Here’s How Much Debt Americans Have in Every State

There are endless ways to go into debt. Although indebtedness typically comes down to individual circumstances, other factors, like living in a high-cost area, can also have an impact on how much you owe.

GOBankingRates conducted a survey to find out how much debt residents in each U.S. state and Washington, D.C., carry. Respondents were asked to share the amount of each type of debt they have, specifically for mortgages, credit card debt, student loans, car loans and medical debt. Keep in mind that the number of respondents in each state who participated in this survey varied from state to state.

The survey found the average debt among Americans (including those who report having no debt) is approximately $63,000. But, the average personal debt by state varies widely. Keep reading to see how your finances measure up to the typical American’s.

Alabama ranks among the top 20 for the least amount of debt on this list — and cost of living is reasonable, too. Over 80 percent of respondents have mortgages, and 41 percent owe in the $150,000 to $200,000 range. More than 50 percent of respondents have credit card debt of $500 or more, with just over 10 percent reporting credit card debt in excess of $10,000.

Second to Washington, D.C., Alaska respondents have the least amount of debt of any state, at less than $2,300 per person. Half of respondents said they don’t have a mortgage at all, and more than 50 percent reported having no credit card debt.

Arizona’s average of just over $22,000 of debt per respondent places it just inside the top 20 states for lowest debt in the U.S. More than 75 percent of Arizonans surveyed have a mortgage, but almost 75 percent of respondents don’t have student loan debt or medical debt. Nearly 70 percent don’t have a car loan.

Arkansas responses indicate an average of less than $19,000 of debt per person. Over 55 percent of people don’t have credit card debt, though over 3 percent have more than $10,000 in credit card debt. Among Arkansas survey respondents, 35 percent don’t have mortgage debt, 15 percent have less than $100,000 in mortgage debt, and 40 percent reported owing mortgage debt between $150,000 and $200,000.

The average respondent from California has almost $39,000 in total debt. Considering California is one of the states with the highest cost of living, it might not be too surprising it’s among the top 20 states with the most debt.

Only 40 percent of respondents said they don’t have any credit card debt. Nearly 60 percent have a mortgage, including just under 2 percent who owe more than $500,000 in mortgage debt.

Colorado respondents average almost $35,000 in debt, and only one-third of survey respondents don’t have a mortgage. Medical debt is uncommon in Colorado — over 88 percent of survey respondents reported no medical debt and nearly 80 percent have no student loan debt.

Connecticut respondents’ average debt places the state right in the middle overall, averaging just over $32,000 per survey respondent. More than 55 percent of respondents don’t have credit card debt, but 21 percent owe less than $500. More than 75 percent have no auto loan debt.

Delaware respondents easily rank among the top 10 states with the least amount of debt, averaging less than $9,000 per person. The vast majority of respondents — almost 80 percent — have a mortgage. But over 25 percent owe less than $100,000, while about 5 percent owe more than $500,000 in mortgage debt.

Floridians participating in the survey reported an average of $34,468.59 of debt, just inside the top half of states with the most debt.

Almost 40 percent have no mortgage debt, and just over 20 percent owe less than $100,000 on their mortgage. Though over 75 percent have no medical debt, almost 5 percent carry more than $10,000 in medical bills.

Georgia’s average of just over $13,000 in debt narrowly places it in the top 10 states with the least debt per person. Almost 70 percent of respondents don’t have a car loan or medical debt, and just over two-thirds have no student loans.

Hawaii’s average debt is a whopping $869,250, placing it as the No. 1 state with the most debt by far in the U.S. But it’s more than three times the debt of the No. 2 most-indebted state, Maryland. Perhaps this is no surprise, given that it’s the most expensive state to live in, according to a GOBankingRates study.

More than 83 percent of Hawaiians surveyed carry a mortgage, with more than 33 percent owing $300,000 to $500,000. And 75 percent reported having credit card debt, with about 17 percent owing more than $10,000 on their credit cards.

Idaho ranks No. 8 for least amount of debt, just behind West Virginia. More than 80 percent of Idahoan respondents have mortgages, while 45 percent owe no credit card debt and 70 percent owe no student loan debt.

Illinois respondents reported an average of almost $100,000 — only seven states averaged more debt. Just over half have no credit card debt, but more than 70 percent have mortgages. Almost 70 percent have no auto loans, but 5 percent of respondents owe more than $20,000 in car loan debt.

Indiana’s reported debt per person comes in almost $70,000 higher than its neighbors in Illinois. Three-fourths of people surveyed don’t have a car loan payment. Almost 28 percent owe between $100,000 and $200,000 in mortgage debt, but none owe more than $300,000 on a mortgage. And interestingly, Indiana is the No. 1 state where you can get the most home for $300,000, according to another study.

Iowa’s average debt of about $33,600 per person fits right in the middle of the pack for the amount of debt per state. More than half of respondents have credit card debt, including 6 percent who owe more than $10,000. Of the 21 percent of respondents who have medical debt, many owe less than $500, and only 4 percent owe $5,000 to $10,000.

Mortgage debt is easily the most common type of debt among Kansas survey respondents, with almost three-fourths having a mortgage. An additional 42 percent owe less than $100,000 on their home loans, keeping overall debt levels down.

Kentucky survey respondents’ average debt places the state at No. 11 for lowest debt. Only 20 percent of residents owe medical debt, and over 70 percent have no car payment.

Louisiana comes in behind Washington, D.C., and Alaska, in the No. 3 spot for the least amount of debt. No Louisiana respondents owe more than $20,000 in student loan debt — in fact, over 75 percent say they have no student loans. Only 3 percent owe more than $10,000 in medical debt.

Survey respondents in Maine average over $90,000 in debt per person. Only 58 percent of Maine respondents don’t have a car loan, and over 8 percent owe more than $20,000 on a vehicle. One-third of those surveyed are also paying off student loans, with over 8 percent still owing up to $20,000 for their education.

Maryland leads the way for the most debt in the continental United States, but it’s second to Hawaii. More than 5 percent of survey respondents have more than $10,000 in medical debt, and over 10 percent have over $10,000 in credit card debt. More than 5 percent owe over $500,000 on their mortgages.

Massachusetts comes in at No. 16 for states with the highest debt. Just over 60 percent of responses indicated mortgage debt, but only 15 percent of respondents owe less than $100,000. In addition, almost 60 percent have credit card debt, but only about 2 percent owe more than $10,000 on their cards.

Michigan ranks No. 16 for states with the lowest debt. Medical debt isn’t common among its respondents, with over 80 percent having none and 10 percent owing less than $500. About 27 percent of Michigan survey respondents have car loans, and 10 percent owe more than $20,000 in auto loan debt. Michigan is also the most expensive state to own a car, according to another GOBankingRates study.

Minnesota is one of only seven states where respondents have a six-figure debt amount, on average. Less than one in four are mortgage-free, and more than 6 percent owe more than $300,000 on their home. Less than half of respondents don’t have credit card debt, and almost 5 percent owe more than $10,000.

Mississippi just squeaks into the top 20 for lowest debt in the U.S. Mississippi has that highest percentage of respondents owing more than $20,000 on car loans of any state at 12.5 percent, but no respondents indicate owing more than $10,000 in medical debt.

Missourian’s average debt comes in under $20,000 per person. Over 85 percent of respondents have no medical debt and a similar percentage have no student loan debt. However, only about half of Missouri respondents owe no credit card debt and over 10 percent owe more than $10,000 on their credit cards.

Drowning in Debt? 

Montana ranks No. 14 for the states with the most debt. In Montana, over one-third of residents have no mortgage and none owe more than $200,000 on their home. Most people — 80 percent — have no medical debt, but 13 percent of respondents owe more than $10,000 of medical debt, the most of any state.

Nebraska lands in the No. 5 spot with the least debt, at less than $8,500 of debt per person, based on survey responses. Less than 25 percent of residents indicated being mortgage-free, but none owe more than $300,000. Fewer than 6 percent of respondents owe between $200,000 and $300,000 on their home.

Nevada’s $165,000 average debt comes in at No. 6 for most indebted states. Though about 40 percent of Nevada responses indicated no mortgage, over 13.6 percent indicated owing over $500,000 on their homes — the most of any state in the country.

Coming in at No. 21 for least amount of debt, New Hampshire averages just over $24,000 per respondent. Only one-third of respondents don’t have credit card debt, though no one reported having more than $10,000 in balances.

For graduates, the news isn’t good. New Hampshire has the highest average student loan debt and highest percentage of graduates with student loan debt, according to GOBankingRates’ report on the average student loan debt by state.

New Jersey makes the top 20 most indebted states. Less than 30 percent of Garden State respondents are mortgage-free, while 29 percent responded that they owe less than $100,000 on a home. However, over 5 percent owe more than $50,000 in student loans.

New Mexico ranks in the top 20 for least amount of debt. Over three-fourths of respondents have no credit card debt or less than $500. Though 64 percent of respondents don’t have a car loan, 12 percent owe more than $20,000 on a vehicle — second only to Mississippi.

New York respondents averaged over $70,000 in debt per person, making it No. 12 for most debt. More than 60 percent have mortgages, but most owe less than $200,000. Almost three-fourths have no auto loans, but 5 percent of those surveyed owe more than $20,000 on a vehicle.

North Carolina just misses the top 20 spot for least debt. About 55 percent of those surveyed owe no credit card debt, while over 10 percent have over $10,000 in balances. Just over 61 percent of residents surveyed are free of a car loan, but 7 percent owe more than $20,000.

North Dakota residents owe an average of just over $36,000, which places it at No. 20 for most indebted. Less than 45 percent are mortgage-free, though 25 percent owe less than $100,000. When it comes to student loans, 83 percent of North Dakotans are debt-free, but another 8 percent owe between $20,000 to $50,000.

Ohio comes in at No. 10 for least indebted. About 30 percent of Ohioans surveyed are mortgage-free, but another 30 percent owe less than $100,000 on their homes. Though over 80 percent of Ohio respondents have no medical debt, a higher-than-average 6.41 percent of respondents owe over $10,000 in medical debt.

Like its neighbor Texas, Oklahoma respondents reported very high debt levels, with an average of almost $175,000. It ranks No. 4 for most debt.

Almost two-thirds reported having a mortgage, though none reported mortgage debt in excess of $200,000. Meanwhile, over 80 percent reported being free of student loans, and no survey respondents have more than $50,000 in debt.

Oregon narrowly misses cracking the top 10 most indebted states, with an average debt of almost $55,000 per person. Almost two-thirds of survey respondents reported having a mortgage, though 25 percent of people in the state said their mortgage is less than $100,000. Almost 45 percent of Oregon respondents have a car loan, and just under 35 percent have medical debt.

Pennsylvania narrowly cracks $30,000 in debt per person surveyed, placing it at No. 24 for least amount of debt. A slim majority reported having no credit card debt, and just over 3 percent owe more than $10,000 on their balance. Fewer than three in 10 have student loan debt, though almost 5 percent owe more than $50,000.

Rhode Island finds itself in the middle of the pack with a little under $35,000 in reported debt per person. More than 50 percent have a mortgage, but about 40 percent of respondents owe less than $200,000 in mortgage debt. Almost two-thirds of Rhode Islanders surveyed said they have student loan debt, though 27 percent owe less than $1,000.

South Carolina ranks at No. 15 for states with the most amount of debt. Over 70 percent of residents surveyed have mortgages, and 52 percent have credit card debt. Only 25 percent have student loans and fewer than that owe medical debt.

Only Washington, D.C., Alaska and Louisiana have lower debt-per-person amounts than the $6,738.38 reported by South Dakota respondents. More than 40 percent have no credit card debt — of those who do, none owe more than $10,000, which helps keep overall debt levels low.

Tennessee ranks No. 14 for lowest debt, thanks to its respondents generally keeping debts low across the board. Over 70 percent of respondents said they don’t have auto loan debt, and none reported auto debt in excess of $20,000. Less than 18 percent have medical debt, and no respondents owe more than $10,000.

Texas debt levels are almost as big as the state itself. Only Maryland and Hawaii reported higher debt levels than the $185,000 reported by Texas residents. Over 6 percent owe more than $20,000 in auto loans and over 4 percent owe more than $10,000 in medical debt. Just under 30 percent owe between $150,000 and $200,000 in home loans.

However, reasonable salaries and cost-of-living expenses seem to be having a positive impact for residents. A separate survey found Texas is one of the states where you’re least likely to live paycheck to paycheck.

Utah doesn’t quite crack into the top 10 least-indebted states, but it still compares favorably overall. Fewer than 18 percent of respondents have student loans, and about 30 percent have auto loan debt. While 30 percent also have medical debt, no respondents owe more than $10,000 in medical debt.

Vermont’s average debt places it at No. 23 for least amount of debt. Mortgage debt is common among the Vermonters surveyed, with two-thirds carrying a mortgage and over 5 percent owing $300,000 to $500,000. Credit card debt is also common, with over 70 percent carrying a balance.

Virginia ranks No. 10 for highest levels of debt at over $81,000 per respondent. More than 60 percent have mortgages, including over 11 percent who owe more than $300,000. Over 10 percent owe between $5,000 and $10,000 in credit card debt, while an additional 8.7 percent owe over $10,000 in credit card debt.

Washington state falls into the middle of the pack for average debt on this list. None of the respondents from Washington reported having more than $5,000 of medical debt. Nearly 10 percent owe more than $20,000 on their car loans.

Washington, D.C., has the No. 1 lowest debt-per-person amount across the survey, at less than $2,000 per person. Only 25 percent of survey respondents have student loan debt, averaging between $10,000 and $20,000. Meanwhile, only 25 percent of respondents have credit card debt, with average balances between $5,000 and $10,000.

West Virginia respondents have an average of less than $10,000 of debt per person, placing the state at No. 7 for least amount of debt. Three-fourths of survey respondents don’t have student loan debt, but of those who do, only about 8 percent owe more than $10,000. Meanwhile, fewer than 40 percent have medical debt.

Wisconsin’s average debt per person surveyed is lower than 16 other states. Only one-third of people indicated they lived mortgage-free, and over 40 percent of people have car loans. Just under 25 percent of respondents indicated they have student loan debt.

Wyoming falls just outside the 10 states with the most debt in the survey, at an average of over $75,000 per respondent. Over 80 percent of people surveyed don’t have student loan debt and 75 percent are car loan-free. Nearly 60 percent of respondents have a mortgage, and 30 percent owe between $150,000 and $200,000 on a home.

Click through to find out the best and worst states to get out of debt.

More on Debt

• Here’s the No. 1 Cause of Financial Stress in Every State
•  10 Surprising Reasons More Americans Have Credit Card Debt
• Generation of Debt: The Average Credit Card Debt by Age
• Watch: The Reality of Living $116,000 in Debt

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Methodology: This GOBankingRates survey posed the following questions to 2,502 Americans: 1) How much debt do you currently have? 2) How much mortgage debt do you currently have? 3) How much credit card debt do you currently have? 4) How much student loan debt do you currently have? 5) How much auto loan debt do you currently have? 6) How much medical debt do you currently have? Responses were collected through a Google Consumer Survey conducted from Sept. 26 to Oct. 9, 2017, and responses are representative of the U.S. online population. The survey has a 4.9 percent margin of error.