House of Representatives

109th Congress

Social Security Recipients by Congressional District

(Data Not Available for New Districts in Texas, Pennsylvania and Maine)

As the Bush Administration moves to dismantle Social Security, we have updated for the 109th Congress the table showing figures on Social Security recipients by congressional district. The statistics were published by the Social Security Administration by state last March but have not been changed to reflect a second round of redistricting in Texas and Pennsylvania and the post-2002 redistricting in Maine. (http://fastfacts.census.gov - center column). These are December 2003 figures, replacing the December 2002 published on this site in March (click here). Go to that table for Pennsylvania and Maine figures, which have probably not changed a great deal.

Note that the voting age population used to calculate percentages remains the figure from the 2000 Census, so that the estimates are less precise with the passage of time. Nonetheless, they give a good indication of the importance of these potential voters in a given district and the relationship among districts on this factor.

The Administration's Social Security proposal, of course, is likely to exclude current Social Security recipients. Nonetheless, those who have seen the program's benefits are likely to be strong supporters of its continuation as a security program.

The table below includes a percentage of total recipients to the voting age population for a congressional district from the 2000 census. The table is initially displayed from the highest percentage of social security recipients to lowest and may be sorted by other columns.

Maps prepared by FairData of totals and percentages may be seen by clicking here. Clicking on the rectangle under Compare Maps on the left permits changing to Social Security percentages and other data maps. Note that the Social Security maps do include Pennsylvania and Maine, using December 2002 figures, as those districts did not change as radically as those in Texas.

The percentages have been modified using SSA state estimates to eliminate children beneficiaries under 18 (others may be disabled adults). Note that census figures on voting age population by district from the end of 2002 are compared with 2000 census data taken in 1999. When spouses and parents of child beneficiaries under 18 are added, along with those approaching eligibility age, the percentages become much higher.

Data Set Sorted By ((total-children*percentunder18)/vapall)*100 in Descending Order

Representative	State Sort	District	Party Sort	Total Beneficiaries Sort	Beneficiaries as % of Voting AgePopulation Sort	Retired Workers Sort	Disabled Workers Sort	Widow(er)s Sort	Wives and Husbands Sort	Children Sort
Ginny Brown-Waite	FL	5	R	250,771	47.0%	178,379	25,884	19,723	13,399	13,386
Robert Wexler	FL	19	D	184,624	34.7%	142,598	9,976	16,649	9,421	5,980
Mark Foley	FL	16	R	178,715	33.8%	128,419	15,845	14,381	10,364	9,706
Katherine Harris	FL	13	R	182,035	33.6%	134,619	13,205	15,902	11,013	7,296
Connie Mack	FL	14	R	181,094	33.4%	133,232	13,244	14,715	11,672	8,231
Trent Franks	AZ	2	R	167,294	32.7%	119,135	16,496	13,461	8,818	9,384
Dave Weldon	FL	15	R	160,986	30.6%	109,216	17,324	14,309	9,590	10,547
Bart Stupak	MI	1	D	163,632	30.5%	104,027	19,484	17,503	11,877	10,741
Charles H. Taylor	NC	11	R	151,120	29.4%	97,590	20,782	14,650	8,358	9,740
Rick Boucher	VA	9	D	162,005	29.2%	80,582	35,361	18,904	10,367	16,791
Nick J. Rahall II	WV	3	D	147,825	28.9%	63,485	33,468	21,535	12,277	17,060
Michael Bilirakis	FL	9	R	150,281	28.6%	102,492	17,016	13,983	7,493	9,297
Jo Ann Emerson	MO	8	R	143,171	28.3%	78,592	25,239	16,578	8,698	14,064
John L. Mica	FL	7	R	147,948	28.1%	100,618	15,991	13,616	8,095	9,628
Marion Berry	AR	1	D	147,981	27.5%	82,640	25,287	17,135	7,946	14,973
Adam H. Putnam	FL	12	R	140,930	27.4%	90,809	18,333	12,734	7,328	11,726
Brian Higgins	NY	27	D	144,424	27.3%	90,731	17,795	16,630	7,869	11,399
Steve King	IA	5	R	123,845	27.2%	79,760	11,792	14,867	9,473	7,953
Jim Saxton	NJ	3	R	140,001	27.1%	99,567	12,510	12,718	6,530	8,676
Mike Ross	AR	4	D	145,085	26.9%	82,170	23,094	17,285	8,260	14,276
Dan Boren	OK	2	D	148,193	26.9%	85,352	22,646	17,289	8,953	13,953
Harold Rogers	KY	5	R	153,423	26.8%	55,164	41,829	21,405	12,487	22,538
C. W. Bill Young	FL	10	R	146,604	26.8%	100,768	16,703	14,873	6,709	7,551
William L. Jenkins	TN	1	R	141,511	26.7%	78,403	25,432	16,507	8,718	12,451
James L. Oberstar	MN	8	D	130,069	26.7%	83,375	15,420	13,667	8,569	9,038
Peter A. DeFazio	OR	4	D	147,189	26.7%	96,262	17,425	14,696	9,979	8,827
Ed Whitfield	KY	1	R	146,046	26.6%	79,509	25,965	18,185	9,366	13,021
Wally Herger	CA	2	R	133,426	26.5%	80,538	20,325	13,084	8,606	10,873
Robert B. Aderholt	AL	4	R	137,937	26.5%	74,420	24,594	17,042	8,490	13,391
Tom Osborne	NE	3	R	115,856	26.3%	75,226	10,550	13,903	9,126	7,051
Shelley Moore Capito	WV	2	R	129,138	26.1%	70,486	20,960	16,336	9,579	11,777
Collin C. Peterson	MN	7	D	124,090	26.1%	80,823	10,800	14,979	9,808	7,680
G. K. Butterfield	NC	1	D	130,336	25.9%	71,255	24,997	14,222	5,330	14,532
Jerry Lewis	CA	41	R	126,905	25.9%	81,144	15,731	11,769	7,538	10,723
Ted Strickland	OH	6	D	132,889	25.9%	74,302	16,381	20,079	12,324	9,803
Alan B. Mollohan	WV	1	D	128,491	25.8%	72,327	17,823	17,948	10,531	9,862
Greg Walden	OR	2	R	138,552	25.8%	92,868	15,145	13,192	8,762	8,585
William D. Delahunt	MA	10	D	132,590	25.7%	91,521	13,081	12,556	7,315	8,117
Jo Bonner	AL	1	R	131,795	25.7%	72,494	20,693	15,264	7,946	15,398
Christopher H. Smith	NJ	4	R	130,027	25.6%	93,593	11,424	12,395	5,270	7,345
Jim Kolbe	AZ	8	R	132,754	25.5%	90,201	13,629	11,805	9,069	8,050
Jerry Moran	KS	1	R	132,051	25.4%	87,642	11,437	15,790	9,247	7,935
Cliff Stearns	FL	6	R	133,555	25.4%	89,238	15,495	11,630	7,149	10,043
Virgil H. Goode Jr.	VA	5	R	135,509	25.4%	85,175	19,527	13,162	6,342	11,303
David R. Obey	WI	7	D	132,820	25.3%	88,257	13,758	13,909	8,212	8,684
Lane Evans	IL	17	D	132,704	25.2%	84,196	15,012	15,576	8,391	9,529
J. Gresham Barrett	SC	3	R	137,824	25.2%	85,054	23,056	11,587	5,419	12,708
Lincoln Davis	TN	4	D	130,291	25.2%	74,134	22,184	14,643	7,407	11,923
Mary Bono	CA	45	R	120,959	25.2%	83,136	12,139	9,960	7,196	8,528
Rick Renzi	AZ	1	R	125,546	25.1%	77,666	16,465	11,266	8,101	12,048
Mike Pence	IN	6	R	134,911	25.1%	85,832	15,972	14,582	8,120	10,405
Virginia Foxx	NC	5	R	125,862	25.0%	82,524	17,491	11,589	5,478	8,780
Ron Lewis	KY	2	R	134,497	25.0%	74,576	23,220	15,491	8,395	12,815
John Boozman	AR	3	R	134,469	25.0%	78,133	23,552	12,833	7,198	12,753
Gil Gutknecht	MN	1	R	119,040	24.9%	80,203	9,933	13,414	8,878	6,612
Mike McIntyre	NC	7	D	126,697	24.9%	71,772	24,193	12,458	5,417	12,857
Ike Skelton	MO	4	D	124,021	24.9%	76,328	17,079	12,776	6,986	10,852
Roy Blunt	MO	7	R	125,040	24.9%	76,406	18,190	12,887	7,339	10,218
Thomas E. Petri	WI	6	R	130,705	24.8%	90,031	12,397	12,766	7,238	8,273
John Shimkus	IL	19	R	129,555	24.7%	80,814	13,718	16,367	9,015	9,641
Tom Latham	IA	4	R	113,527	24.7%	75,525	9,732	13,455	8,314	6,501
Howard Coble	NC	6	R	122,696	24.6%	84,063	15,526	9,768	4,988	8,351
Patrick T. McHenry	NC	10	R	123,591	24.6%	79,291	19,763	10,204	3,930	10,403
John E. Sweeney	NY	20	R	129,133	24.5%	83,530	16,202	12,254	6,588	10,559
James T. Walsh	NY	25	R	126,258	24.4%	83,208	15,331	10,947	6,110	10,662
John N. Hostettler	IN	8	R	132,666	24.4%	81,951	17,241	15,260	7,836	10,378
Charles W. ``Chip'' Pickering	MS	3	R	142,086	24.4%	77,768	23,793	15,744	7,201	17,580
Dave Camp	MI	4	R	128,874	24.3%	82,099	15,045	13,238	8,735	9,757
Bart Gordon	TN	6	D	123,910	24.3%	74,043	19,017	12,713	6,205	11,932
John R. ``Randy'' Kuhl Jr.	NY	29	R	126,078	24.3%	83,321	15,124	11,624	6,606	9,403
Roger F. Wicker	MS	1	R	140,524	24.3%	75,896	27,914	14,036	5,760	16,918
Artur Davis	AL	7	D	128,246	24.3%	62,489	25,305	15,891	5,725	18,836
Zach Wamp	TN	3	R	126,314	24.3%	73,688	20,687	13,647	7,060	11,232
E. Clay Shaw Jr.	FL	22	R	130,420	24.2%	94,304	9,296	13,162	7,957	5,701
Stevan Pearce	NM	2	R	113,818	24.2%	66,967	14,787	11,903	9,113	11,048
Ray LaHood	IL	18	R	126,573	24.2%	82,930	11,800	14,440	8,373	9,030
John J. H. ``Joe'' Schwarz	MI	7	R	126,769	24.2%	80,347	16,472	12,179	6,817	10,954
Sherwood Boehlert	NY	24	R	128,438	24.1%	81,426	17,187	11,596	6,137	12,092
Robert W. Ney	OH	18	R	119,924	24.1%	68,734	15,081	16,098	9,833	10,178
John T. Doolittle	CA	4	R	120,879	24.1%	80,526	14,188	10,411	7,790	7,964
Tom Feeney	FL	24	R	126,156	24.1%	83,367	15,034	11,290	7,038	9,427
Bob Goodlatte	VA	6	R	127,682	24.1%	82,261	16,920	12,545	6,341	9,615
Brian Baird	WA	3	D	121,605	24.0%	77,416	16,120	11,683	7,471	8,915
John B. Larson	CT	1	D	130,865	23.9%	91,032	14,168	10,483	4,966	10,216
Ralph Regula	OH	16	R	117,302	23.9%	75,186	10,684	14,917	9,204	7,311
Terry Everett	AL	2	R	123,827	23.9%	68,977	21,407	13,625	5,963	13,855
Mike Rogers	AL	3	R	124,987	23.8%	68,579	24,182	12,838	5,309	14,079
John S. Tanner	TN	8	D	120,997	23.7%	70,539	19,225	12,899	5,777	12,557
Frank A. LoBiondo	NJ	2	R	123,131	23.7%	80,819	14,933	11,564	5,081	10,734
Kenny C. Hulshof	MO	9	R	118,053	23.6%	72,668	16,378	12,147	6,584	10,276
Wayne T. Gilchrest	MD	1	R	123,611	23.5%	85,802	11,497	11,639	6,386	8,287
Peter Hoekstra	MI	2	R	120,438	23.5%	76,043	15,875	11,285	7,104	10,131
Sander M. Levin	MI	12	D	127,594	23.5%	81,099	13,833	15,795	7,492	9,375
Stephanie Herseth	SD	A-L	D	137,879	23.5%	88,767	13,257	15,883	10,167	9,805
Frank D. Lucas	OK	3	R	128,728	23.5%	79,808	14,223	15,613	8,839	10,245
Jim Nussle	IA	1	R	107,175	23.4%	69,576	10,776	12,295	7,575	6,953
Thomas M. Reynolds	NY	26	R	121,574	23.4%	80,854	12,949	12,506	6,917	8,348
Louise McIntosh Slaughter	NY	28	D	121,696	23.4%	73,033	19,211	12,286	5,512	11,654
Peter T. King	NY	3	R	120,930	23.2%	81,483	12,307	12,077	6,744	8,319
Richard E. Neal	MA	2	D	117,707	23.2%	74,164	17,119	10,789	4,961	10,674
John J. Duncan Jr.	TN	2	R	120,802	23.2%	72,660	18,218	13,314	7,008	9,602
Charlie Norwood	GA	9	R	115,675	23.0%	71,617	17,146	11,318	5,454	10,140
Dale E. Kildee	MI	5	D	119,951	23.0%	68,747	17,327	13,689	7,950	12,238
Michael R. Turner	OH	3	R	115,196	23.0%	70,471	14,273	13,647	7,809	8,996
Jon C. Porter	NV	3	R	122,947	22.9%	85,962	13,374	9,556	5,625	8,430
Jerry F. Costello	IL	12	D	120,553	22.9%	71,246	15,992	15,070	7,259	10,986
Jeff Miller	FL	1	R	119,416	22.9%	71,135	16,772	12,710	8,163	10,636
John F. Tierney	MA	6	D	116,216	22.9%	79,005	12,679	10,976	5,893	7,663
Bob Inglis	SC	4	R	124,355	22.9%	75,332	21,922	10,860	4,626	11,615
Patrick J. Kennedy	RI	1	D	97,652	22.8%	66,955	12,723	8,020	3,429	6,525
John M. Spratt Jr.	SC	5	D	122,883	22.8%	71,840	21,227	12,417	4,410	12,989
Dennis R. Rehberg	MT	A-L	R	163,655	22.8%	103,679	18,995	17,395	11,111	12,475
Ron Kind	WI	3	D	119,835	22.8%	79,386	12,301	12,696	7,453	7,999
C. L. ``Butch'' Otter	ID	1	R	113,275	22.8%	71,505	14,262	10,817	7,527	9,164
Michael R. McNulty	NY	21	D	121,383	22.7%	79,739	15,051	11,449	5,391	9,753
Sam Graves	MO	6	R	111,861	22.7%	71,144	13,564	12,332	6,662	8,159
Earl Pomeroy	ND	A-L	D	114,032	22.7%	71,120	10,046	15,447	10,207	7,212
Mark Green	WI	8	R	117,818	22.6%	79,048	11,163	12,326	7,587	7,694
Chris Chocola	IN	2	R	119,912	22.6%	78,559	13,726	12,243	5,942	9,442
Michael G. Oxley	OH	4	R	111,060	22.5%	68,758	12,194	13,724	8,326	8,058
Charles F. Bass	NH	2	R	111,938	22.5%	73,965	14,472	9,181	5,020	9,300
John T. Salazar	CO	3	D	111,005	22.5%	68,648	13,804	11,822	7,954	8,777
Fred Upton	MI	6	R	117,810	22.5%	75,248	15,453	11,076	5,975	10,058
Tim Ryan	OH	17	D	113,970	22.5%	69,021	11,941	15,703	8,890	8,415
Michael N. Castle	DE	A-L	R	141,483	22.5%	92,291	17,776	13,041	6,860	11,515
James R. Langevin	RI	2	D	94,998	22.5%	62,427	13,719	7,673	3,340	7,839
Steven C. LaTourette	OH	14	R	109,594	22.4%	73,378	9,127	12,602	7,725	6,762
F. James Sensenbrenner Jr.	WI	5	R	116,317	22.4%	83,846	8,843	11,422	6,299	5,907
Maurice D. Hinchey	NY	22	D	119,744	22.4%	75,085	17,003	11,079	5,753	10,824
Norman D. Dicks	WA	6	D	116,166	22.4%	74,403	15,196	11,163	7,252	8,152
John M. McHugh	NY	23	R	117,746	22.4%	69,562	17,328	12,737	7,322	10,797
John W. Olver	MA	1	D	115,153	22.4%	72,801	16,264	10,756	5,337	9,995
Timothy H. Bishop	NY	1	D	116,183	22.3%	73,875	15,514	10,985	5,615	10,194
Sherrod Brown	OH	13	D	109,634	22.3%	69,377	10,851	13,887	8,037	7,482
Barney Frank	MA	4	D	114,143	22.2%	74,728	14,995	10,143	5,293	8,984
Carolyn McCarthy	NY	4	D	114,677	22.2%	77,578	11,852	11,319	5,968	7,960
Gene Taylor	MS	4	D	128,603	22.1%	67,997	22,832	14,422	7,560	15,792
Marcy Kaptur	OH	9	D	110,203	22.1%	68,003	13,258	12,915	7,194	8,833
Cathy McMorris	WA	5	R	114,753	22.1%	72,180	15,457