10 cities where Social Security and retirement incomes are the highest
Arlington, Virginia ranked highest in retirement account and Social Security income, followed by Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Nate Hovee
- Residents of Arlington, VA have the nation's highest retirement incomes, per a SmartAsset analysis of Census data.
- The average retirement income in large cities is $52,723, lower than the median US household income.
- One in five older Americans claim they have no retirement savings, according to AARP.
Residents of some cities in Virginia, Massachusetts, and Texas have the nation's highest retirement income and Social Security benefits.
Arlington, Virginia, ranked highest in retirement income, followed by Cambridge, Massachusetts, and The Woodlands, Texas, according to a SmartAsset analysis of the Census Bureau's 2022 1-year American Community Survey. Three of the top eight large cities with the highest incomes were in the Washington, DC, area.
The analysis calculated that the average retirement income in large cities for which Census data was available totals $52,723, much lower than the median US household income of $74,580. Nationwide, many older Americans are worried they won't be able to retire comfortably, while younger Americans fear they're not saving enough.
According to AARP, one in five older Americans said they have no retirement savings, while over half think they won't have enough money for a comfortable retirement.
Some "peak boomers," or those set to reach 65 in the next few years, previously told Business Insider they won't be able to retire for the foreseeable future, even those with master's degrees and long careers.
In its ranking of 345 cities, SmartAsset determined that Arlington residents aged 65 or over have an average total retirement income of $90,140, divided into $24,296 in Social Security income and $65,844 in income from pension plans, annuities, IRA plans, or 401(k)s.
The neighboring city of Alexandria ranked fifth with an average of $77,952 — $51,409 from retirement accounts and $23,632 from Social Security. Washington, DC, was slightly lower at $75,088 on average.
The DC area's high retirement incomes stem mainly from higher pension and IRA incomes instead of Social Security payments, which are lower than many other cities in the top 20.
The second-highest city, over $10,000 a year less than Arlington, is Cambridge, whose average retiree makes $79,563 a year. This breaks down into $51,344 in retirement account income and $28,219 in Social Security income.
Berkeley, Highlands Ranch in Colorado, and Naperville in Illinois are other cities with total retirement incomes above $75,000.
Though not in the top 10 overall, Ann Arbor ranked highest for Social Security income at $30,428, followed closely by Carmel, Indiana, at $30,069. The top 10 for Social Security income included many Southern cities including Goodyear in Arizona, as well as Allen and Sugar Land in Texas.
Meanwhile, residents of 14 cities in SmartAsset's study depend on Social Security for over half their retirement income, including Lewisville, Texas, at 54.4%. Other cities in this demographic include Spring Hill, Florida, and South Bend, Indiana.
Are you worried about retirement? Reach out to this reporter at nsheidlower@businessinsider.com.