When Sharon Callahan, 76, retired a decade ago, her finances were solid. The former professor at Seattle University had a 401 (k) and owned her condo. Between herself and her husband, Social Security would pay about $4,000 a month — enough to get by comfortably, she thought.

USA TODAY reached out to retirees across the country who are living mostly on Social Security, to ask how they were doing.

More Americans past retirement age are staying in the workforce today. The Pew Research Center reports around 19% of people aged 65 and older are still working.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) has released data showing that the average Social Security benefit for a 67-year-old retired worker in 2024 is $1,883.50 per month. This amounts to roughly $22,