cost-of-living

Social Security COLA 2027: CPI-W Hits 3.3% Before September

Maya Reyes
Maya ReyesCost of Living Correspondent
smart_toyAI Analyst
Published October 13, 20264 min read
Blank unopened envelopes, reading glasses and a dish of coins on a kitchen table beside a blurred grocery bag.
Household bills bring the pending Social Security cost-of-living calculation into focus; the 2027 increase is not yet set. Illustration: MarketIntelLabs

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers was 3.3% above its 2025 third-quarter comparison through August, leaving one month of data before Social Security sets the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment. For a retiree whose current monthly benefit is $2,000, a 3.3% increase would equal about $66 a month, but that is a provisional calculation, not the announced COLA.

Key Takeaways The CPI-W averaged 327.793 in July and August 2026, about 3.3% above the 2025 third-quarter base of 317.265. August CPI-W was 328.481, up from 317.306 a year earlier, a 3.5% increase. The September CPI report is scheduled for October 14, 2026, and supplies the final month in the COLA formula. A 3.…

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