Retirement
2027 Social Security COLA: 3.6% Official, What It Adds to Your Check
Short answer
SSA announced a 3.6% COLA for 2027 on October 14, 2026. For the average retired worker that means about $75 more a month, from $2,095 to $2,170 in January 2027. Medicare Part B will take back part of the raise, and the official 2027 premium is not out yet.
When the 2027 raise starts
SSA announced the COLA on October 14, 2026, the morning the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the September CPI report. About 72 million Social Security beneficiaries get the increase in benefits paid starting in January 2027. About 7.3 million SSI recipients see increased payments starting December 31, 2026. Nothing about your check changes before then. SSA says personal notices appear in the my Social Security Message Center, and the 2027 Medicare premium will be posted there starting in late November.
How the COLA is calculated
- SSA takes the CPI-W for each of July, August and September and averages the three.
- It compares that average with the same three-month average from the prior year.
- The percentage change, rounded to one decimal, is the COLA.
Because the formula only looks at the third quarter, the number was fixed once the September CPI report came out. The earlier public estimates ranged from 3.5% to 3.8%; the official figure of 3.6% landed inside that range.
Recent COLAs for context
| Benefit year | COLA |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 5.9% |
| 2023 | 8.7% |
| 2024 | 3.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% |
| 2026 | 2.8% |
| 2027 | 3.6% |
What a 3.6% COLA adds to your check
| Current monthly benefit | Raise at 3.6% | Benefit after raise |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | +$36 | $1,036 |
| $1,500 | +$54 | $1,554 |
| $2,095 (average retired worker) | +$75 | $2,170 |
| $2,500 | +$90 | $2,590 |
| $3,000 | +$108 | $3,108 |
Dollar amounts are rounded to the nearest dollar. SSA rounds the final benefit down to the nearest dime, so your notice may differ by a few cents. See how much your 2027 raise is after Medicare premiums for the take-home view.
Other 2027 Social Security numbers
SSA published these with the COLA. The 2026 figure is shown for comparison.
| Item | 2026 | 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Taxable maximum (wage base) | $184,500 | $192,300 |
| Earnings needed for one work credit | $1,890 | $1,970 |
| Earnings test, under full retirement age (per year) | $24,480 | $25,560 |
| Earnings test, year you reach full retirement age (per year) | $65,160 | $67,920 |
| Maximum benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age (per month; set by wage indexing, not the COLA) | $4,152 | $4,188 |
| Disability substantial gainful activity, non-blind (per month) | n/a | $1,770 |
| Disability substantial gainful activity, blind (per month) | n/a | $2,950 |
| SSI federal rate, individual (per month) | n/a | $1,029 |
| SSI federal rate, couple (per month) | n/a | $1,544 |
The Social Security tax rate does not change: 7.65% for employees (6.2% Social Security plus 1.45% Medicare) and 15.30% for the self-employed. Income-tax brackets, the 401(k) limit and other IRS figures for 2027 have not been published yet, so this page does not state them. Use the Social Security calculator to compare claiming ages, and read 62 vs. 67 vs. 70: the break-even before you decide when to claim.
Source: SSA, 2027 Cost-of-Living Adjustment fact sheet, announced October 14, 2026.
Estimates, not advice. CalcWyse figures use 2026 federal rules and the assumptions stated on this page (how we calculate). Your tax situation can differ. Confirm with a qualified tax professional or the IRS Tax Withholding Estimator before you act.
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