New data from Interest.com indicates that most other studies of how financially tough retirement will be for almost every American are accurate.

The recent study indicates that older Americans face income shortfalls in 48 states. And there will be no increase in federal government assistance because of the already crippling costs of Social Security and Medicare. With the drive toward austerity to solve the budget deficit problem, the number of people in retirement who face poverty or near poverty will hit epidemic proportions.

According to CNNMoney, which analyzed the report:

Seniors in almost every state in the country are falling short when it comes to affording their golden years, according to a study released Monday.

Nationwide, seniors are living off of a median household income of $35,107, roughly 57% of the median income of their younger counterparts ages 45 to 64, according to an analysis of 2011 U.S. Census Bureau data by Interest.com, a financial information website owned by Bankrate.com.

“We found that many senior citizens are significantly underfunded and risk running out of money,” said Mike Sante, the site’s managing editor.

Only seniors in Nevada and Hawaii have median annual incomes that meet the savings benchmark commonly recommended by financial planners. Typically, planners recommend that retirees save enough to replace at least 70% of their pre-retirement income.

Other states where seniors came close to that goal include the sunbelt states of Arizona (68.1%), New Mexico (66.9%) and Florida (66.9%), according to the study, which divided the median household incomes for residents 65 and older by the incomes of those 45- to 64-years old in each state to come up with income “replacement rates” for seniors.

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