Submitted by kdm on Thu, 05/16/2019 - 11:37

With over 650,000 decisions made in Social Security disability cases each year, the SSA has two main offices, the Office of Hearings Operations (OHO) and the Office of Analytics, Review, and Oversight (OARO), that oversee the hearing, decision, and appeal processes in more than 160 local offices.* There are over 1,500 administrative law judges (ALJs) who preside over the hearings and give either a denial, a fully favorable or partially favorable decision.

The approval ratings vary significantly by hearing office, with the highest at 77.10% favorable and the lowest at 22.98%. The national average is 52.60%. Therefore, the hearing office where a claim is heard can affect the outcome of the case and whether or not an award is granted.

However, the approval rates for each hearing office fluctuate over time and it can be difficult to keep track of these. Therefore, we have compiled a list of the percentage of claims receiving both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions by hearing office. This data is from September 29, 2018 through April 26, 2019.**

Of the 168 OHOs/NHCs that have heard cases in the last 7 months, 103 of these offices have approval ratings over 50%. Here is a list of the 10 offices with the highest award percentages:

  • Greensboro, NC – 77.10%
  • Madison, WI – 74.95%
  • Long Island, NY – 74.87%
  • Rochester, NY – 74.72%
  • Honolulu, HI – 69.62%
  • Baltimore, MD – 69.56%
  • Kingsport, TN – 68.26%
  • Tucson, AZ – 67.87%
  • New York, NY – 66.78%
  • San Rafael, CA – 66.57%

eGenerationMarketing offers geographic targeting by zip code prefix, allowing you to receive leads that report to a specific hearing office. To learn more about our Social Security disability leads, give us a call today at 617.800.0089.

US Map with Approval Rates


State Hearing Office % Fully Favorably % Partially Favorable % Favorable
AK ANCHORAGE 15.32% 7.66% 22.98%
AL BIRMINGHAM 40.55% 6.32% 46.87%
AL FLORENCE 40.95% 7.32% 48.27%
AL MOBILE 59.59% 4.34% 63.93%
AL MONTGOMERY 56.15% 6.42% 62.57%
AR FORT SMITH 46.00% 7.06% 53.06%
AR LITTLE ROCK 36.38% 7.49% 43.87%
AZ PHOENIX 29.90% 11.93% 41.84%
AZ PHOENIX NORTH 45.44% 8.83% 54.27%
AZ TUCSON 58.36% 9.51% 67.87%
CA FRESNO 35.65% 19.31% 54.96%
CA LONG BEACH 44.41% 8.64% 53.05%
CA LOS ANGELES DOWNTOWN 48.04% 6.46% 54.50%
CA LOS ANGELES WEST 40.14% 9.62% 49.77%
CA MORENO VALLEY 41.81% 11.17% 52.98%
CA NORWALK 49.48% 6.29% 55.77%
CA OAKLAND 50.12% 10.47% 60.59%
CA ORANGE 38.86% 12.56% 51.42%
CA PASADENA 52.64% 7.80% 60.44%
CA SACRAMENTO 57.12% 8.25% 65.37%
CA SAN BERNARDINO 47.86% 9.69% 57.55%
CA SAN DIEGO 41.30% 9.91% 51.21%
CA SAN FRANCISCO 52.25% 8.82% 61.06%
CA SAN JOSE 48.51% 11.93% 60.44%
CA SAN RAFAEL 52.61% 13.96% 66.57%
CA SANTA BARBARA 43.28% 5.28% 48.56%
CA STOCKTON 39.36% 8.37% 47.73%
CO COLORADO SPRINGS 27.97% 9.69% 37.65%
CO DENVER 42.75% 7.28% 50.03%
CT HARTFORD 34.78% 7.89% 42.67%
CT NEW HAVEN 37.07% 12.21% 49.28%
DC WASHINGTON 35.82% 9.17% 44.99%
DE DOVER 48.40% 7.07% 55.48%
FL FORT MYERS FL 52.94% 7.25% 60.18%
FL FT LAUDERDALE 51.78% 5.96% 57.74%
FL JACKSONVILLE 44.02% 7.33% 51.35%
FL MIAMI 41.96% 6.57% 48.53%
FL ORLANDO 49.11% 8.60% 57.71%
FL ST PETERSBURG 50.20% 4.91% 55.11%
FL TALLAHASSEE 43.96% 10.87% 54.83%
FL TAMPA 50.69% 6.78% 57.48%
GA ATLANTA DOWNTOWN 55.97% 6.95% 62.92%
GA ATLANTA NORTH 52.03% 5.59% 57.62%
GA COVINGTON 39.90% 9.76% 49.66%
GA MACON 36.94% 6.36% 43.30%
GA SAVANNAH 45.13% 8.69% 53.82%
HI HONOLULU 56.24% 13.38% 69.62%
IA WEST DES MOINES 45.96% 12.75% 58.71%
IL CHICAGO 40.12% 11.54% 51.66%
IL EVANSTON 49.01% 8.52% 57.53%
IL NHC CHICAGO 35.98% 9.94% 45.92%
IL OAK BROOK 47.39% 8.43% 55.82%
IL ORLAND PARK 40.54% 9.67% 50.22%
IL PEORIA 26.73% 10.65% 37.38%
IN EVANSVILLE 38.81% 7.35% 46.15%
IN FORT WAYNE 38.41% 8.10% 46.52%
IN INDIANAPOLIS 53.51% 5.10% 58.61%
IN VALPARAISO IN 37.97% 10.60% 48.56%
KS TOPEKA 27.01% 8.04% 35.05%
KS WICHITA 43.18% 3.79% 46.96%
KY LEXINGTON 43.25% 6.95% 50.20%
KY LOUISVILLE 45.72% 9.75% 55.48%
KY MIDDLESBORO 35.36% 2.40% 37.77%
KY PADUCAH 42.55% 10.30% 52.86%
LA ALEXANDRIA 35.90% 8.82% 44.72%
LA METAIRIE 38.21% 8.93% 47.14%
LA NEW ORLEANS 48.87% 6.55% 55.42%
LA SHREVEPORT 35.75% 8.54% 44.29%
MA BOSTON 47.26% 7.94% 55.21%
MA LAWRENCE 45.58% 15.29% 60.87%
MA SPRINGFIELD 37.52% 10.18% 47.70%
MD BALTIMORE 60.79% 8.78% 69.56%
MD NHC BALTIMORE 47.60% 7.13% 54.73%
ME PORTLAND 50.60% 5.11% 55.71%
MI DETROIT 43.31% 8.54% 51.85%
MI FLINT 34.53% 15.80% 50.33%
MI GRAND RAPIDS 41.19% 9.47% 50.66%
MI LANSING 44.06% 7.06% 51.13%
MI LIVONIA 56.10% 7.20% 63.30%
MI MT PLEASANT 39.50% 10.60% 50.10%
MI OAK PARK 53.95% 9.11% 63.06%
MN MINNEAPOLIS 43.67% 9.73% 53.40%
MO COLUMBIA MO 35.65% 9.98% 45.63%
MO CREVE COEUR 39.60% 7.13% 46.73%
MO KANSAS CITY 42.45% 6.92% 49.37%
MO NHC ST LOUIS 38.02% 8.66% 46.68%
MO SPRINGFIELD 32.92% 4.97% 37.89%
MO ST LOUIS 39.04% 11.11% 50.15%
MS HATTIESBURG 38.17% 5.54% 43.71%
MS JACKSON 38.88% 4.77% 43.64%
MS TUPELO 55.00% 10.00% 65.01%
MT BILLINGS 36.02% 8.71% 44.73%
NC CHARLOTTE 52.82% 8.06% 60.88%
NC FAYETTEVILLE 52.27% 6.61% 58.88%
NC GREENSBORO 68.93% 8.18% 77.10%
NC RALEIGH 47.33% 7.38% 54.70%
ND FARGO 48.39% 9.98% 58.37%
NE OMAHA 40.56% 8.35% 48.91%
NH MANCHESTER 50.86% 5.52% 56.38%
NJ JERSEY CITY 51.31% 11.45% 62.76%
NJ NEWARK 46.43% 11.27% 57.69%
NJ SOUTH JERSEY 40.23% 13.90% 54.12%
NM ALBUQUERQUE 41.76% 8.46% 50.22%
NM NHC ALBUQUERQUE 30.76% 6.70% 37.47%
NV LAS VEGAS 34.57% 9.22% 43.79%
NV RENO NV 27.93% 10.45% 38.38%
NY ALBANY 49.27% 7.92% 57.19%
NY BRONX 51.43% 8.20% 59.63%
NY BUFFALO 39.80% 10.77% 50.57%
NY LONG ISLAND 66.44% 8.43% 74.87%
NY NEW YORK 58.25% 8.53% 66.78%
NY NEW YORK VARICK 55.08% 10.60% 65.68%
NY QUEENS 52.84% 9.58% 62.42%
NY ROCHESTER 66.40% 8.32% 74.72%
NY SYRACUSE 42.31% 9.26% 51.57%
NY WHITE PLAINS 50.28% 9.23% 59.51%
OH AKRON OH 47.58% 9.67% 57.25%
OH CINCINNATI 46.04% 6.31% 52.35%
OH CLEVELAND 32.47% 7.21% 39.68%
OH COLUMBUS 38.50% 5.70% 44.20%
OH DAYTON 33.99% 15.16% 49.15%
OH TOLEDO OH 33.20% 10.84% 44.05%
OK MCALESTER 31.19% 7.58% 38.77%
OK OKLAHOMA CITY 53.45% 4.72% 58.17%
OK TULSA 55.00% 10.00% 65.01%
OR EUGENE 40.84% 8.37% 49.22%
OR PORTLAND OR 40.68% 8.84% 49.52%
PA ELKINS PARK 52.94% 6.49% 59.42%
PA HARRISBURG 42.52% 5.00% 47.52%
PA JOHNSTOWN 39.26% 5.19% 44.44%
PA PHILADELPHIA 41.43% 8.71% 50.14%
PA PHILADELPHIA EAST 41.09% 9.32% 50.41%
PA PITTSBURGH 38.79% 8.44% 47.23%
PA SEVEN FIELDS 39.44% 12.01% 51.45%
PA WILKES BARRE 35.18% 10.25% 45.43%
PR PONCE 38.79% 8.44% 47.23%
PR SAN JUAN 54.87% 6.22% 61.10%
RI PROVIDENCE 45.41% 4.96% 50.37%
SC CHARLESTON 36.78% 7.60% 44.38%
SC COLUMBIA 53.23% 6.11% 59.34%
SC GREENVILLE 51.41% 4.82% 56.23%
TN CHATTANOOGA 48.83% 5.11% 53.94%
TN FRANKLIN 46.13% 5.96% 52.09%
TN KINGSPORT 64.32% 3.95% 68.26%
TN KNOXVILLE 46.17% 4.80% 50.97%
TN MEMPHIS 47.83% 9.19% 57.02%
TN NASHVILLE 46.55% 8.78% 55.33%
TX DALLAS DOWNTOWN 50.39% 6.97% 57.36%
TX DALLAS NORTH 54.43% 8.02% 62.45%
TX FORT WORTH 40.67% 7.92% 48.60%
TX HOUSTON NORTH 37.47% 6.28% 43.75%
TX HOUSTON-BISSONNET 41.74% 7.92% 49.67%
TX RIO GRANDE VALLEY 34.10% 7.97% 42.07%
TX SAN ANTONIO 28.49% 6.85% 35.34%
UT SALT LAKE CITY 43.52% 9.45% 52.97%
VA CHARLOTTESVILLE 24.07% 10.98% 35.05%
VA NHC FALLS CHURCH 40.14% 9.67% 49.81%
VA NORFOLK 42.64% 8.46% 51.09%
VA RICHMOND 33.33% 9.46% 42.80%
VA ROANOKE 45.79% 9.62% 55.41%
WA SEATTLE 37.11% 9.47% 46.58%
WA SPOKANE 58.09% 6.33% 64.43%
WA TACOMA 33.08% 9.34% 42.42%
WI MADISON 66.15% 8.80% 74.95%
WI MILWAUKEE 32.42% 10.97% 43.38%
WV CHARLESTON 54.25% 7.05% 61.31%
WV HUNTINGTON 36.69% 5.19% 41.88%
WV MORGANTOWN 36.07% 7.83% 43.91%

*https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/about_us.html

**https://www.ssa.gov/appeals/DataSets/03_ALJ_Disposition_Data.html

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