GOBankingRates conducted an analysis of the 100 largest U.S. cities by population, using the average Social Security benefits for married couples to assess how far this income stretches when set against living costs.

The recent study reveals that in many U.S. cities, Social Security benefits fall far short of covering even half a month’s living expenses for married retirees. In particular, six major cities—including Irvine, Fremont, San Jose, San Francisco, Honolulu, and San Diego—offer the briefest financial coverage from Social Security, with benefits lasting between just 6.73 and 9.59 days, according to GoBankingRates.com.

Irvine, California, stands out as the city where benefits stretch the least, covering under a week’s worth of expenses, with a monthly cost of living that exceeds $9,700 for a couple.

The findings show that California is a challenging state for retirees relying on Social Security alone, with 15 of its cities appearing in the top 50 cities where benefits last the shortest.

Within the top 10 cities with the shortest Social Security coverage, California holds seven spots, underscoring the high cost of living in the state. While Irvine ranks as the most expensive, Stockton, California, provides the most days of coverage in the state at nearly 18 days—though even this is well below a full month.

At the other end of the spectrum, Saint Petersburg, Florida, ranks as the city where Social Security lasts the longest among the 50 cities analyzed, stretching to 19.38 days for married couples. This reflects the lower cost of living in Saint Petersburg, where expenses amount to $1,584 monthly.

Florida’s comparatively affordable living costs mean that, while Social Security coverage still falls short of a full month, retirees may face less financial strain.

The GoBankingRates.com study showed that beyond California and Florida, cities like Arlington, Virginia, and Seattle also show limited Social Security coverage, lasting only around 10 to 11 days. Arlington, with a monthly cost of $5,307, and Seattle, at $4,733, both represent high-cost areas where retirees might struggle to maintain financial stability on Social Security alone.

Honolulu is the sole representative from Hawaii in the top six, where the high cost of living cuts Social Security coverage to just over 8 days.

The study’s detailed breakdown shows a significant disparity between cities, where monthly costs range from $9,794 in Irvine to $1,584 in Saint Petersburg. Even cities with more affordable housing and expenses, such as Gilbert, Arizona, and Austin, Texas, provide just around 16 days of coverage, demonstrating that even in lower-cost cities, retirees would need supplementary income to cover basic living expenses each month.

Ultimately, the findings illustrate the pressing financial challenge facing retirees in urban areas across the United States. With the cost of living continually rising, retirees must consider alternative income sources or substantial savings to bridge the gap left by Social Security benefits, especially in cities where expenses drastically outpace what Social Security provides.

You can view the study’s methodology and full results here.

Why, then, do Democrats continue to claim Republicans are going after the two massive entitlement expenditures? At Tuesday night’s State of the Union speech, Joe Biden continued to gaslight over the issue. Thankfully, some Republicans pushed back. Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene went so far as to scream out “liar” when Biden brought it up.

"Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset. I'm not saying it's the majority," Biden says.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene calls Biden a "liar!" pic.twitter.com/zMO3M2IiBz

— The Daily Signal (@DailySignal) February 8, 2023

Biden at least acknowledged that it’s not “most” Republicans. He said he had the receipts in the form of a proposal that was sent to him, likely by a handful of Republican lawmakers who rightly pointed out that Medicare and Social Security are unsustainable if reforms are not made immediately. But it’s toxic… and that’s the point.

Why do even lucid and otherwise fiscally responsible Republicans shy away from the important issue? It’s because Democrats desperately NEED them to fail. They NEED the burden of entitlements to cripple American taxpayers and lead this nation towards the inevitable forced adoption of Modern Monetary Theory.

There are only two possible ways to continue Medicare and Social Security. Either we make massive cuts across the board or we print money to cover the expenses. That’s it. The former will be unpopular among lawmakers who know cuts are the easiest way for them to lose elections. The latter would be pure devastation that prompts a complete economic collapse as more nations abandon the U.S. Dollar as the world reserve currency.

I talked about all of this on today’s episode of The JD Rucker Show. I referenced this article below by Mary Margaret Olohan from Daily Signal.

Republicans Erupt, Call Biden ‘LIAR’ Over Medicare Claims

House Republicans booed President Joe Biden on Tuesday evening over the president’s claim that the GOP wants to cut Medicare and Social Security.

“Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years,” Biden said. “That means if Congress doesn’t vote to keep them, those programs will go away.”

“Other Republicans say if we don’t cut Social Security and Medicare, they’ll let America default on its debt for the first time in our history,” he added. “I won’t let that happen.”

His remarks elicited a strong reaction from the assembled lawmakers—many of whom can be heard loudly booing.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., who had leapt to her feet, can be seen giving the president a thumbs-down.

“Liar,” she yelled.

The House Republicans’ Twitter account similarly denounced Biden’s claim, noting that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has said that “cuts to Medicare and Social Security, they are off the table.”

“Joe Biden is LIAR,” the House Republicans account said on Tuesday evening. And the Republican National Committee’s Twitter account reminded users that “a decade ago, Biden repeatedly stressed the importance of NEGOTIATING the debt limit.”

And former President Donald Trump similarly slammed Biden in a Truth Social post, saying, “He’s lying so much about Social Security, Medicare, and so many other things!”

Joe Biden is LIAR. #SOTU

"Cuts to Medicare and Social Security they are off the table." – @SpeakerMcCarthy pic.twitter.com/DamVCUFkz7

— House Republicans (@HouseGOP) February 8, 2023

“Social Security and Medicare are a lifeline for millions of seniors,” Biden continued. “Americans have been paying into them with every single paycheck since they started working. So tonight, let’s all agree to stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare.”

“Those benefits belong to the American people,” Biden said. “They earned them. If anyone tries to cut Social Security, I will stop them. And if anyone tries to cut Medicare, I will stop them. I will not allow them to be taken away. Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.”

Alternative Video Sources:

Hate of the Union: The REAL Reason Biden and Democrats Continue Gaslighting About Medicare and Social Security https://t.co/PD8gwYkQxV

— JD Rucker (@JDRucker) February 8, 2023