Dataset · FY2024
SSDI approval rate by state.
Every U.S. state and the District of Columbia, ranked by the DDS initial-determination favorable rate. National average is 39.8%; the highest-ranked state (Alaska) is 49.0% and the lowest (Kentucky) is 32.7%.
Full ranking · FY2024
| Rank | State | Approval rate | 3-yr change | Total claims |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AlaskaAK | 49.0% | -7.6pp | 2,668 |
| 2 | New HampshireNH | 48.6% | -2.0pp | 7,146 |
| 3 | NebraskaNE | 47.6% | +0.4pp | 8,464 |
| 4 | VermontVT | 47.0% | +3.3pp | 3,704 |
| 5 | PRPR | 45.5% | +3.4pp | 11,037 |
| 6 | North DakotaND | 45.4% | -0.1pp | 3,904 |
| 7 | KansasKS | 44.8% | -15.8pp | 15,343 |
| 8 | Rhode IslandRI | 44.7% | -1.4pp | 6,268 |
| 9 | OregonOR | 44.0% | +2.1pp | 22,277 |
| 10 | IowaIA | 43.9% | +1.8pp | 17,467 |
| 11 | MarylandMD | 43.8% | +4.9pp | 26,628 |
| 12 | VirginiaVA | 43.7% | -0.4pp | 42,174 |
| 13 | ConnecticutCT | 43.1% | +2.8pp | 18,336 |
| 14 | MinnesotaMN | 43.0% | +0.9pp | 29,081 |
| 15 | MissouriMO | 42.5% | +4.2pp | 42,318 |
| 16 | WyomingWY | 42.5% | -1.7pp | 3,152 |
| 17 | New MexicoNM | 41.3% | +6.0pp | 13,138 |
| 18 | WisconsinWI | 41.2% | +3.3pp | 30,266 |
| 19 | South CarolinaSC | 40.3% | +4.4pp | 33,137 |
| 20 | MassachusettsMA | 40.2% | -2.8pp | 37,055 |
| 21 | IdahoID | 39.9% | -3.1pp | 9,994 |
| 22 | DelawareDE | 39.5% | +1.9pp | 5,318 |
| 23 | MaineME | 39.5% | +4.5pp | 9,787 |
| 24 | UtahUT | 39.3% | +1.6pp | 13,242 |
| 25 | CaliforniaCA | 39.0% | +2.5pp | 186,857 |
| 26 | New YorkNY | 38.9% | +1.3pp | 101,580 |
| 27 | WashingtonWA | 38.8% | -0.8pp | 37,726 |
| 28 | MichiganMI | 38.8% | -0.6pp | 66,212 |
| 29 | IndianaIN | 38.6% | +7.3pp | 44,934 |
| 30 | IllinoisIL | 38.6% | +1.6pp | 63,726 |
| 31 | New JerseyNJ | 38.4% | -1.2pp | 47,709 |
| 32 | TexasTX | 38.3% | +4.6pp | 146,999 |
| 33 | PennsylvaniaPA | 38.0% | -0.5pp | 83,847 |
| 34 | NevadaNV | 37.9% | -0.1pp | 14,948 |
| 35 | MontanaMT | 37.8% | -3.8pp | 5,791 |
| 36 | ArkansasAR | 37.7% | +1.7pp | 26,249 |
| 37 | South DakotaSD | 37.6% | -3.1pp | 5,128 |
| 38 | LouisianaLA | 37.2% | -2.6pp | 37,828 |
| 39 | HawaiiHI | 37.2% | +2.1pp | 6,086 |
| 40 | North CarolinaNC | 37.0% | +3.9pp | 66,417 |
| 41 | ColoradoCO | 36.8% | +1.9pp | 26,041 |
| 42 | FloridaFL | 36.6% | +2.7pp | 119,859 |
| 43 | MississippiMS | 36.4% | +5.8pp | 27,354 |
| 44 | OhioOH | 36.2% | -0.7pp | 81,533 |
| 45 | District of ColumbiaDC | 35.6% | +8.7pp | 4,417 |
| 46 | AlabamaAL | 35.4% | +2.5pp | 39,959 |
| 47 | GeorgiaGA | 34.9% | -3.1pp | 73,083 |
| 48 | West VirginiaWV | 34.2% | +3.5pp | 16,634 |
| 49 | OklahomaOK | 33.9% | +4.8pp | 33,245 |
| 50 | TennesseeTN | 33.7% | -1.4pp | 49,446 |
| 51 | ArizonaAZ | 33.5% | +2.1pp | 40,572 |
| 52 | KentuckyKY | 32.7% | +1.1pp | 41,131 |
Methodology
Source.All figures are compiled from the Social Security Administration's publicly released annual statistical reports on Disability Determination Service (DDS) outcomes — the same files SSA publishes to ssa.gov/disability/data.html.
What "approval rate" means here. The favorable-determination rate at the initial DDS stage — the first decision after a claimant files for SSDI or SSI. It excludes reconsideration and ALJ-hearing outcomes (those are tracked separately in our judges and hearing-office datasets). Roughly one-third of all claims are approved at this stage nationally.
Why states differ.Each state's DDS operates under federal SSA rules but with local staffing, training, and case-mix differences. Higher-rate states tend to have older populations, more agricultural and manual-labor workforces, and longer-tenured DDS examiners; lower-rate states often run prototype workflows or have higher claimant-to-examiner ratios.
Update cadence. SSA publishes new figures roughly quarterly; we refresh this table within two weeks of each release. The latest underlying file is FY2024.
Cite this dataset
This dataset is free to cite, screenshot, embed, or republish under a CC BY 4.0 license. If you reference the table, link back to this page so readers can verify the source.
Suggested citation
AISSDI. (2026). U.S. State-Level SSDI Approval Rates (FY2024). Retrieved from https://aissdi.com/data/state-approval-rates
Embed (link card)
<a href="https://aissdi.com/data/state-approval-rates"> SSDI Approval Rate by State (FY2024) — AISSDI </a>
Related
- Interactive state explorer — sortable view with state-level drill-downs
- ALJ approval-rate directory — every administrative law judge ranked by approval rate
- Hearing-office rankings — 169 hearing offices, fastest to slowest