These US States Have The Highest Percentage Of Social Security Recipients

The Social Security Administration's benefits program is designed to support retirees, seniors, and people living with disabilities across the country — whether they live in densely populated cities or obscure rural towns. According to the Social Security Administration, an average of 20% of the American population are beneficiaries of benefits under the Social Security program. However, a closer look at the data shows that, in some states, a larger share receive benefits.

Specifically, in West Virginia, 27.1% of the population are Social Security recipients — the highest share in the country. Out of a total population of 1.76 million people, approximately 480,000 receive benefits. While the bulk of this number is made up of retired workers, the state also has over 70,000 disabled workers as beneficiaries. Kanawha County, in particular, houses the highest share of those residents, with 49,490 beneficiaries.

Following closely, with 26.7% of its population receiving benefits, is Maine. While Maine doesn't rank among the most populous states, having over 350,000 beneficiaries out of a total population of 1.4 million means that approximately one in four residents receive benefits. Similar to West Virginia, most of the recipient population is made up of retired workers. For both states, the population of seniors and retirees does not just make up a significant share but also shows a heavy reliance on social security benefits.

The uneven distribution of Social Security recipients says less about the economic status of the recipients and more about who actually lives in certain states and why. Maine and West Virginia rank No. 1 and No. 3, respectively, on the list of states with the oldest populations. When you mix low birth rates, and low minority populations, you often get states like Maine where the population of people aged 65 and older outnumbers those aged 18 and younger. Plus, the state's median household income, at $76,442, can serve to drive younger populations to better-paying neighboring states like Massachusetts.

West Virginia, on the other hand, is a different story. Factors like favorable property tax rates, mild weather conditions, and affordable cost of living have made West Virginia one of the cheapest states to retire in which could contribute to its older population. Similarly, per the U.S. Census Bureau, disability rates tend to be higher in rural areas which could be a factor in West Virginia's high disability population rate of 19.5% — the highest in the country. All told, its easy to see how the state has the largest share of residents receiving Social Security payments.