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The average household credit card debt in America is $9,260, and the states with the largest amount of credit card debt are Alaska, Hawaii, and New Jersey.
Between the first and final quarter of 2022, TransUnion® reported that the average American’s credit card debt rose roughly $400 per person. During that same year, we saw inflation as high as 9.1 percent during the month of June, which is a likely reason why credit card debt started to rise toward the end of the year.
By understanding American credit card debt statistics, you’ll have a better idea of where you stand as well as what you can do to potentially lower your debt. Credit card debt affects your credit utilization ratio, which lowers your credit score and ultimately costs you more money in interest.
Not only did we survey over 1,100 Americans to gauge how they feel about credit card debt, but we’ve also gathered dozens of statistics on credit card debt in the U.S. This data will cover the average debt by state, average interest rates and more. We’ll also provide you with information on how you can avoid letting your debt negatively affect your credit score.
Table of contents:
- Key credit card debt statistics
- Top 10 states with the most credit card debt
- Top 10 states with the least credit card debt
- Average credit card debt by state
- Credit card statistics everyone should know
- Average credit card debt by age
- Average credit card debt by income
- Average household credit card debt
- Average credit card debt by race or ethnicity
- Credit card delinquency rates in America
Key credit card debt statistics
There is a wide range of debt statistics below, but some of the standout findings include:
- The average American household has over $9,000 in credit card debt. (Wallet Hub)
- Mississippi has the least credit card debt at $5,041 per person. (Credit Karma)
- Alaska has the most credit card debt on average at $7,758.(Credit Karma)
- Credit card accounts 30 to 59 days past due rose by 6.1 percent between 2020 and 2021 (Experian®)
- Individuals making $184,000 or more per year have the most credit card debt at an average of $12,600 (Federal Reserve)
- The total credit card debt in America as of 2021 was $784.5 billion. (Experian)
A close-up look at American credit card debt
We conducted a survey of over 1,100 Americans to learn more about credit card debt in the United States. While many of the statistics from our other sources look at the situation as a whole, our data helps us see what’s happening on an individual level.
- Despite the national average of Americans having $9,000 in credit card debt per household, only 14 percent say they’re “very worried” about their debt.
- 67 percent of respondents said they have less than $2,000 in debt, which may indicate the national average means that a concentrated number of people have high amounts of credit card debt.
- 20 percent of respondents don’t know how long they’ve been in debt.
- The majority of respondents (56 percent) say their credit card debt is due to unexpected expenses.
- 74 percent of respondents said at least one collection agency has contacted them about a past due debt.
Check out the methodology section to see how the survey was conducted.
Top 10 states with the most credit card debt
In May of 2022, Credit Karma gathered data from 73 million of their members to see which states had the most and least amount of credit card debt. The following states had the most credit card debt, with Alaska having the highest average credit card debt at $7,758 per person.
| State | Average credit card debt | |
| 1 | Alaska | $7,758 |
| 2 | Hawaii | $7,167 |
| 3 | New Jersey | $6,982 |
| 4 | Maryland | $6,930 |
| 5 | Virginia | $6,909 |
| 6 | Connecticut | $6,751 |
| 7 | New York | $6,709 |
| 8 | California | $6,651 |
| 9 | Washington | $6,576 |
| 10 | Florida | $6,524 |
Top 10 states with the least credit card debt
The major credit bureau, Experian, tracks credit card debt data as well and found that between 2020 and 2021, overall credit card debt decreased from $788.29 billion to $784.5 billion. This was a .5 percent decrease, and some states were able to continue keeping their debt low, according to Credit Karma’s report.
| State | Average credit card debt | |
| 1 | Mississippi | $5,041 |
| 2 | Kentucky | $5,234 |
| 3 | Wisconsin | $5,341 |
| 4 | Indiana | $5,353 |
| 5 | Arkansas | $5,377 |
| 6 | Alabama | $5,440 |
| 7 | Idaho | $5,455 |
| 8 | West Virginia | $5,464 |
| 9 | Iowa | $5,496 |
| 10 | Michigan | $5,547 |
Average American credit card debt by state
Below, we’ve compiled a complete list based on Credit Karma’s data that contains the average credit card debt for each of the 50 states alphabetically.
| State | Average credit card debt | |
| 1 | Alabama | $5,440 |
| 2 | Alaska | $7,758 |
| 3 | Arizona | $5,930 |
| 4 | Arkansas | $5,377 |
| 5 | California | $6,651 |
| 6 | Colorado | $6,406 |
| 7 | Connecticut | $6,751 |
| 8 | Delaware | $6,168 |
| 9 | Florida | $6,524 |
| 10 | Georgia | $6,309 |
| 11 | Hawaii | $7,167 |
| 12 | Idaho | $5,455 |
| 13 | Illinois | $6,296 |
| 14 | Indiana | $5,353 |
| 15 | Iowa | $5,496 |
| 16 | Kansas | $5,878 |
| 17 | Kentucky | $5,234 |
| 18 | Louisiana | $5,621 |
| 19 | Maine | $5,580 |
| 20 | Maryland | $6,930 |
| 21 | Massachusetts | $6,407 |
| 22 | Michigan | $5,547 |
| 23 | Minnesota | $5,869 |
| 24 | Mississippi | $5,041 |
| 25 | Missouri | $5,612 |
| 26 | Montana | $5,762 |
| 27 | Nebraska | $5,929 |
| 28 | Nevada | $6,250 |
| 29 | New Hampshire | $6,295 |
| 30 | New Jersey | $6,982 |
| 31 | New Mexico | $5,642 |
| 32 | New York | $6,709 |
| 33 | North Carolina | $5,751 |
| 34 | North Dakota | $6,064 |
| 35 | Ohio | $5,612 |
| 36 | Oklahoma | $5,790 |
| 37 | Oregon | $5,844 |
| 38 | Pennsylvania | $5,918 |
| 39 | Rhode Island | $6,229 |
| 40 | South Carolina | $5,789 |
| 41 | South Dakota | $5,734 |
| 42 | Tennessee | $5,595 |
| 43 | Texas | $6,437 |
| 44 | Utah | $5,750 |
| 45 | Vermont | $5,722 |
| 46 | Virginia | $6,909 |
| 47 | Washington | $6,576 |
| 48 | West Virginia | $5,464 |
| 49 | Wisconsin | $5,341 |
| 50 | Wyoming | $6,111 |
Credit card statistics everyone should know
There are a variety of aspects of credit card debt such as the average interest rates, which cards have the best offers and how many people carry a balance on their card. This will not only help you compare your own credit card balance to the national average, but you’ll also see if you’re getting a good deal with your current cards.
How many credit cards carry a balance?
The American Bankers Association releases a quarterly report for consumer credit conditions, and the most recent data comes from the second quarter of 2022.
Of all of the credit cards in America, approximately 40 percent of all credit cards carried a balance, 36 percent used their cards but paid it off each month, and nearly 24 percent of the cards were dormant. Those who pay off their credit card balance are able to keep a low credit utilization ratio and prevent the accumulation of large amounts of debt.
Average interest rates for new credit card offers
Lending Tree analyzed the terms and conditions of 200 credit cards from upwards of 50 different credit card companies, banks and credit unions. With this data, they were able to gather an assortment of information involving annual percentage rates (APR).
The APR is the amount of interest consumers pay for their purchases, and the following table is broken down by credit card type.
The following table is based on data from December 2022.
| Credit card type | Minimum APR | Maximum APR | Average | Previous month |
| Average APR for all new card offers | 19.41{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.42{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.91{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.40{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| 0{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} balance transfer cards | 17.30{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.38{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 21.84{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 21.27{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| No-annual-fee cards | 18.86{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.26{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.56{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.07{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Rewards cards | 19.15{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.34{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.74{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.22{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Cashback cards | 19.29{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.00{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.64{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.20{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Travel rewards cards | 19.30{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.99{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.14{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.51{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Airline credit cards | 19.83{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 27.99{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.91{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.15{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Hotel credit cards | 19.10{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 27.85{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.48{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.80{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Low-interest credit cards | 13.31{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.23{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 17.77{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 18.40{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Grocery rewards cards | 19.22{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.86{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.04{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.47{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Gas rewards cards | 19.41{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 26.72{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.07{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.51{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Dining rewards cards | 19.29{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 27.05{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 23.17{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.55{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Student credit cards | 19.70{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 25.13{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 22.42{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 21.89{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
| Secured credit cards | 24.84{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 24.84{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 24.84{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} | 24.36{d2b599974303b629a5ced21f0a95caf055b754f8cafa1a7be316e3dfed23f121} |
Average credit card debt by age
Credit Karma’s report with the state-by-state data also broke down credit card debt by age group. Currently, Generation X carries the most credit card debt, while Generation Z carries the least.
| Age group | Average credit card debt |
| 10 to 25 (Generation Z) | $2,589 |
| 26 to 41 (Millenials) | $5,575 |
| 42 to 57 (Generation X) | $7,923 |
| 58 to 76 (Baby boomers) | $7,285 |
| 77 to 94 (Silent generation) | $5,602 |
Average credit card debt by income
The following data comes from the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) and was most recently updated in 2019. The Federal Reserve completed a new survey at the end of 2022 and will have updated data in 2023.
As you’ll see, higher-income individuals have much more credit card debt than those who make much less. This makes sense because high-income individuals are able to get much larger credit lines. But when you look at the debt-to-income ratio, lower-income households have much more debt in comparison to the amount of money they make.
| Income | Average credit card debt |
| Less than $25,555 | $3,800 |
| $25,555 to $49,000 | $4,700 |
| $50,000 to $78,000 | $4,900 |
| $79,526 to $126,000 | $7,000 |
| $130,000 to $175,847 | $9,700 |
| $184,200 to $475,116 and above | $12,600 |
Average household credit card debt
A recent study from Wallet Hub found that while total credit card debt in the United States rose 15.6 percent between 2021 and 2022, household credit card debt only rose by 6.4 percent.
Their data shows that the average houshold credit card debt at the end of the second quarter in 2022 was $9,260 adjusted for inflation, which is $653 higher than the same time the previous year. Wallet Hub’s chart goes back to 1986, and the highest household credit card debt was in 2007, when it was $12,005 on average per household.
Average credit card debt by race or ethnicity
In recent years, there have been many conversations around racial and social justice, so it’s helpful to take a look at credit card debt based on race. Research from Annuity shows that Black and Hispanic Americans are less likely to feel financially stable and less likely to have a bank account. This information can help us better understand what’s happening in the financial lives of different communities.
This data comes from the Federal Reserve’s 2019 SCF.
| Race | Average credit card debt |
| White (non-Hispanic) | $6,940 |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | $3,940 |
| Hispanic or Latino | $5,510 |
| Other or multiple races | $6,320 |
Credit card delinquency rates in America
When someone is at least 30 days past due on their credit card payment, their status becomes delinquent. The number of delinquencies in the United States can be a measure of people’s ability to pay down their credit card debt.
To track this data, Experian conducted a study between 2020 and 2021:
- There was an increase of accounts 30 to 59 past due of 6.1 percent
- The was no change in the delinquency rate of accounts 60 to 89 days past due
- Accounts 90 to 180 past due fell by 8.1 percent
How to get out of credit card debt and improve your credit score
Credit card debt in America is something that many individuals have, and when your debt isn’t under control, it can affect your credit score. By having a high amount of debt, your credit score can drop, which leads to higher interest rates, which means you’re paying more for your purchases. It can also lead to being denied new credit lines.
Here are some simple steps you can take to start getting out of debt sooner rather than later:
- Reduce additional credit card spending: You don’t want to add to your current debt if you don’t have to.
- Create a budget: Cutting your spending can help you have additional funds to pay down your debt.
- Use the snowball method: Each month, pay off your smallest debt in full. This can help you build momentum as you chip away at your overall debt.
- Try debt consolidation: Consolidating your debt may help reduce the interest rate and keep your debt in one place, rather than with different creditors.
- Get a balance transfer card: Balance transfer cards allow you to transfer credit card debt to a different account, which may have a lower interest rate and will also help consolidate your debt.
If you need help getting your debt under control and raising your credit score, Credit.com has services to help you manage your financial life. To begin managing your credit and your debt, sign up for a free credit report card and check out ExtraCredit. Our services will help boost your score and educate you about managing your finances to live the life you deserve.
Methodology
This survey was conducted for Credit.com using Suzy. The sample consisted of a total of 1,154 responses per question and is statistically representative of the general population. This survey was conducted in December 2022.
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