In January 2026, the Social Security Administration (SSA) enacted a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for benefit recipients, boosting payouts by 2.8%. This increased the average retiree payment by about $56 per month, from roughly $2,015 to $2,071.
But that amount goes much further in certain states than others, because everyday costs vary widely. That makes where you live an important decision if you want Social Security to cover as much of your monthly expenses as possible.
