From New Jersey to Michigan: the states where retirees will see the biggest Social Security increases in the U.S.

Every year, the US Social Security Administration releases the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), which sets how much retirees and other beneficiaries will receive in their monthly checks.

According to multiple outlets, the announcement has been moved to October 24 after the federal shutdown delayed the September inflation report that underpins the calculation. While the official number isn’t out, The Senior Citizens League estimates the increase at about 2.7%.

The raise is proportional to each person’s current benefit, so the states that typically see higher average checks are likely to post the largest dollar gains in 2026.

States expected to see the biggest average monthly benefits in 2026

• New Jersey ($2,172)
• Connecticut ($2,159)
• Delaware ($2,139)
• New Hampshire ($2,121)
• Maryland ($2,084)
• Michigan ($2,067)
• Washington ($2,061)
• Minnesota ($2,053)
• Massachusetts ($2,021)
• Indiana ($2,016)

The COLA is based on the CPI-W inflation measure, which the SSA uses to set a yearly adjustment so benefits better keep pace with rising prices.

Why the date slipped to October 24

The CPI-W figures the SSA needs are contained in the September report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Because of the shutdown, the report’s release slipped and is now due October 24 at 8:30 a.m. ET, at which point the SSA is expected to publish the official COLA for 2026 the same day. Until then, the 2.7% figure remains an estimate – not the final number.

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