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Study ranks Polk County as 5th in state where social security stretches the furthest

POLK COUNTY—Polk County retirees bode a little better than most as far as being able to live on social security. 

A recent study by SmartAsset ranked Polk County as the 5th highest in the state where social security income stretches the furthest. The study analyzed social security income in each county against the cost of living to identify where retirees’ social security income is the best. 

Polk ranked behind Transylvania, Brunswick, Yancey and Stanly counties. 

Polk County’s cost of living was found to be $19,926, compared to an annual social security of $21,617, according to the study. 

Following is a chart of the top 10 counties out of North Carolina’s 100 counties. 

 

 

Rank	County, State	Cost of Living	Annual Social Security	Social Security Taxed?	Social Security Goes Furthest – Index
1	Transylvania, NC	$19,799	$22,517	No	82.29
2	Brunswick, NC	$21,354	$23,445	No	79.82
3	Yancey, NC	$18,771	$20,829	No	79.70
4	Stanly, NC	$18,030	$19,986	No	79.29
5	Polk, NC	$19,926	$21,617	No	78.25
6	Haywood, NC	$18,845	$20,243	No	77.09
7	Chatham, NC	$20,876	$22,160	No	76.64
8	Watauga, NC	$20,163	$21,382	No	76.39
9	Henderson, NC	$20,537	$21,731	No	76.29
10	Pamlico, NC	$19,670	$20,555	No	75.07