Last fall, millions of retirees surely applauded the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) decision to raise the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to 5.9 percent this year.

But that was before inflation began its relentless trek northward, greatly impacting the already-lean pocketbooks of many senior citizens. In short, that extra bump in the monthly payments has done little to assuage the financial concerns of most cash-strapped retirees.

As reported by Fox Business, it also appears that where one lives can shed light on the finances of senior citizens. Citing a new study from fintech company SmartAsset, the data showed that the average retirement income is lower in cities where retirees rely more heavily on Social Security and Medicare benefits. 

“Retirement can often be daunting because it means a shift from traditional income to a reliance on savings, investments and government programs such as Social Security,” SmartAsset wrote. “However, for most Americans, the government safety net is not enough to live on,” it continues.

Across the 100 cities that were analyzed in the study, the total retirement income came out to an average of $48,066. But in the five cities where retirees rely most on Social Security benefits, the average retirement income was $38,104.

Similar to last year, Californian cities—such as San Francisco and Los Angeles—dominated the cities where retirees rely least on Social Security benefits. In these cities, Social Security makes up between 30.1 percent and 36.6 percent of overall retirement income.

Here are the top five cities where retirees rely the most on Social Security income:

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Here, Social Security benefits make up more than half of a retiree’s income. The average retirement income is $37,542, with Social Security accounting for 52.38 percent of that.

Hialeah, Florida

In Hialeah, the average total combined retirement income is $27,149, and nearly half of that is made up of Social Security income, which averages $13,365.

Wichita, Kansas

The retiree population here has a combined retirement income of $41,305, and Social Security accounts for more than 48 percent of that.

Indianapolis, Indiana

This is the second Indiana city that’s part of the top five. Here, Social Security income makes up about 47.5 percent of the average combined retirement income, which is $41,270.

Tulsa, Oklahoma

The average combined retirement income in Tulsa comes in at roughly $43,300, with Social Security benefits accounting nearly 47 percent of that.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Washington state-based Finance and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek, and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.

Image: Reuters