20 Best Places in the South To Live on Only a Social Security Check
Life below the Mason-Dixon line is known for warm weather and low costs — and that second part is particularly important for anyone planning to retire on Social Security alone. The average monthly benefit for an individual is $1,784.29 and $3,568.58 for a couple.
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That’s not a lot to work with — even in the South — but if that government check is all you have, you do have options.
To find the best places in the South for retired couples who rely on Social Security alone, GOBankingRates used cost-of-living data from Sperling’s Best Places, average rent prices under $1,785, and livability scores from AreaVibes — livability scores are calculated using factors like crime, schools and local amenities. Each of the locations has monthly living expenses less than the national average of $3,241.33
Half the 20 cities ranked in the study are in Texas, and Alabama. Arkansas and Kentucky have multiple showings as well, which doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for the other states. Keep reading to learn about the places in the South where you should consider moving if Social Security benefits are your only income.
20. New Braunfels, Texas
Livability: 88
Monthly expenditures: $2,982.69
The first of a whopping 10 Texas cities ranked in the study, New Braunfels has an exceptional livability score of 88. But costs are on the high side. The average rent of $1,705 is among the highest on the list, and the overall monthly expenditures are within just $300 of the national average.
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19. San Angelo, Texas
Livability: 78
Monthly expenditures: $2,582.94
It isn’t the cost of housing in San Angelo that will set you back a bunch; the average rent is $1,179. It’s health care and utilities that are pricey. Utilities cost 6.5% over the national average, with healthcare coming in at 21.1% above the standard – the third highest in the study.
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18. Cary, North Carolina
Livability: 88
Monthly expenditures: $2,968.71
A suburb of Raleigh, Cary has a high livability score but also a high cost of living. Monthly expenditure and rents — $1,705 – fall within the five highest in the study. At 3.2% over the national average, groceries in Cary cost more than in any city in the rankings.
17. Madison, Alabama
Livability: 89
Monthly expenditures: $3,000.99
While Madison is still affordable compared to the national average, it is one of the pricier cities on this list. It has the second-highest monthly expenditures, and it’s also one of seven locales where the average monthly rent is over $1,500, at $1,591. Leading to the high overall cost of expenditures is healthcare, which comes in at 23.8% over the national average – the highest in the study.
16. Decatur, Alabama
Livability: 74
Monthly expenditures: $2,417.37
Retirees can live in Decatur for about $800 less than the national monthly average, with rent costs at $1,082. Just as in nearby Madison, healthcare costs are high in Decatur at 15.9% above the national average.
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15. Owensboro, Kentucky
Livability: 73
Monthly expenditures: $2,363.89
In Owensboro, the first of two Kentucky locations in the study, retirees can rent an apartment for less than $1,000 a month. Groceries cost more than 8% below the national average, but healthcare costs are second highest on the list at 22.9% above average.
14. Lake Charles, Louisiana
Livability: 70
Monthly expenditures: $2,237.66
A Lake Charles apartment averages $999 a month, and utilities and groceries both cost below the national average. It’s the livability score of 70, the lowest in the study, that puts Lake Charles in the lower half of the list.
13. Abilene, Texas
Livability: 75
Monthly expenditures: $2,423.03
Abilene’s monthly expenditures fall about $800 under the national average, but it does have a couple of red flags when it comes to costs. Health care (16.6%) and utilities (5.5%) both are higher than the national average prices.
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12. Johnson City, Tennessee
Livability: 72
Monthly expenditures: $2,301.64
Johnson City, in eastern Tennessee, is a leader in affordability, with rental rates averaging $1,074 per month and costs of groceries, healthcare and utilities below average. Its livability score keeps Johnson City from landing higher in the rankings.
11. Longview, Texas
Livability: 78
Monthly expenditures: $2,487.27
In Longview, the average monthly expenditures are over $700 less than the national average. The monthly rent of $1,262 also falls about the same amount under the average, and the price of groceries, utilities and healthcare come in under the national threshold.
10. North Richland Hills, Texas
Livability: 89
Monthly expenditures: $2,902.54
North Richland Hills is another Texas town worthy of consideration for moving to if you’re living on Social Security. Its monthly rent of $1,601 is under the national average, and while its average monthly expenditures are on the higher side of this list, the total still is less than the U.S. average. It makes it all worthwhile with a high livability score of 89.
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9. League City, Texas
Livability: 91
Monthly expenditures: $2,953.55
Its high livability score lands League City in the top 10 of best places to live on a Social Security check in the South. While its monthly rent and expenditures are among the five highest, the cost of utilities falls more than 8% below the national average – a benefit when you run the air conditioning during the steamy Texas summer.
8. Pearland, Texas
Livability: 93
Monthly expenditures: $3,004.61
Pearland’s cost of monthly expenditures is the highest on the list, and so is its average rent at $1,779. Still, its healthcare and utilities costs rank less than the national average, and its livability score is the highest at 93.
7. McAllen, Texas
Livability: 81
Monthly expenditures: $2,538.08
Texas shows up a lot on this list, and no wonder. Cities like McAllen offer affordability. Its average monthly expenditures are neither the highest nor lowest on this; McAllen sits comfortably at just about in the middle. The average monthly rent of $1,329 is over $600 less than the national average.
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6. Rogers, Arkansas
Livability: 81
Monthly expenditures: $2,536.79
Rogers offers an average monthly expenditure that is about $700 less than the national average, and a decent average rent of $1,317. With monthly costs of groceries, utilities and healthcare below the average, too, Rogers is a great place for folks living on Social Security.
5. Lynchburg, Virginia
Livability: 82
Monthly expenditures: $2,530.05
Lynchburg also happily falls under the national average in monthly expenditures by nearly $700, and monthly rent of $1,235 is also about $700 less than the national average. A livability score over 80 helps to land Lynchburg in the top five best places to live in retirement in the South.
4. Bentonville, Arkansas
Livability: 92
Monthly expenditures: $2,835.33
Bentonville takes the No. 4 spot on this list despite having one of the higher monthly expenditures in the study, fueled by a monthly rent of $1,599. What really sells Bentonville, however, is its livability score of 92 – second highest on the list.
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3. Richmond, Kentucky
Livability: 76
Monthly expenditures: $2,203.81
Richmond is one of four cities on this list where the average monthly rent is less than $1,000. At $931, it’s the lowest in the study. The average monthly expenditures are also more than $1,200 less than the national average. Its only blemish comes with healthcare costs, which exceed the average by 3.2%.
2. Pharr, Texas
Livability: 79
Monthly expenditures: $2,296.52
In Pharr, rental costs are within reach at an average of $1,095 per month. While healthcare costs are just a tad below the national average, residents in Pharr pay more than 10% under the average for groceries and utilities.
1. Edinburg, Texas
Livability: 77
Monthly expenditures: $2,200.92
The No. 1 spot on this list is also a Texas locale. Edinburg has the lowest monthly expenditures on this list, and rent averages less than $1,000 per month. Costs of groceries and utilities are among the lowest, too.
Jordan Rosenfeld and Andrew Lisa contributed to the reporting for this article.
Methodology: GOBankingRates determined the best cities in the South (AL, AR, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, LA, MD, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA, and WV ) for a couple to live on only a Social Security check based on the average monthly benefit for retired workers, $1,784.29 ($3,568.58 for a couple), sourced from Social Security Administration. GOBankingRates first isolated all cities in the South with a 2023 average monthly rent under $1,785 and a size rank below 1,000. GOBankingRates then used Sperling’s Best to find the cost-of-living index for each listed city, looking at grocery and healthcare index scores. Next, GOBankingRates used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics 2021 Consumer Expenditure Survey to find the annual expenditure amount for both grocery (“food at home”) and healthcare costs for people aged 65 and older in order to find how much a couple 65 and over would spend on groceries and healthcare in each city on a monthly basis. GOBankingRates then added monthly housing, grocery, and healthcare costs together to find where a couple 65 and older could survive on their Social Security or less. In order for a city to be qualified for the study the city had to have a livability score above 70 as sourced from AreaVibes. GOBankingRates scored and combined both livability and monthly necessities expenditure, with the lowest score being best, to determine final rankings. All data was collected and is up to date as of May 10, 2023.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 20 Best Places in the South To Live on Only a Social Security Check
