Are SSN based on location?
Asked by: Angus West | Last update: December 1, 2025Score: 4.8/5 (26 votes)
Is Social Security amount based on location?
No matter where in the United States you live, your Social Security retirement, disability, family or survivor benefits do not change.
Does your Social Security number depend on where you live?
Since 1972, when SSA began assigning SSN s and issuing cards centrally from Baltimore, MD , the area number has been assigned based on the ZIP code of the mailing address provided on the application for the original Social Security card. The applicant's mailing address may not be the same as the place of residence.
How are SSNs determined?
The nine-digit SSN is composed of three parts: The first set of three digits is called the Area Number. The second set of two digits is called the Group Number. The final set of four digits is the Serial Number.
Do social security numbers tell what state you were born in?
All social security numbers start with three digits, then two in the middle, and finish with four numbers. The first three numbers are called the area number. The area number shows the region or state where a person was born, and was first adopted in 1936.
How do Social Security Numbers work?
What state is your SSN issued in?
Since 1972, the Social Security Administration has been issuing SSN's centrally from its headquarters in Baltimore. The area code now indicates the person's State of residence as shown on the SSN application. There are several exceptions to these rules.
What do the first 3 digits of your Social Security mean?
Before June 2011, the SSN was comprised of three parts. The first three digits were the area number, which were assigned by geographic region. Usually, people on the East Coast had the lowest area numbers and those on the West Coast had the highest. The next two digits were the group number.
Are SS numbers assigned by state?
Since 1972 SSNs have been issued centrally and the area number in SSNs assigned since 1972 corresponds to the residence location of the applicant as indicated on the application for the SSN.
What do the last 4 digits of SSN mean?
However, the last four digits only indicate the order that your card was issued in the office where it was issued. The last person to get a card before you in the same real/imaginary office has a last number one less than yours, and the next person has a last number one more than yours.
What are the rules for SSN?
A California law bars organizations from publicly displaying SSNs 2. The law prohibits: Printing SSNs on ID cards or badges. Printing SSNs on documents mailed to customers, unless the law requires it or the document is a form or application.
What determines my Social Security number?
Social Security numbers, also known as SSNs, are allocated through a process called randomization that was introduced in June 2011.
Why does my Social Security number not match the state I was born in?
How did SSN randomization affect the geographical significance of the area number? Randomization eliminated the geographical significance of the area number (the first three digits of the SSN). Area numbers are no longer allocated to states for assignment. How will I verify a name and SSN?
Does Social Security depend on what state you live in?
Even though your official benefit won't change because of a move, the amount you get to keep might. In 2024, 10 states tax Social Security benefits for some of their seniors. They are: Colorado: The state doesn't tax the Social Security benefits of any of its residents 65 or older.
What is the 5 year rule for Social Security?
The Social Security 5-year rule refers specifically to disability benefits. It requires that you must have worked five out of the last ten years immediately before your disability onset to qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Is it bad if someone knows the last 4 digits of SSN?
The bottom line: Even just the last four digits of your SSN can put you at risk of identity theft and fraud. Always try to keep the digits of your SSN and Social Security card private and secure.
What state was my SSN issued in?
The Social Security number consists of nine (9) digits. The first three (3) digits denote the area (or State) where the application for an original Social Security number was filed.
Can two people have the same Social Security number?
There are millions of people who have SSNs, and some people think it is unique, but it is not, your number can match several people.
Are Social Security numbers based on where you were born?
Generally no, a social-security number does not show where you were born. At the beginning, the number had a structure where the first three digits were an area number. The area number identified the state or the SSA office where the card was issued.
What do the middle two numbers in Social Security mean?
Because the SSA issued SSNs before the era of computers, program administrators used the middle two numbers to organize the records into sub-groups. Each group number pointed to a specific area of filing cabinets, making the records easier to manage.
What determines the first 3 numbers of SSN?
Were you aware that the first three digits of the Social Security Number (SSN) had a geographical significance? Since the inception of SSNs, the first three digits were determined by the Zip Code of the mailing address shown on the application for an SSN -- but this is slated to change in 2011.
Does your Social Security number tell your age?
Footnote: It is true that the application form for an SSN asks for identfying information, such as date of birth, place of birth, parents' names, and (optionally) the applicant's race. But none of this identifying information is encoded in the SSN itself--not the person's date of birth, place of birth, or race.
How much is a metal Social Security card worth?
The first cards were of paper. The metal cards were made by private companies and there are countless varieties - from the "official" (appearing) to the comical. These are considered novelty items, by and large and sell in the range of $20-$30 for older examples (pre-1960's) in excellent condition.
Are social security numbers different by state?
On June 25, 2011, the Social Security Administration changed the SSN assignment process to "SSN randomization", which did the following: It eliminated the geographical significance of the first three digits of the SSN (the area number), by ceasing to allocate specific numbers by state for assignment to individuals.