15 Cities Where Retirees Are Most Reliant on Social Security

Persistent inflation and the continued rising cost of living have robbed many older Americans of the retirement they had anticipated. Retirees' savings don't go as far as they had expected when inflation surges and cash loses its purchasing power. In an effort to keep pace with the rising price of goods and services, the Social Security Administration adjusts payment amounts each year, including a historic 8.7% adjustment in 2022. Those cost of living adjustments helped retirees in some parts of the country more than in others, depending on the extent of their other sources of income. A new report from SmartAsset finds that Social Security benefits comprise 41.7% of a retiree's total income of $50,780, on average. That percentage is even higher for retirees in some cities, where benefits can make up half of overall retirement income. To find out where retirees rely most on Social Security, SmartAsset examined data for Social Security income as a percentage of overall retirement income in the 100 U.S. cities with the largest population of residents ages 65 and older. Researchers gathered data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 one-year American Community Survey to determine average retirement income for senior households coming from pension plans, periodic income from annuities or insurance and income from IRA plans. They also used American Community Survey data to find average Social Security income for senior households, including Social Security pensions and survivor benefits, as well as permanent disability insurance payments made by the Social Security Administration. See the gallery for the 15 U.S. cities where retirees most rely on Social Security.