What Is the Average Retirement Income in Virginia in 2026?

Virginia’s average retirement income runs about $35,306 a year, the fourth-highest figure of any state in the country.

The median for Virginia households headed by someone 65 or older sits far higher, at $64,957, since that number counts every dollar coming into the house, not retirement income alone.

Averages skew high.

A small portion of retirees with big pensions or hefty investment portfolios pull that $35,306 figure upward, so many Virginians never see anything close to it.

Note: This is general information, not financial or tax advice. Retirement income figures and tax rules are subject to change, so confirm the current details with a professional.

Average Retirement Income in Virginia

Virginia’s $35,306 average pulls from Census Bureau survey data measuring retirement income on its own, the money retirees report from pensions, 401(k) and individual retirement account (IRA) withdrawals, and Social Security combined.

Kiplinger’s analysis of that Census data ranks Virginia fourth nationally, behind only the District of Columbia, Alaska, and Maryland.

An average folds in every retiree, including retirees with six-figure pensions from a long federal or military career.

That’s the math problem.

One retired federal executive drawing a six-figure pension can offset dozens of neighbors living on Social Security alone, and the average never shows that split.

What a Typical Retiree Earns

The median $64,957 figure comes from the same Census Bureau survey, and it measures something else entirely.

That number adds up total household income for a Virginia home led by someone 65 or older, folding in wages, rental income, investment dividends, pensions, and Social Security together.

Two incomes help.

A retired Virginia Beach couple drawing two Social Security checks and a pension between them clears that median without either check looking impressive on its own.

Single retirees and widows typically land well below it.

How Virginia Ranks Nationally

Virginia’s $35,306 average lands just behind Maryland’s $35,732 and just ahead of California’s $34,737, per Kiplinger’s state-by-state breakdown.

West Virginia sits at the opposite end, with an average of just $21,118.

That’s a wide gap.

North Carolina runs even lower, at $25,324, despite a similar cost of living in many towns along the state line.

The national average retirement income is $27,617, so Virginia clears it by close to $8,000.

Social Security’s Piece

Social Security alone tells a similar story.

Virginia’s average monthly benefit for retired workers was about $2,064 in December 2024, compared with about $1,975 nationally, according to Social Security Administration data.

The gap holds up.

Virginia’s benefit formula works the same as everywhere else, so the difference comes down to who’s collecting: Many Virginia retirees also draw a federal or military pension, and that tends to reflect a higher lifetime earnings record.

Your own check still depends on your earnings record, not your zip code.

Why Virginia Runs Higher

Location is a big part of Virginia's number.

Hampton Roads holds Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Base Langley-Eustis, home to thousands of sailors, soldiers, and airmen who retire close to where they served.

Northern Virginia adds another layer.

Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax County sit minutes from the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir, and federal employees who spend a career there often retire without leaving the state.

Two pensions under one roof aren't unusual.

A military retirement plus a federal civil-service pension, stacked on top of Social Security, shows up often enough in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads to pull the statewide average upward on its own.

How Virginia Taxes Retirement Income

Virginia's tax code changes the number too.

The state doesn't tax Social Security benefits at all, no matter your income.

Retirees 65 and older can also claim an age deduction of up to $12,000 each, though it phases out once adjusted federal income passes $50,000 for single filers or $75,000 for couples, according to Virginia Tax.

Virginia gives military retirement pay a break of its own.

Military retirees can subtract up to $40,000 of retirement pay from their Virginia taxable income on 2025 and later returns, a cap that phased up from $20,000 in 2023 and $30,000 in 2024, according to Virginia Tax.

Compare that with the seven states that skip taxing retirement income entirely, and Virginia sits somewhere in the middle, offering real breaks for certain kinds of income instead of a blanket exemption.

Setting Your Own Benchmark

A household bringing in $64,957 a year sits right at Virginia's median for retirees 65 and older.

Falling under that mark doesn't automatically mean falling behind: A lot of those households are single retirees living on one Social Security check instead of two.

Clearing six figures usually means you're one of the retirees whose pension or investment portfolio pulls the state average upward.

Stretching whatever income you have takes some of the same habits that work at any age, including the everyday habits draining Virginia households of hundreds of dollars a year without anyone noticing.

FAQ

Quick answers to what people ask most about retirement income in Virginia.

What is the average retirement income in Virginia?

About $35,306 a year, according to Census Bureau data analyzed by Kiplinger. The median for Virginia households 65 and older runs higher, at $64,957, since that figure counts every source of household income, not retirement income alone.

Is Virginia tax-friendly for retirees?

Virginia doesn't tax Social Security benefits, and military retirees can subtract up to $40,000 of retirement pay from their state taxable income. Retirees 65 and older can also claim an age deduction of up to $12,000 each, though it phases out at higher incomes.

What is the average Social Security check in Virginia?

About $2,064 a month for retired workers as of December 2024, compared with about $1,975 nationally, according to Social Security Administration data.

What is a good retirement income in Virginia?

Enough to cover what your household spends is the honest answer. The state's median of $64,957 a year is a reasonable benchmark for a two-income household, though many single retirees live on less.