Special Report

The 25 States With the Most Credit Card Debt

alexialex / iStock via Getty Images

U.S. consumers added $87.3 billion onto their credit card debt last year, more than wiping out the gains made in the previous year, according to the online personal finance information provider WalletHub. Americans owed $1.02 trillion to their credit card issuers by the end of the fourth quarter 2021, with an average debt of $8,590 per household. (With gas prices on the rise, consumers might increasingly rely on debt. These are the states with the highest gas prices.)

To identify the cities with the most credit card debt last year, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed WalletHub’s ranking of the average household credit card debt for 182 U.S. cities. All data is from the report except median household income figures, which are from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 2019 five-year estimates. To create its report, WalletHub used data from the Census Bureau, Federal Reserve, TransUnion, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the 25 U.S. cities whose households carry the most credit card debt, the average outstanding balance ranges from $12,900 in Anaheim, California, to $16,126 in Pearl City, Hawaii. (Check to see if California and Hawaii are among the states where the most people are behind on mortgage payments.)

The average credit card debt per household in the cities with the most credit card debt was $13,932 as of the end of 2021, after households in these cities paid down an average of $2,442 of their credit card debt throughout the year. Collectively, credit card debtors in these cities owed $4.1 billion by the end of 2021, after paying $653 million worth of outstanding credit card debt that year.

Debtors with higher outstanding balances tend to have higher debt pay downs, as they perhaps try harder to lower their high balances, but that is not always the case. Pearl City’s credit card debtors, for example, paid down only an average of $908 per household last year, despite owing the most on average among the 181 cities WalletHub reviewed. In contrast, households in Santa Clarita, California, paid down an average of $4,715, the highest pay down among cities reviewed, ending last year with an average credit card of $14,995.

Click here to see the cities with the most credit card debt

MattGush / iStock via Getty Images

25. Anaheim, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $12,900
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,677 — #168 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.31 billion — #60 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $71,763 — #32 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad]

Ron and Patty Thomas / E+ via Getty Images

24. Los Angeles, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $12,905
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,149 — #133 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $17.86 billion — #2 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $62,142 — #66 highest out of 182 cities

Art Wager / E+ via Getty Images

23. Huntington Beach, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $12,996
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,280 — #146 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $999.55 million — #83 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $95,046 — #10 highest out of 182 cities

Kruck20 / iStock via Getty Images

22. Atlanta, Georgia
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,001
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$1,820 — #91 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $2.68 billion — #24 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $59,948 — #78 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad-2]

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

21. Boston, Massachusetts
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,014
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$1,753 — #80 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $3.51 billion — #17 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $71,115 — #36 highest out of 182 cities

Sean Pavone / iStock via Getty Images

20. San Antonio, Texas
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,055
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,327 — #153 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $6.55 billion — #6 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $52,455 — #115 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad]

MattGush / iStock via Getty Images

19. Fontana, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,070
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,587 — #166 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $713.05 million — #132 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $72,918 — #29 highest out of 182 cities

sanfel / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

18. Rancho Cucamonga, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,232
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$3,489 — #179 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $748.46 million — #124 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $90,953 — #12 highest out of 182 cities

franckreporter / E+ via Getty Images

17. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,361
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,012 — #119 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $996.29 million — #84 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $59,450 — #83 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad-2]

miroslav_1 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images

16. Riverside, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,401
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,869 — #177 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.22 billion — #67 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $69,045 — #40 highest out of 182 cities

Davel5957 / iStock via Getty Images

15. Norfolk, Virginia
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,557
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,342 — #154 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.20 billion — #69 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $51,590 — #119 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad]

urbanglimpses / iStock via Getty Images

14. Juneau, Alaska
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,884
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,041 — #123 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $175.99 million — #178 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $88,390 — #13 highest out of 182 cities

Gary Fink / iStock via Getty Images

13. Plano, Texas
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,944
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,527 — #163 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.48 billion — #54 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $95,602 — #9 highest out of 182 cities

DenisTangneyJr / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images

12. Gilbert, Arizona
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $13,982
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,394 — #158 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.09 billion — #78 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $96,857 — #8 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad-2]

bfg1118 / iStock via Getty Images

11. Virginia Beach, Virginia
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,026
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,715 — #170 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $2.40 billion — #29 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $76,610 — #22 highest out of 182 cities

jjwithers / iStock via Getty Images

10. Oxnard, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,031
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$1,706 — #74 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $721.51 million — #131 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $72,843 — #30 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad]

KingWu / E+ via Getty Images

9. Scottsdale, Arizona
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,112
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,047 — #124 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.63 billion — #50 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $88,213 — #14 highest out of 182 cities

felixmizioznikov / iStock via Getty Images

8. Pembroke Pines, Florida
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,163
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$3,505 — #180 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $811.86 million — #112 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $68,745 — #41 highest out of 182 cities

yenwen / E+ via Getty Images

7. Anchorage, Alaska
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,164
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,103 — #130 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.51 billion — #53 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $84,928 — #17 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad-2]

6. Santa Ana, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,539
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,342 — #154 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.11 billion — #73 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $66,145 — #47 highest out of 182 cities

James opiyo / iStock via Getty Images

5. Santa Clarita, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $14,995
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$4,715 — #182 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.04 billion — #81 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $99,666 — #7 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad]

4. Chula Vista, California
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $15,024
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,731 — #174 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.20 billion — #70 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $81,272 — #19 highest out of 182 cities

Toshe_O / iStock via Getty Images

3. Chesapeake, Virginia
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $15,062
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,726 — #171 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $1.28 billion — #63 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $78,640 — #21 highest out of 182 cities

GCShutter / E+ via Getty Images

2. New York, New York
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $15,760
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$2,296 — #149 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $49.91 billion — #1 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $63,998 — #57 highest out of 182 cities

[in-text-ad-2]

dcoetzee / Flickr

1. Pearl City, Hawaii
> Avg. household credit card debt, 2021: $16,126
> Household credit card debt pay down, 2020-2021: -$908 — #2 highest out of 182 cities
> Total credit card debt: $225.59 million — #175 most out of 182 cities
> Median household income: $100,057 — #6 highest out of 182 cities

Get Ready To Retire (Sponsored)

Start by taking a quick retirement quiz from SmartAsset that will match you with up to 3 financial advisors that serve your area and beyond in 5 minutes, or less.

Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests.

Here’s how it works:
1. Answer SmartAsset advisor match quiz
2. Review your pre-screened matches at your leisure. Check out the advisors’ profiles.
3. Speak with advisors at no cost to you. Have an introductory call on the phone or introduction in person and choose whom to work with in the future

Get started right here.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.