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10 Best Places in the Midwest To Live on JUST a Social Security Check

June 23, 2022 · Saving & Spending
Midwest cities
Photo by f11photo from Shutterstock

According to the Social Security Administration, the average monthly payment is $1,618.29. Sometimes, a monthly Social Security Check isn’t enough for most retirees who don’t have other incomes – unless they decide to relocate to one of the most financially friendly cities in the inexpensive Midwest.

GOBankingRates used Sperling’s Best Places cost-of-living data to identify those cities where day-to-day life is low-priced and the rent for the average one-bedroom apartment has a reasonable price. Ultimately, the study analyzed AreaVibes data to identify low-cost, low-rent places with comparable strong livability scores, which are determined based on quality-of-life criteria such as amenities and crime.

If your only source of income comes from Social Security checks, your money will go the furthest in the Midwest. That’s why we’ve rounded up 10 cities where you can live on just your monthly retirement payment.

Keep reading to find out about them!

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Tags: Social Security

18 responses to “10 Best Places in the Midwest To Live on JUST a Social Security Check”

  1. Glenn says:
    October 25, 2022 at 4:23 pm

    Well, as I see it, retirement and cold, lousy weather usually don’t go well together. However, if you don’t have a choice…then we might have made better retirement plans before we had no choice.

    Reply
  2. Angel says:
    October 26, 2022 at 8:59 am

    Where does Puerto Rico rank over all, for Americans, living on just Social Security income ?

    Reply
  3. Jay says:
    December 18, 2022 at 5:08 pm

    To bad cold winters for retierment

    Reply
  4. Marc F Povondra says:
    December 18, 2022 at 11:21 pm

    You do not mention anything about utilities. North Dakota gets very cold in the winter. What are the cost of utilities in this town during winter. Can a person on SSI still be able to live afford to there?

    Reply
    • M. Davies says:
      August 29, 2023 at 7:14 pm

      There’s a lot apartments that have heat “included” in their rent, so you need to look for those 👍

      Reply
  5. Kurt Kelley says:
    January 18, 2023 at 8:52 pm

    OK, but who wants to live in Kansas or North Dakota?? Fishing and canoeing in Williston, ND? What, for maybe 4 months of the year?

    Reply
    • Marilyn says:
      January 12, 2025 at 5:14 pm

      Have you been in either place? Fishing and canoeing usually runs April to mid October…if you are not a fan of ice fishing.

      Reply
    • Edward says:
      January 12, 2025 at 6:30 pm

      I did and I am still struggling. Rent is Cheaper. But other costs evens things out still leaving you hurt. Rent is cheap cost of electricity, gas, water, transportation, has me thinking did I make b the wrong choice!

      Reply
  6. BKH says:
    April 14, 2023 at 6:06 pm

    Most of these look like they’re in tornado zones.

    Reply
  7. Joseph Campbell says:
    April 14, 2023 at 8:29 pm

    Sorry, notinterested in living in the Midwest. No thanks to super cold weather, flooding or tornadoes!

    Reply
    • Jim Ernst says:
      June 17, 2023 at 8:23 pm

      Stay around here and fish… maybe you can start another chain of Seafood Shanty’s lol lol

      Reply
      • Edward says:
        January 12, 2025 at 6:31 pm

        Well you have the shanty right. Don’t get caught fishing without paying more money!

        Reply
  8. Mary Ellen Tousineau says:
    June 16, 2023 at 1:48 pm

    Too cold for too long, stuck inside. If you live alone that is the worst with the grey skies and snow.. People have heart attacks shoveling snow. What is the point of living if you live like that? I bet the suicide rate is high.

    Reply
  9. Elizabeth says:
    June 17, 2023 at 11:17 am

    Apartments are cheaper in Detroit, Michigan

    Reply
  10. Shannon Brown says:
    July 19, 2023 at 11:18 am

    Whole-Lee-Smokes**!!
    A majority of the people in THIS comment section are giving rise to the stereotype “grumpy old folks”
    L Ö L

    **not gonna break
    Commandment III

    Reply
  11. Makinzy says:
    July 31, 2023 at 4:52 pm

    no thanks – came from the mid-west – – way toooo cold, and too much crime. some of the very cities mentioned are the very cities that appear on cop shows regularly and it’s due to the criminal activity. we’ve migrated to south Texas – – yes, it’s hot this year, but sure beats the cold winters up north. cost of almost everything – rent, groceries, gas – are much more reasonable down here and crimes are not so “random” – mostly between family members or groups. as for immigration – heck they head north asap. they don’t want to hang around down here. we’re lov’in it down here and best of all, feel safe.

    Reply
  12. Mary says:
    July 31, 2023 at 6:12 pm

    Not a grumpy old folk however cold and bad weather and dinky old run down apartments may not be what most retirees want ! U just keep on living and don’t judge happy Seniors!

    Reply
  13. STEVE says:
    January 12, 2025 at 4:55 pm

    There are quite a number of folks in the upper Midwest that enjoy the seasons that provide the variety and beauty it is famous for. Even winter has beauty. If you want, like so many choose, you can leave the cold behind for a few weeks or months, and find a sweeter spot to live. As for tornadoes, it seems other parts of the U.S. have been more affected than N.D. or MN. So, I think that concern is limited. As for heart attacks, you were very likely a candidate before shovelling snow, it was only brought about sooner. As humans, we can find ways to adapt, and we must use the resources available to us for that purpose.

    Reply

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