Social Security 2027 Benefit Increase: What We Know About the COLA
The 2027 Social Security increase (COLA) hasn't been announced yet. SSA is expected to announce it in October 2026. The 2026 Trustees Report projects 2.4%, and private forecasts cluster around 3.4%–3.6%. Here's the timeline, a COLA chart, a 2027 increase calculator, and what does and doesn't vary by state.
Social Security 2027 Benefit Increase at a Glance
The 2.4% figure is a projection, not the official increase. It comes from the Trustees' intermediate assumptions set earlier in the year. The official COLA is calculated from July–September 2026 inflation (CPI-W) and can differ.
Social Security 2027 COLA Calculator
Estimates until SSA announces the COLA
The COLA is the same in every state. Your state only affects taxes and SSI supplements.
Your estimated 2027 increase
That's about $576.00 more over 2027.
Estimate only — the official 2027 COLA has not been announced. Not an SSA calculation.
How Much Will Social Security Go Up in 2027?
Projections and forecasts are shown separately from the official figure. Only SSA's announcement sets the 2027 increase.
| Source | 2027 COLA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 SSA Trustees intermediate assumption | 2.4% | Long-range assumption — not the current CPI-based forecast |
| Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget | 3.4% | Private forecast from available CPI-W so far; not official |
| Senior Citizens League (TSCL) | 3.5% | Private forecast; not official |
| Mary Johnson (independent analyst) | 3.5% | Private mid-September estimate; not official |
| AARP | 3.6% | Private forecast using available CPI-W + Cleveland Fed Sept outlook; ~$75/mo on an average retired-worker check if that rate holds |
| Official 2027 COLA | Not yet announced | Final after Sept 2026 CPI-W (report due Oct. 14, 2026) |
| Monthly benefit | At 2.4% | At 3.5% |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | +$24.00 → $1,024.00 | +$35.00 → $1,035.00 |
| $1,500 | +$36.00 → $1,536.00 | +$52.50 → $1,552.50 |
| $2,000 | +$48.00 → $2,048.00 | +$70.00 → $2,070.00 |
| $2,500 | +$60.00 → $2,560.00 | +$87.50 → $2,587.50 |
| $3,000 | +$72.00 → $3,072.00 | +$105.00 → $3,105.00 |
| $4,000 | +$96.00 → $4,096.00 | +$140.00 → $4,140.00 |
When Will the 2027 Social Security COLA Be Announced?
- July–August 2026CPI-W data for two of the three third-quarter months is published.
- October 14, 2026BLS releases September CPI — the final month in the COLA formula.
- October 2026SSA announces the official 2027 COLA, usually the same day as the CPI release.
- Late 2026SSA posts COLA notices in my Social Security accounts and mails letters.
- January 2027Payments reflect the increase (December 2026 benefits). SSI rises with the January 2027 payment.
Social Security 2027 COLA Increase Chart
Annual COLA by the year the increase was first paid.
2027 bar is drawn at the 2.4% Trustees projection for scale only. Source: SSA COLA history. Full COLA history
Social Security 2027 Increase by State
The federal Social Security COLA is the same percentage in every state. SSA sets it nationally under the statutory formula, so there are no state-by-state COLA raises. Your dollar increase depends on your own benefit amount, not where you live.
What does vary by state: whether your state taxes Social Security benefits, and whether it adds a supplement to SSI. Those are separate from the federal COLA. The 2026 federal SSI rate is $994 for an individual and $1,491 for a couple.
| State | 2027 federal COLA | State tax on Social Security | SSI state supplement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Alaska | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Arizona | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | No state supplement |
| Arkansas | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | No state supplement |
| California | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Colorado | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Connecticut | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Delaware | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| District of Columbia | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Florida | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Georgia | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Hawaii | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Idaho | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Illinois | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Indiana | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Iowa | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Kansas | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Kentucky | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Louisiana | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Maine | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Maryland | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Massachusetts | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Michigan | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Minnesota | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Mississippi | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | No state supplement |
| Missouri | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Montana | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Nebraska | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Nevada | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| New Hampshire | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| New Jersey | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| New Mexico | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| New York | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| North Carolina | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| North Dakota | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | No state supplement |
| Ohio | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Oklahoma | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Oregon | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Pennsylvania | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Rhode Island | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| South Carolina | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| South Dakota | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Tennessee | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | No state supplement |
| Texas | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Utah | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Vermont | Same nationwide (pending) | Partially taxed | Supplement (SSA-administered) |
| Virginia | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Washington | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| West Virginia | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | No state supplement |
| Wisconsin | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
| Wyoming | Same nationwide (pending) | Not taxed | Supplement (state-administered) |
Maximum Social Security Benefit in 2027 by Age
The maximum isn't set by the COLA alone. It depends on earnings history (maximum-taxable earnings every year), claiming age, and the year you retire. SSA publishes 2027 figures with the COLA announcement.
| Claiming age | 2026 maximum | 2027 maximum |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | $2,969 | Update after official 2027 figures |
| Full retirement age | $4,152 | Update after official 2027 figures |
| 70 | $5,181 | Update after official 2027 figures |
2026 figures: SSA examples for January 2026 retirement at 62 and 70; FRA maximum from the 2026 COLA fact sheet. See how claiming age changes your benefit
How Medicare Part B Affects Your 2027 Increase
If Medicare Part B is deducted from your benefit, a premium increase takes part of your COLA. The standard premium is $202.90 in 2026, and the Medicare Trustees project about $209.50 for 2027 — a $6.60 monthly difference. Higher-income beneficiaries may also pay IRMAA surcharges.
Medicare IRMAA calculatorMore 2027 Social Security Guides
Frequently asked questions
Related guides & tools
Official Primary Data Sources
Last reviewed September 27, 2026. Updated when SSA announces the official 2027 COLA.
Official COLA announcements and fact sheets.
How the COLA is calculated from third-quarter CPI-W averages.
Intermediate assumptions, including the 2.4% 2027 COLA projection.
2026 COLA of 2.8%, average benefits, SSI rates, and FRA maximum.
Maximum benefits at 62, 67, and 70 by year of retirement.
2026 SSI federal rates and which states supplement SSI.
September 2026 CPI — the final month used for the 2027 COLA.