The burden of student debt is reaching epic proportions in the United States. This trend has grown in recent years and is expected to continue in the years ahead. It turns out that major population centers are not all equal when it comes to student debt levels. In fact, the graduating class of 2016 will carry more student loan debt than any other class in history.

According to the Institute for College Access and Success, the average student loan debt at graduation has risen from $18,550 in 2004 to a whopping $28,950 in 2014. That is up 56% in just a decade. The cost of tuition of a public in-state four-year college or university program rose roughly 40% between 2005 and 2015. In short, the cost of a college degree is rising less than the increase in loan debt.

The Institute for College Access and Success data showed that the increase in student loan debts has varied considerably between states. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed all states to see which ones had the highest amount of average student loan debt as of 2014. While Delaware had the highest (average $33,808), Utah’s was the lowest (average $18,921). But what about in the states with massive populations?

Well, the average student loan debt is far lower in California than in New York. Major cities in each of these states tend to have high costs of living, and both states have high taxes. Both states have very similar median household incomes (more than $65,000), and the college attainment levels are quite similar. So why are the average student debt levels so different?

The Census Bureau showed that California’s population at the end of 2014 was roughly 38.8 million, making it the most populous state. The state of New York had close to 19.7 million.

As mentioned, California’s student debt was far lower on average than New York. It surprisingly ranked at just 46 out of the 50 states, with California’s average student loan debt at $21,382. Other key data regarding California:

• Median household income 25 to 44 yr. olds: $65,279 (14th highest)
• Student loan debt as pct. household income: 32.8% (third lowest)
• College attainment rate: 31.7% (13th highest)

New York was much further ahead on the list, ranking 19th out of 50. New York’s average student loan debt was $27,822, making New York student debt some 30% higher on average than in California. The data for median household income and college attainment rate were more or less similar. The big disparity is in student loan debt to household income, with these for New York shown as follows:

• Median household income 25 to 44 yr. olds: $65,922 (12th highest)
• Student loan debt as pct. household income: 42.2% (17th lowest)
• College attainment rate: 34.5% (ninth highest)

Outsiders might just think New York is dominated by New York City and the surrounding areas, but there are many rural areas in New York. California’s population may be dominated by San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego, but there are many areas of low population.

There may of course be one major and obvious factor on what may constitute the total debt levels here: the all-in price of a year of college. We looked the admissions cost pages for the University of California and the State University of New York. Aside from the direct costs for tuition, there are other items that have to be considered: books and supplies, health costs, room and board, food, parking and transportation, and the like.

Another consideration is the levels of financial assistance. The University of California showed that over two-thirds of its UC undergraduates receive some gift aid, with an average award of over $16,000. The University of California also showed that its Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan ensures that systemwide tuition and fees are covered for eligible students with parent total incomes of $80,000 or less. New York also has financial assistance, and financial assistance outside of loans can massively alter what levels of debt a student ends up with.

State tuitions can vary wildly. Income and other measurements of course will differ from cities to rural areas. 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on educational attainment and median household incomes from the U.S. Census Bureau for the additional data.

The Federal Reserve Bank’s data on the official level of student debt is older, but the Economist projected in August 2015 that the total student debt level was a total of $1.2 trillion. That figure will of course be higher now.

Many other issues also may affect net tuition and total debt loads: the income levels of parents, family assets, living with a relative, and on and on. It was still surprising to see that California’s student loan levels were so much different from that of New York.

Here is the full review of states with the highest and lowest student debt.

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