motley Fool

Tue, March 3, 2026 astatine 4:12 AM CST 3 min read

The nonprofit advocacy enactment The Senior Citizens League (TSCL) recovered that astir 22 cardinal Americans unrecorded connected Social Security alone. That's nary casual feat, fixed that the mean monthly Social Security payment is astir $2,000.

While Social Security benefits were ne'er intended to beryllium the sole root of income for retirees, those 22 cardinal are making a spell of it. It's easier said than done -- peculiarly successful states that fertile arsenic slightest affordable, adjacent for retirees with nary owe payments to contend with.

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Topographic representation  of the continental United States.

Image source: Getty Images.

Note that the "monthly lodging expenses" mentioned successful this nonfiction screen each costs associated with homeownership, whether a owe is paid disconnected oregon not. This includes lodging costs similar spot taxes, utilities, location repairs, and wide maintenance.

According to a Realtor.com study, present are the 10 states wherever the median Social Security outgo doesn't agelong acold capable to screen the outgo of living:

State

Median Monthly Benefit

Monthly Housing Expenses

Total Monthly Expenses

Total Monthly Shortfall

Vermont

$1,954

$838

$2,628

$674

New Jersey

$2,172

$1,304

$2,798

$626

Massachusetts

$2,022

$1,007

$2,634

$612

New York

$1,974

$1,065

$2,578

$604

New Hampshire

$2,121

$921

$2,668

$547

Connecticut

$2,159

$983

$2,612

$453

Rhode Island

$1,994

$740

$2,341

$347

Alaska

$1,795

$623

$2,141

$346

Maryland

$2,084

$755

$2,390

$306

Maine

$1,809

$637

$2,110

$301

Data source: Realtor.com.

If you're retired oregon rapidly coming up connected retirement, you whitethorn retrieve a tv amusement called Mayberry R.F.D. One 1969 occurrence featured a handyman named Emmett Clark (a quality archetypal introduced connected The Andy Griffith Show). In this episode, Emmett gathered friends and neighbors to his store to celebrate.

In 1 hand, Emmett held his owe note, and successful the other, a blowtorch. The connection was clear: By paying disconnected (and blowtorching) his mortgage, helium was present acceptable to retire. Chances are, erstwhile calculating however overmuch wealth helium needed to retire, Emmett decided he'd beryllium acceptable erstwhile helium nary longer had a owe to contend with.

The world is, whether you ain a location oregon not, you'll ever person lodging costs. You'll beryllium either paying rent oregon spending wealth connected spot upkeep. Unless you unrecorded with a person oregon comparative who won't judge a dime from you, lodging costs are a mode of life.

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