Social Security retirement checks will grow by 3.6% starting in January 2027, adding about $75 per month to the average benefit nationally.

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, announced Oct. 14 by the Social Security Administration, will reach nearly 72 million beneficiaries. Individual increases depend on each recipient's benefit amount, and deductions such as Medicare premiums will affect the final deposit.

The raise lands in a county where retirees make up a large and growing share of the population. Fulton County, home to both Alpharetta and Milton, had 153,230 Social Security beneficiaries as of December 2025, according to federal data. That countywide figure covers retirement, survivor and disability recipients.

In a September letter published by Appen Media, residents Kathy Swahn, Nancy Diamond and Jack Murphy wrote that north Fulton's six cities now have roughly 51,500 residents age 65 and older, outnumbering the area's approximately 49,200 residents between ages 25 and 34.

What the numbers look like

The SSA's 2027 fact sheet breaks down estimated average monthly benefits after the adjustment:

  • Retired workers: $2,170 (up from $2,095)
  • Couples both receiving benefits: $3,355 (up from $3,238)
  • Widowed beneficiaries living alone: $2,005 (up from $1,936)

The maximum monthly benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age rises to $4,188.

Working retirees get more room

Retirees below full retirement age who keep working can earn up to $25,560 in 2027 before Social Security begins withholding benefits. That threshold is $1,080 higher than the 2026 limit of $24,480, as first reported by the North Atlanta Star.

Above that line, the agency withholds $1 for every $2 earned. For those reaching full retirement age during 2027, the threshold jumps to $67,920, with $1 withheld for every $3 earned before the month they reach full retirement age.

Once someone hits full retirement age, there is no earnings limit.

These are withholding thresholds, not caps on total earnings. Social Security counts wages and net self-employment income for this test, not pensions or investment returns. At full retirement age, the agency recalculates benefits to credit months when payments were reduced.

How to see your new amount

Recipients can view their individual 2027 benefit online starting in late November through a my Social Security account at ssa.gov/myaccount. Those without an account must create one and enroll in paperless notices by Nov. 18 to get the notice online.

Paper notices will arrive in December.

Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in the SSA's Oct. 14 announcement that the adjustment covers 76 million Americans. The personalized notice will show the new benefit amount, payment dates and any deductions. Because Medicare premiums offset part of the COLA, the deposited amount may differ from the gross increase. The 2027 Medicare premium amounts have not yet been announced.