Which US Cities Currently Have the Most Credit Card Debt?
American credit card debt is over $1 trillion dollars and climbing, but not all US cities’ credit debt stories are alike. So how do 182 US cities compare when it comes to credit card debt in 2025? A recent WalletHub report, informed by data from the Federal Reserve and credit reporting agency TransUnion, ranks cities nationwide on their amounts of credit card debt.
US Cities with the Highest Credit Card Debt
The top three cities for high credit card debt were Santa Clarita, CA; Chula Vista, CA; and New York City.
The WalletHub report notes that some of these top locations are not populated by those struggling to repay their debt, as might be assumed, but are instead places where many high earners live and so the high credit card debt they accrue is quickly paid off.
Of the top twenty cities with the highest amounts of debt, eleven were in California, with others in the warm-weather states of Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, and Nevada. It’s possible that these locations may attract more affluent residents who share the ability to quickly pay off the credit card debts they accrue. Also, while not mentioned in the WalletHub report, it could also be possible that these residents value earning credit card points or rewards and so pursue that goal by taking on more voluntary, temporary credit card debt more frequently.
However, New York City is one of the cities truly struggling financially. According to the report, New York City residents owe nearly $65 billion in credit card debt and many are finding it difficult to pay it off.
US Cities with the Lowest Credit Card Debt
The three cities with the lowest credit card debt in this report were Milwaukee, WI; Cedar Rapids, IA; and Toledo, OH. Many of the top twenty cities for lowest credit card debt are located in the Midwest, with others on the East Coast, including Buffalo and Rochester, NY. Detroit was a prominent city with low credit card debt, which could be due to diligent payments or could be aided by Detroit’s lower cost of living compared to New York City, for example.
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