You Might Be Lower-Class Retiree If Your Income Is Below This Number In Florida

Because the Social Security Administration (SSA) doesn't label individuals as lower-class retirees, arriving at the answer of who qualifies for this status requires a different approach. Nationally, the SSA recorded the average retirement benefits check at $2,071 for January 2026, but average amounts in a particular state can vary because benefits are based upon a formula using each retiree's career earnings. Kiplinger, leveraging information from the Annual Statistical Supplement, 2025 in Table 5.J6, listed the average Social Security benefit in Florida as $1,961.58 with the median coming in at $1,899.00. Note that these figures wouldn't include Social Security's annual cost-of-living increase of 2.8% for 2026. Taking that amount into consideration to estimate 2026 numbers would bump Florida's average to about $2,016.50 and the median to $1,952.17. With that logic, you might be considered a lower-class retiree if your Social Security is below these numbers.

This isn't the only way to arrive at the answer. GOBankingRates used information gathered from the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Pew Research Center to calculate the median household income in Florida of $71,711, as of January 2025, with anything below the middle-class threshold of $47,807 considered lower class. Using these numbers, a couple — both on Social Security — receiving the 2026 average of $2,016.50 would barely squeak by into the middle class, earning $48,396. Both of these approaches, however, assume that retirees only receive Social Security with no pension checks or private retirement savings. 

Yet another way to classify seniors based on their income is by using federal poverty level guidelines. In 2026, a one-person household with income of $15,650 or less qualifies as living in poverty. A two-person household with an income of $21,150 or less also qualifies. In 2023, 12.6% of Floridians, across age demographics, fit this classification. According to America's Health Rankings, which uses data from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 1-Year Dataset, 12.1% of adults aged 65 and up in Florida are below the federal poverty level. The Miami Herald, citing what the United Way calls ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed), reported that 42% of seniors in Miami-Dade land in this category — earning too much for many assistance programs but not enough to cover basic needs.

No two financial situations for retirees are ever exactly the same and, sometimes, a retired person could have a relatively low Social Security check but a solid investment portfolio, including private retirement savings. In these situations, those additional factors could bump them into the middle or even upper class. To determine this, one would have to look at the person's net worth — which is their assets minus their liabilities. If a retiree has a net worth below the amount of $10,000, for example, this suggests that assets wouldn't generate much income, making their Social Security checks and possible pension their main incomes. As net worth increases, it becomes less likely that the person would fall into the lower income classification.