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Where Social Security Goes the Furthest for Retirees

Maggie Davis, Author at LendingTree

Written by  Maggie Davis

Dan Shepard, Editor at LendingTree

Edited by  Dan Shepard

Published Content was accurate at the time of publication.
We are committed to providing accurate content that helps you make informed money decisions. Our partners have not commissioned or endorsed this content. Read our editorial guidelines here.

While many dream of retirement, getting there isn’t so easy — particularly when it comes to managing your finances. 

Debt is the last thing you want to worry about in your golden years, so having a big enough nest egg and factoring in how much of your spending Social Security will cover is crucial. 

We’ll go over the metros where Social Security goes the furthest and which ones require the most savings.

Key findings

  • On average, Social Security covers 30.11% of retirees’ spending. Across the 100 largest U.S. metros, the annual implied pretax need (average estimated annual expenditures before taxes) for retirees is $71,407, while the average Social Security income is $21,500.
  • Social Security covers more than a third of retiree spending in only one of the 100 largest metros. With an implied pretax need of $61,821 and average Social Security income of $21,398, 34.61% of McAllen, Texas, retirees’ spending is covered. Buffalo, N.Y. (33.12%), and El Paso, Texas (32.85%), follow. 
  • California metros have the smallest chunk of retirees’ spending covered by Social Security. Among the 10 metros where Social Security covers the lowest percentage of implied pretax need, eight are in California. San Francisco (24.28%) and Los Angeles (24.85%) rank at the bottom, along with Washington, D.C. (24.91%).
  • Retirees in San Francisco require the biggest nest egg, needing $1.62 million to retire. After accounting for average Social Security income, retirees here need $64,638 annually from additional retirement funds to cover their spending. The five metros requiring the biggest nest eggs across the 100 largest are in California, with Los Angeles ($1.57 million) and Oxnard ($1.53 million) behind San Fran.

Social Security covers 30.11% of retiree spending on average

Across the 100 largest U.S. metros, the implied pretax need for retirees (or average estimated annual expenditures before taxes) is $71,407. Meanwhile, the average Social Security income in these metros is $21,500, meaning Social Security covers 30.11% of retirees’ spending. 

According to Matt Schulz — LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst and author of “Ask Questions, Save Money, Make More: How to Take Control of Your Financial Life” — Americans generally have a lot of work to do before retiring comfortably.

“For many, that’ll never happen,” he says. “Most aren’t fortunate enough to have a seven-figure nest egg or a pension to lean on. Most people have tight budgets, limited expendable income and low retirement account balances. It’s all going to add up to a challenging situation for retirees and their loved ones in the next 15 to 20 years.”

Most aren’t fortunate enough to have a seven-figure nest egg or a pension to lean on. Most people have tight budgets, limited expendable income and low retirement account balances.

Matt Schulz Profile Image
Matt Schulz
LendingTree chief consumer finance analyst

Retirees in this Texas metro rank first

Across the metros analyzed, Social Security covers more than a third of retirement spending in only one of the 100 largest metros: McAllen, Texas. Here, the implied pretax need is $61,821. Meanwhile, the average Social Security income is $21,398, meaning 34.61% of retirees’ spending is covered.

“There’s something to be said for living in a low-cost-of-living location, and McAllen fits that bill,” Schulz says. “Controlling your spending is a crucial step toward having a comfortable retirement, and that can be far easier in a place with cheaper housing and a lower cost of living.”

Social Security covers the highest percentage of retirees' spending in McAllen, Texas.

Buffalo, N.Y. (33.12%), follows, with an implied pretax need of $68,176 and an average Social Security income of $22,581. El Paso, Texas (32.85%), ranks third. Here, the implied pretax need is $65,143 and the average Social Security income is $21,398.

California metros least covered by Social Security

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given it’s one of the most expensive states in which to live, California metros have the smallest chunk of retirees’ spending covered by Social Security. Eight of the 10 metros where it covers the lowest percentage of implied pretax need are in the state.

Social Security covers the lowest percentage of retirees' spending in San Francisco.

San Francisco (24.28%) ranks first, with an implied pretax need of $85,364 and an average Social Security income of just $20,726. Los Angeles (24.85%) follows. Here, the implied pretax need is $83,414 and the average Social Security income is $20,726. Washington, D.C. (24.91%), rounds out the bottom three.

Full rankings: Where Social Security covers highest/lowest percentage of retiree spending

RankMetroAvg. spendingImplied pretax needAvg. SS retirement income% of spending covered by SS
1McAllen, TX$50,673$61,821$21,39834.61%
2Buffalo, NY$55,882$68,176$22,58133.12%
3El Paso, TX$53,396$65,143$21,39832.85%
4Syracuse, NY$56,355$68,754$22,58132.84%
5Scranton, PA$55,053$67,165$21,97832.72%
6Wichita, KS$52,981$64,637$21,09632.64%
7Augusta, GA$53,869$65,720$21,31732.44%
8Tucson, AZ$55,823$68,104$21,98932.29%
9Little Rock, AR$52,744$64,348$20,77232.28%
10Tulsa, OK$52,981$64,637$20,86032.27%
11Winston-Salem, NC$54,106$66,009$21,28032.24%
11Pittsburgh, PA$55,882$68,176$21,97832.24%
13Grand Rapids, MI$56,355$68,754$22,11732.17%
14Birmingham, AL$54,816$66,876$21,45232.08%
15Albany, NY$57,776$70,487$22,58132.04%
16Rochester, NY$57,835$70,559$22,58132.00%
17Greensboro, NC$54,876$66,948$21,28031.79%
18Oklahoma City, OK$53,869$65,720$20,86031.74%
19Greenville, SC$54,935$67,020$21,26831.73%
20Memphis, TN$54,698$66,732$21,15731.70%
20Columbia, SC$54,994$67,093$21,26831.70%
22Toledo, OH$53,514$65,287$20,66531.65%
23San Antonio, TX$55,468$67,670$21,39831.62%
24Milwaukee, WI$56,533$68,970$21,78431.58%
25Knoxville, TN$54,935$67,020$21,15731.57%
25Chattanooga, TN$54,935$67,020$21,15731.57%
27Baltimore, MD$60,795$74,170$23,40831.56%
28Harrisburg, PA$57,125$69,693$21,97831.53%
29Provo, UT$56,237$68,609$21,61531.50%
30Madison, WI$56,711$69,187$21,78431.49%
31Ogden, UT$56,296$68,681$21,61531.47%
32Indianapolis, IN$56,000$68,320$21,49131.46%
33Colorado Springs, CO$57,658$70,343$22,12131.45%
34Las Vegas, NV$57,658$70,343$22,10531.42%
35Baton Rouge, LA$53,751$65,576$20,56331.36%
36New Orleans, LA$53,928$65,793$20,56331.25%
36Detroit, MI$58,013$70,776$22,11731.25%
38Virginia Beach, VA$57,658$70,343$21,97831.24%
39Hartford, CT$60,736$74,098$23,13931.23%
40Jackson, MS$53,692$65,504$20,43331.19%
41Kansas City, MO$55,231$67,381$20,99131.15%
41Boise, ID$55,290$67,454$21,01031.15%
43Spokane, WA$59,789$72,942$22,71531.14%
44Des Moines, IA$54,876$66,948$20,81731.09%
45Richmond, VA$58,013$70,776$21,97831.05%
45Salt Lake City, UT$57,066$69,620$21,61531.05%
47Dayton, OH$54,639$66,659$20,66531.00%
48New Haven, CT$61,269$74,748$23,13930.96%
49Allentown, PA$58,250$71,065$21,97830.93%
50Lakeland, FL$57,658$70,343$21,74030.91%
51Louisville, KY$55,645$67,887$20,94830.86%
52Akron, OH$54,935$67,020$20,66530.83%
53Cleveland, OH$55,053$67,165$20,66530.77%
54Albuquerque, NM$55,053$67,165$20,60030.67%
55Omaha, NE$54,757$66,804$20,46230.63%
56Durham, NC$57,184$69,765$21,28030.50%
56Deltona, FL$58,427$71,281$21,74030.50%
58Cincinnati, OH$55,704$67,959$20,66530.41%
59Worcester, MA$60,381$73,665$22,39730.40%
60Charlotte, NC$57,421$70,054$21,28030.38%
61Austin, TX$57,776$70,487$21,39830.36%
62Jacksonville, FL$58,723$71,642$21,74030.35%
63Columbus, OH$55,941$68,248$20,66530.28%
64St. Louis, MO$57,007$69,548$20,99130.18%
65Bridgeport, CT$63,045$76,915$23,13930.08%
65Nashville, TN$57,658$70,343$21,15730.08%
67Raleigh, NC$58,013$70,776$21,28030.07%
68Palm Bay, FL$59,670$72,798$21,74029.86%
69Orlando, FL$59,848$73,015$21,74029.77%
70Chicago, IL$60,736$74,098$21,92229.59%
71Houston, TX$59,315$72,365$21,39829.57%
72Philadelphia, PA$61,269$74,748$21,97829.40%
73Minneapolis, MN$61,861$75,470$22,15129.35%
74Cape Coral, FL$60,736$74,098$21,74029.34%
75Charleston, SC$59,552$72,654$21,26829.27%
76Atlanta, GA$59,730$72,870$21,31729.25%
77Tampa, FL$61,210$74,676$21,74029.11%
78North Port, FL$61,328$74,820$21,74029.06%
79Denver, CO$62,453$76,192$22,12129.03%
80Providence, RI$59,730$72,870$21,12428.99%
81Phoenix, AZ$62,453$76,192$21,98928.86%
82Dallas, TX$61,150$74,604$21,39828.68%
83Poughkeepsie, NY$64,939$79,226$22,58128.50%
84Bakersfield, CA$60,499$73,809$20,72628.08%
85Seattle, WA$66,893$81,609$22,71527.83%
86New York, NY$66,597$81,248$22,58127.79%
86Boston, MA$66,064$80,598$22,39727.79%
88Portland, OR$63,104$76,987$21,39027.78%
89Fresno, CA$61,565$75,109$20,72627.59%
90Honolulu, HI$65,235$79,587$21,87027.48%
91Miami, FL$66,182$80,742$21,74026.93%
92Stockton, CA$63,577$77,565$20,72626.72%
93Riverside, CA$63,873$77,926$20,72626.60%
94Sacramento, CA$64,465$78,648$20,72626.35%
95San Diego, CA$66,005$80,526$20,72625.74%
96San Jose, CA$66,833$81,537$20,72625.42%
97Oxnard, CA$67,189$81,970$20,72625.28%
98Washington, DC$64,288$78,431$19,54024.91%
99Los Angeles, CA$68,372$83,414$20,72624.85%
100San Francisco, CA$69,971$85,364$20,72624.28%
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) and Tax Foundation data.

San Francisco requires biggest nest egg for retirees

As far as the metros where Americans need the most to retire, San Francisco ranks first. Here, retirees need a whopping $1.62 million to retire. After accounting for average Social Security income, retirees need $64,638 annually from additional retirement funds to cover their spending.

Retirees need the largest nest egg in San Francisco.

According to Schulz, that need for a large nest egg is going to force some difficult choices. “There’s no question that many Californians will have to work longer than they’d like to, and many will have to look elsewhere to retire,” he says. “That’s the unfortunate reality facing many people in that state. In places as expensive as California’s biggest cities, something has to give.”

California again tops the list, with all five of the metros requiring the biggest nest eggs across the 100 largest being in the state. Los Angeles ($1.57 million) follows, with retirees needing an additional $62,688 annually to cover their spending. Oxnard ($1.53 million) ranks third, with retirees needing an additional $61,244 annually.

On the other hand, McAllen ranks at the bottom, requiring a nest egg of $1.0 million, or $40,422 in additional annual income. Wichita, Kan. ($1.1 million), and Little Rock, Ark. ($1.1 million), follow.

Full rankings: Metros where retirees need largest/smallest nest egg

RankMetroAvg. spendingImplied pretax needAverage SS retirement incomeIncome needed from retirement fundsNest egg size
1San Francisco, CA$69,971$85,364$20,726$64,638$1,615,958
2Los Angeles, CA$68,372$83,414$20,726$62,688$1,567,210
3Oxnard, CA$67,189$81,970$20,726$61,244$1,531,100
4San Jose, CA$66,833$81,537$20,726$60,811$1,520,266
5San Diego, CA$66,005$80,526$20,726$59,800$1,494,989
6Miami, FL$66,182$80,742$21,740$59,002$1,475,056
7Seattle, WA$66,893$81,609$22,715$58,894$1,472,349
8Washington, DC$64,288$78,431$19,540$58,891$1,472,270
9New York, NY$66,597$81,248$22,581$58,667$1,466,680
10Boston, MA$66,064$80,598$22,397$58,201$1,455,021
11Sacramento, CA$64,465$78,648$20,726$57,922$1,448,046
12Honolulu, HI$65,235$79,587$21,870$57,716$1,442,911
13Riverside, CA$63,873$77,926$20,726$57,200$1,429,991
14Stockton, CA$63,577$77,565$20,726$56,839$1,420,964
15Poughkeepsie, NY$64,939$79,226$22,581$56,645$1,416,125
16Portland, OR$63,104$76,987$21,390$55,597$1,389,918
17Fresno, CA$61,565$75,109$20,726$54,383$1,359,576
18Phoenix, AZ$62,453$76,192$21,989$54,204$1,355,094
19Denver, CO$62,453$76,192$22,121$54,071$1,351,773
20Bridgeport, CT$63,045$76,915$23,139$53,775$1,344,376
21Minneapolis, MN$61,861$75,470$22,151$53,319$1,332,974
22Dallas, TX$61,150$74,604$21,398$53,205$1,330,133
23Bakersfield, CA$60,499$73,809$20,726$53,083$1,327,077
24North Port, FL$61,328$74,820$21,740$53,080$1,327,004
25Tampa, FL$61,210$74,676$21,740$52,936$1,323,393
26Philadelphia, PA$61,269$74,748$21,978$52,770$1,319,261
27Cape Coral, FL$60,736$74,098$21,740$52,358$1,308,949
28Chicago, IL$60,736$74,098$21,922$52,176$1,304,401
29Providence, RI$59,730$72,870$21,124$51,747$1,293,664
30New Haven, CT$61,269$74,748$23,139$51,608$1,290,211
31Atlanta, GA$59,730$72,870$21,317$51,554$1,288,843
32Charleston, SC$59,552$72,654$21,268$51,385$1,284,628
33Orlando, FL$59,848$73,015$21,740$51,275$1,281,866
34Worcester, MA$60,381$73,665$22,397$51,268$1,281,692
35Palm Bay, FL$59,670$72,798$21,740$51,058$1,276,450
36Houston, TX$59,315$72,365$21,398$50,966$1,274,162
37Hartford, CT$60,736$74,098$23,139$50,958$1,273,962
38Baltimore, MD$60,795$74,170$23,408$50,762$1,269,042
39Spokane, WA$59,789$72,942$22,715$50,228$1,255,689
40Jacksonville, FL$58,723$71,642$21,740$49,902$1,247,562
41Deltona, FL$58,427$71,281$21,740$49,541$1,238,534
42Raleigh, NC$58,013$70,776$21,280$49,496$1,237,399
43Nashville, TN$57,658$70,343$21,157$49,186$1,229,647
44Austin, TX$57,776$70,487$21,398$49,089$1,227,219
45Allentown, PA$58,250$71,065$21,978$49,087$1,227,180
46Richmond, VA$58,013$70,776$21,978$48,798$1,219,958
47Charlotte, NC$57,421$70,054$21,280$48,774$1,219,344
48Detroit, MI$58,013$70,776$22,117$48,658$1,216,459
49Lakeland, FL$57,658$70,343$21,740$48,603$1,215,063
50St. Louis, MO$57,007$69,548$20,991$48,557$1,213,926
51Durham, NC$57,184$69,765$21,280$48,485$1,212,122
52Virginia Beach, VA$57,658$70,343$21,978$48,365$1,209,125
53Las Vegas, NV$57,658$70,343$22,105$48,238$1,205,942
54Colorado Springs, CO$57,658$70,343$22,121$48,221$1,205,527
55Salt Lake City, UT$57,066$69,620$21,615$48,005$1,200,132
56Rochester, NY$57,835$70,559$22,581$47,979$1,199,465
57Albany, NY$57,776$70,487$22,581$47,906$1,197,659
58Harrisburg, PA$57,125$69,693$21,978$47,715$1,192,875
59Columbus, OH$55,941$68,248$20,665$47,583$1,189,572
60Madison, WI$56,711$69,187$21,784$47,403$1,185,080
61Cincinnati, OH$55,704$67,959$20,665$47,294$1,182,350
62Milwaukee, WI$56,533$68,970$21,784$47,187$1,179,663
63Ogden, UT$56,296$68,681$21,615$47,066$1,176,660
64Provo, UT$56,237$68,609$21,615$46,994$1,174,855
65Louisville, KY$55,645$67,887$20,948$46,939$1,173,475
66Indianapolis, IN$56,000$68,320$21,491$46,829$1,170,729
67Grand Rapids, MI$56,355$68,754$22,117$46,636$1,165,904
68Albuquerque, NM$55,053$67,165$20,600$46,565$1,164,132
69Cleveland, OH$55,053$67,165$20,665$46,500$1,162,490
70Boise, ID$55,290$67,454$21,010$46,443$1,161,086
71Kansas City, MO$55,231$67,381$20,991$46,390$1,159,761
72Akron, OH$54,935$67,020$20,665$46,355$1,158,879
73Omaha, NE$54,757$66,804$20,462$46,341$1,158,533
74San Antonio, TX$55,468$67,670$21,398$46,272$1,156,804
75Pittsburgh, PA$55,882$68,176$21,978$46,198$1,154,960
76Syracuse, NY$56,355$68,754$22,581$46,173$1,154,327
77Des Moines, IA$54,876$66,948$20,817$46,131$1,153,285
78Tucson, AZ$55,823$68,104$21,989$46,115$1,152,877
79Dayton, OH$54,639$66,659$20,665$45,994$1,149,851
80Knoxville, TN$54,935$67,020$21,157$45,864$1,146,594
80Chattanooga, TN$54,935$67,020$21,157$45,864$1,146,594
82Columbia, SC$54,994$67,093$21,268$45,824$1,145,605
83Greenville, SC$54,935$67,020$21,268$45,752$1,143,799
84Greensboro, NC$54,876$66,948$21,280$45,668$1,141,708
85Buffalo, NY$55,882$68,176$22,581$45,595$1,139,883
86Memphis, TN$54,698$66,732$21,157$45,575$1,139,372
87Birmingham, AL$54,816$66,876$21,452$45,424$1,135,597
88New Orleans, LA$53,928$65,793$20,563$45,230$1,130,744
89Scranton, PA$55,053$67,165$21,978$45,187$1,129,683
90Jackson, MS$53,692$65,504$20,433$45,071$1,126,778
91Baton Rouge, LA$53,751$65,576$20,563$45,013$1,125,327
92Oklahoma City, OK$53,869$65,720$20,860$44,861$1,121,515
93Winston-Salem, NC$54,106$66,009$21,280$44,729$1,118,236
94Toledo, OH$53,514$65,287$20,665$44,622$1,115,547
95Augusta, GA$53,869$65,720$21,317$44,404$1,110,098
96Tulsa, OK$52,981$64,637$20,860$43,777$1,094,432
97El Paso, TX$53,396$65,143$21,398$43,744$1,093,612
98Little Rock, AR$52,744$64,348$20,772$43,576$1,089,409
99Wichita, KS$52,981$64,637$21,096$43,541$1,088,535
100McAllen, TX$50,673$61,821$21,398$40,422$1,010,558
Source: LendingTree analysis of U.S. BLS, U.S. BEA, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. SSA and Tax Foundation data.

Preparing for retirement: Top expert tips

Your golden years shouldn’t be a financial strain, but unfortunately they are for many Americans. Schulz recommends the following advice for those nearing retirement:

  • When in doubt, put more away. “Very few people can comfortably say they’ll have plenty of money to retire on regardless of what happens to Social Security,” he says. “Knowing that, the more you can put into retirement savings and the longer you can do it, the better off you’ll be.”
  • Be ruthless in prioritizing your spending. “Living on a fixed income isn’t easy, especially for those who earned a lot in their careers but didn’t put enough savings away,” he says. “It can be a seriously rude awakening. One of the most important things to do is be laser-focused on controlling spending. Every cent you spend on things that don’t matter can’t be spent on the things that do, so take the time to assess your budget and make sure your spending lines up with your values.”
  • Knock down your high-interest debt. “Credit card debt is a killer for retirees,” he says. “Those card payments take up funds that could be much better used elsewhere. If you have good credit — as many older Americans do — consider a 0% balance transfer credit card. It’s perhaps the best weapon you have in the battle against credit card debt. If your credit isn’t great, consider a low-interest personal loan. You can even call your card issuer and ask them to lower your rate. It works way more often than you’d imagine.”

Methodology

To determine where Social Security stretches the furthest, LendingTree analysts conducted two calculations:

  • Estimating annual retiree spending: Researchers estimated average annual retiree expenditures by multiplying the average annual expenditures of retired workers (using U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — BLS — 2023 Consumer Expenditure Survey data) with the cost of living (using U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis — BEA — 2023 regional price parity data) in each metro. We adjusted for inflation using the year-over-year change in the BLS Consumer Price Index from April 2024 to April 2025. To account for taxes, these expenditures were then converted to pretax income levels, assuming a flat 22% federal tax rate (via the Tax Foundation).
  • Calculating coverage by Social Security: Researchers divided the average annualized Social Security retirement benefit (based on 2024 Social Security Administration — SSA — averages plus 2025 cost-of-living adjustments) by the implied pretax income required. Researchers also applied the “4% rule” to determine necessary retirement assets, dividing the gap between implied needs and Social Security benefits by 4% to estimate required savings.

Researchers used the U.S. Census Bureau 2023 American Community Survey with five-year estimates to identify the 100 largest metros.

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