My Mother owns a little house that is paid for, does not take much medicine, and lives on less than $10,000 a year from my Dad’s social security. She actually saves money every year. Because of her savings, she got means tested out of some small VA benefits.
If you prepare and get your home paid for, in a lot of non-urban settings, you can live modestly pretty easily on $21K per year. Modest home. Manages her expenses. Has an older car that she rarely uses. She just lives a simple, frugal lifestyle. Most of the time, it is not about how much you make, it is about how much you spend.