Official SSA Data
ALJ Statistics by State
Browse Social Security Disability hearing statistics for all 50 states and territories. Click any state to see detailed office and judge information.
50 states and territories
Alabama
AL
Avg Approval 64.7%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 3
Judges 38
Alaska
AK
Offices 1
Judges 0
Arizona
AZ
Avg Approval 57.1%
Avg Wait 9.7 months
Offices 3
Judges 17
Arkansas
AR
Avg Approval 47%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 2
Judges 14
California
CA
Avg Approval 60.9%
Avg Wait 8.7 months
Offices 17
Judges 98
Colorado
CO
Avg Approval 50.6%
Avg Wait 7.5 months
Offices 2
Judges 16
Connecticut
CT
Avg Approval 51.8%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 2
Judges 12
Delaware
DE
Avg Approval 64.7%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 1
Judges 2
District Of Columbia
DC
Avg Approval 63.9%
Avg Wait 15 months
Offices 3
Judges 20
Florida
FL
Avg Approval 59%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 8
Judges 73
Georgia
GA
Avg Approval 56.3%
Avg Wait 7.4 months
Offices 5
Judges 46
Hawaii
HI
Avg Approval 69.8%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 1
Judges 4
Illinois
IL
Avg Approval 52.9%
Avg Wait 8.3 months
Offices 6
Judges 46
Indiana
IN
Avg Approval 60.4%
Avg Wait 7.3 months
Offices 4
Judges 26
Iowa
IA
Avg Approval 52.8%
Avg Wait 7.5 months
Offices 1
Judges 9
Kansas
KS
Avg Approval 48.5%
Avg Wait 8.5 months
Offices 2
Judges 8
Kentucky
KY
Avg Approval 52.7%
Avg Wait 7.5 months
Offices 4
Judges 28
Louisiana
LA
Avg Approval 57.1%
Avg Wait 8.3 months
Offices 4
Judges 21
Maine
ME
Avg Approval 65.1%
Avg Wait 9 months
Offices 1
Judges 4
Maryland
MD
Avg Approval 54.3%
Avg Wait 10.3 months
Offices 2
Judges 31
Massachusetts
MA
Avg Approval 58.7%
Avg Wait 9.2 months
Offices 3
Judges 16
Michigan
MI
Avg Approval 59.1%
Avg Wait 7.4 months
Offices 7
Judges 58
Minnesota
MN
Avg Approval 56.6%
Avg Wait 8.5 months
Offices 1
Judges 12
Mississippi
MS
Avg Approval 55.1%
Avg Wait 7.8 months
Offices 3
Judges 21
Missouri
MO
Avg Approval 51%
Avg Wait 8.4 months
Offices 6
Judges 46
Montana
MT
Avg Approval 62.1%
Avg Wait 9 months
Offices 1
Judges 5
Nebraska
NE
Avg Approval 49.5%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 1
Judges 6
Nevada
NV
Avg Approval 51%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 2
Judges 9
New Hampshire
NH
Avg Approval 56.7%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 1
Judges 8
New Jersey
NJ
Avg Approval 62.5%
Avg Wait 8.8 months
Offices 3
Judges 26
New Mexico
NM
Avg Approval 52.2%
Avg Wait 13.5 months
Offices 2
Judges 17
New York
NY
Avg Approval 62.7%
Avg Wait 8.6 months
Offices 10
Judges 77
North Carolina
NC
Avg Approval 64.9%
Avg Wait 8.1 months
Offices 4
Judges 40
North Dakota
ND
Avg Approval 62%
Avg Wait 7 months
Offices 1
Judges 4
Ohio
OH
Avg Approval 55.6%
Avg Wait 7.6 months
Offices 6
Judges 52
Oklahoma
OK
Avg Approval 68.5%
Avg Wait 8.7 months
Offices 3
Judges 23
Oregon
OR
Avg Approval 61%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 2
Judges 15
Pennsylvania
PA
Avg Approval 53.9%
Avg Wait 8.6 months
Offices 8
Judges 58
Puerto Rico
PR
Avg Approval 70%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 2
Judges 12
Rhode Island
RI
Avg Approval 55.6%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 1
Judges 5
South Carolina
SC
Avg Approval 57.3%
Avg Wait 7.6 months
Offices 4
Judges 40
Tennessee
TN
Avg Approval 57.7%
Avg Wait 8.1 months
Offices 6
Judges 48
Texas
TX
Avg Approval 56.3%
Avg Wait 7.9 months
Offices 7
Judges 75
Utah
UT
Avg Approval 52.5%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 1
Judges 5
Virginia
VA
Avg Approval 46.9%
Avg Wait 8.9 months
Offices 6
Judges 32
Washington
WA
Avg Approval 61.6%
Avg Wait 8.7 months
Offices 3
Judges 20
West Virginia
WV
Avg Approval 55.2%
Avg Wait 7.7 months
Offices 3
Judges 18
Wisconsin
WI
Avg Approval 57.3%
Avg Wait 8 months
Offices 2
Judges 11
Nationwide Overview
The Social Security disability hearing system spans 48 states and territories, with 173 hearing offices and 1,194 active Administrative Law Judges. The national average approval rate is 57.6% for 12 months ending July 2026. State-level approval rates range from 46.9% in Virginia to 70% in Puerto Rico, a 23-point spread that reflects regional variation in case outcomes.
Wait times also vary significantly by geography. North Dakota has the shortest average wait at 7 months, while District Of Columbia has the longest at 15 months. These differences reflect staffing levels, caseload volume, and scheduling capacity at individual offices.
Use the interactive map above to select a state, or browse the cards below to compare key statistics at a glance. Each state page provides detailed office-level data and individual judge statistics.
Social Security Disability Hearing FAQ by State
Why do approval rates vary by state?
Approval rates vary due to several factors including differences in claimant populations, local economic conditions affecting disability applications, individual judge decision-making patterns, quality of legal representation, and regional interpretations of disability standards. In 12 months ending July 2026, state-level rates range from 46.9% in Virginia to 70% in Puerto Rico.
All ALJs apply the same federal disability standards regardless of location.
All ALJs apply the same federal disability standards regardless of location.
Can I choose which state to file in?
No. Your case is assigned to a hearing office based on where you live. You cannot choose a different state or hearing office to improve your odds. The SSA uses your residential address to determine jurisdiction. If you move to a new address in a different office's service area, your case may be transferred to the new office.
Do states with higher approval rates have easier standards?
No. All ALJs apply the same federal disability standards. Variations in approval rates reflect differences in case mix, local health conditions, representation quality, and individual judge decision patterns — not different legal standards. A state with a higher average rate may have a different mix of case types, higher representation rates, or other population-level factors that influence aggregate outcomes.
How is state data calculated?
State averages are calculated from all hearing offices within each state. Approval rates are weighted by judge caseload, so a judge with 300 decisions contributes more to the state average than a judge with 60.
Only judges with 50 or more decisions are included. Wait times represent the most recent snapshot from SSA data releases. See our methodology page for details on how we calculate these statistics.
Only judges with 50 or more decisions are included. Wait times represent the most recent snapshot from SSA data releases. See our methodology page for details on how we calculate these statistics.