Is Your Public Pension
Financially Secure?
Funded ratios, unfunded liabilities, ARC coverage, member counts, and 23-year financial histories for 197 US state and local public pension plans — drawn from the Public Plans Database (Boston College CRR, MissionSquare Research, NASRA).
Grades 197 US public pensions B-F by funded ratio & ARC, with national rankings, state breakdowns, and historical trends from PPD data.
Funded ratios, unfunded liabilities, and A–F health grades for every major US public pension plan. Data from the Boston College Center for Retirement Research.
Pension Guides
Understanding Funded Ratios
The key metric for pension financial health
Check Your Pension Health
Step-by-step guide to evaluating your plan
Pension Crisis Explained
Why plans are underfunded and what it means
Is My Pension Safe?
How to assess your personal retirement security
What If a Pension Runs Out?
Legal protections and realistic scenarios
Most At-Risk Plans
All rankings →| Plan | Funded Ratio | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Sioux Falls Fire | 24.4% | F |
| Providence Employees Retirement System | 24.6% | F |
| City of Miami Firefighters and Police Officers Retirement Trust | 25.8% | F |
| Des Moines Water Works | 28.0% | F |
| Louisiana Teachers Retirement System | 28.2% | F |
Browse by State
All states →Pension Funding FAQs
What is a funded ratio for a pension?
A funded ratio measures how much of a pension's promised benefits are backed by current assets. A 100% funded ratio means the plan has enough assets to pay all promised benefits. Below 80% is generally considered underfunded; below 60% is critical.
Which states have the worst-funded pensions?
States with the most underfunded public pensions include Illinois, New Jersey, and Kentucky. Several plans have funded ratios below 50%. See our worst-funded rankings.
Where does this data come from?
PlainPension uses data from the Public Plans Database (PPD), a research collaboration by Boston College Center for Retirement Research and NASRA. The PPD tracks 197 US public pension plans with historical data back to 2001.
What is an unfunded liability?
Unfunded liability (pension debt) is the gap between what a plan has in assets and what it has promised in future benefits. High unfunded liabilities often lead to higher taxes, reduced public services, or benefit cuts.
Related Data
PlainPension presents Public Plans Database figures compiled by Boston College Center for Retirement Research. This site does not offer investment, actuarial, or retirement planning advice. Consult your pension fund administrator or a qualified financial advisor for decisions about your public pension benefits.
Research
Original analysis from our editorial team, every statistic derived from our own database. See all research.
CalPERS 467 Billion in Assets: Top 10 US Public Pension Funds
Public Plans Database data shows CalPERS ($467B market assets), CalSTRS ($317B), and New York State Local Retirement ($250B) leading US public pension funds by market assets — with combined top-10 assets exceeding $2.1 trillion across California New York Texas Florida and Washington systems.
ResearchSioux Falls Fire 24.4% Funded Ratio: Bottom 10 US Public Pensions
Public Plans Database data shows Sioux Falls Fire (24.4 percent funded), Providence Employees (24.6 percent), and City of Miami Fire/Police (25.8 percent) leading the worst-funded US public pension plans — with Louisiana Teachers at 28.2 percent funded and $66.4 billion unfunded liability anchoring the state-level distress tier.
ResearchCalifornia 408 Billion in Unfunded Pension Liabilities: Top 10 State Totals
Public Plans Database data shows California ($408.79B unfunded), New York ($243.84B), and Texas ($137.47B) leading US states by aggregate pension unfunded liabilities — with Ohio at $121.36 billion and Washington State at $98.44 billion completing the top-burden state tier.