Cities Where Credit Card Delinquency Is Decreasing the Most

Jul 1, 2026

Written By Adam McCann

WalletHub Financial Writer

Fact checkedFact Checked by Alina Comoreanu, WalletHub Senior Researcher

WalletHub Senior Researcher

Cities Where Credit Card Delinquency Is Decreasing the Most

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Credit card delinquency can deal a big blow to your credit score and make it more difficult to get approved for new credit in the future. All cities have some residents behind on credit card payments, but the delinquency rate is decreasing in some cities much more quickly than in others, which may indicate improving household financial health and a strengthening local economy. To highlight the cities where people are making the greatest improvements in paying their credit card bills, as well as the places where borrowers are falling further behind on their payments, WalletHub analyzed proprietary user data for Q1 2025 to Q1 2026.

“If you miss a credit card payment, don’t panic! Your issuer won’t report you as delinquent to the credit bureaus until you’re 30 days late. You’ll still have to deal with any late fee or penalty rate consequences your issuer decides to implement, but if you can manage to get current before 30 days are up, you can avoid a big credit score hit. In addition, if you’re unable to make payment due to financial difficulty, you can always ask if your issuer has a hardship plan that may allow you to skip payments, avoid fees or get a lower interest rate temporarily.”

John Kiernan, WalletHub Editor

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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Cities Where Credit Card Delinquency Is Decreasing the Most

Overall Rank*	City	Share of Average Number of Credit Card Tradelines Delinquent in Q1 2026	Change in Average Number of Credit Card Tradelines Delinquent (Q1 2026 vs. Q1 2025)
1	St. Louis, MO	9.99%	-41.43%
2	San Bernardino, CA	17.07%	-32.76%
3	Madison, WI	11.18%	-29.30%
4	Cincinnati, OH	15.66%	-27.99%
5	Boston, MA	11.19%	-27.92%
6	Minneapolis, MN	14.98%	-27.91%
7	Anchorage, AK	13.46%	-27.82%
8	Omaha, NE	15.10%	-27.77%
9	Jersey City, NJ	15.29%	-27.72%
10	Fort Wayne, IN	14.58%	-27.70%
11	Tucson, AZ	15.47%	-27.62%
12	Tampa, FL	14.20%	-27.38%
13	New York, NY	14.45%	-27.28%
14	Henderson, NV	13.61%	-27.12%
15	Tulsa, OK	16.36%	-27.12%
16	Laredo, TX	16.23%	-26.90%
17	Los Angeles, CA	15.54%	-26.70%
18	San Francisco, CA	10.97%	-26.67%
19	Pittsburgh, PA	15.25%	-26.20%
20	Fresno, CA	15.67%	-26.14%
21	Seattle, WA	10.51%	-26.12%
22	Miami, FL	11.63%	-26.09%
23	San Jose, CA	11.38%	-25.84%
24	Baton Rouge, LA	18.69%	-25.79%
25	Anaheim, CA	13.72%	-25.78%
26	Fort Worth, TX	17.25%	-25.64%
27	Louisville, KY	16.83%	-25.41%
28	Detroit, MI	20.41%	-25.41%
29	Albuquerque, NM	15.13%	-25.11%
30	Bakersfield, CA	16.35%	-25.08%
31	Toledo, OH	17.57%	-25.01%
32	Riverside, CA	14.89%	-24.94%
33	Honolulu, HI	11.81%	-24.82%
34	Cleveland, OH	16.96%	-24.67%
35	Las Vegas, NV	15.60%	-24.40%
36	Memphis, TN	18.58%	-24.40%
37	Orlando, FL	15.30%	-24.38%
38	Portland, OR	13.60%	-24.37%
39	Spokane, WA	16.40%	-24.30%
40	Houston, TX	16.16%	-24.20%
41	Jacksonville, FL	15.80%	-24.03%
42	Indianapolis, IN	17.86%	-24.01%
43	Greensboro, NC	19.22%	-23.90%
44	Corpus Christi, TX	16.18%	-23.61%
45	Richmond, VA	16.03%	-23.58%
46	Hialeah, FL	12.98%	-23.58%
47	Sacramento, CA	17.45%	-23.56%
48	Atlanta, GA	15.22%	-23.50%
49	Columbus, OH	15.57%	-23.48%
50	Dallas, TX	16.09%	-23.39%
51	San Antonio, TX	16.55%	-23.20%
52	Birmingham, AL	18.64%	-23.00%
53	Nashville, TN	16.16%	-22.84%
54	Oakland, CA	15.52%	-22.81%
55	Scottsdale, AZ	10.38%	-22.78%
56	Philadelphia, PA	20.39%	-22.66%
57	Austin, TX	13.61%	-22.63%
58	Plano, TX	14.87%	-22.61%
59	Milwaukee, WI	16.84%	-22.59%
60	Oklahoma City, OK	16.37%	-22.52%
61	Chicago, IL	15.65%	-22.50%
62	Washington, DC	15.69%	-22.37%
63	Aurora, CO	17.49%	-22.30%
64	Arlington, TX	17.35%	-22.25%
65	Baltimore, MD	18.17%	-22.20%
66	Charlotte, NC	17.84%	-22.12%
67	Reno, NV	15.34%	-21.99%
68	San Diego, CA	12.41%	-21.83%
69	Long Beach, CA	16.53%	-21.79%
70	Denver, CO	15.62%	-21.72%
71	Raleigh, NC	17.49%	-21.43%
72	Buffalo, NY	16.89%	-21.40%
73	Phoenix, AZ	18.50%	-21.30%
74	Stockton, CA	17.84%	-21.30%
75	Irvine, CA	16.62%	-21.15%
76	Kansas City, MO	17.79%	-21.13%
77	Virginia Beach, VA	15.61%	-21.10%
78	Santa Ana, CA	15.58%	-20.92%
79	Des Moines, IA	15.55%	-20.84%
80	Colorado Springs, CO	16.81%	-20.73%
81	Newark, NJ	21.62%	-20.65%
82	Mesa, AZ	17.11%	-20.60%
83	New Orleans, LA	17.14%	-20.52%
84	Norfolk, VA	17.91%	-20.27%
85	North Las Vegas, NV	16.96%	-20.22%
86	El Paso, TX	16.24%	-20.21%
87	Lubbock, TX	18.23%	-20.13%
88	Fremont, CA	11.24%	-20.07%
89	Glendale, AZ	17.79%	-20.01%
90	Irving, TX	15.36%	-19.69%
91	Lincoln, NE	15.94%	-19.66%
92	Boise, ID	12.84%	-19.34%
93	Chandler, AZ	15.40%	-18.84%
94	Durham, NC	16.61%	-18.52%
95	Chesapeake, VA	15.29%	-18.34%
96	Chula Vista, CA	15.75%	-17.25%
97	Garland, TX	17.52%	-17.17%
98	Gilbert, AZ	15.61%	-14.74%
99	Wichita, KS	35.80%	66.69%
100	Winston-Salem, NC	31.97%	72.02%

Note: *No. 1 = Largest Decrease

In-Depth Look at the Top Cities

St. Louis, MO

Credit card delinquency is decreasing the most in St. Louis, MO, as the city’s residents were delinquent on over 41% less credit card tradelines in Q1 2026 than Q1 2025.

St. Louis’s declining delinquency rate may have less to do with reduced access to credit and more to do with residents' ability to effectively manage their existing balances. Residents of St. Louis had the 27th-least credit card debt in Q1 2026, suggesting lower debt levels may be easing pressure on household budgets, helping more residents stay current on their payments.

San Bernardino, CA

San Bernardino, CA, had the second-highest decrease in credit card delinquency in the past year. Residents were behind on payments for nearly 33% less credit cards in Q1 2026 compared to Q1 2025.

San Bernardino’s credit card delinquency trends suggest relatively stable household financial conditions. With the 22nd-lowest number of collection accounts and the sixth-lowest increase in consumer debt, residents appear to be managing borrowing cautiously. Fewer accounts in collections alongside subdued debt growth indicate more stable repayment patterns.

Madison, WI

The number of delinquent credit card accounts in Madison, WI, decreased by nearly 29% between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, which ranks third nationally.

Madison has the second-lowest credit card debt among major cities and ranks 16th-best for budgeting habits, suggesting strong financial discipline among residents. These factors may be contributing to declining credit card delinquency rates, as households appear better positioned to manage and stay current on their payments.

Tips for Avoiding Delinquency on Credit Cards

Create a Realistic Budget: Come up with a budget that outlines your income, expenses, and debt obligations. Ensure your spending is below your earnings, leaving room for essential expenses and debt payments, as well as saving and investing, if possible.
Monitor Your Spending: Regularly review your credit card statements to track your spending. Identify any unnecessary or frivolous expenses and adjust your budget accordingly.
Set up Automatic Payments: Schedule automatic payments for at least the minimum amount due on your credit cards. This reduces the risk of missing a payment deadline.
Build an Emergency Fund: Establish an emergency fund to cover unexpected expenses, so you don't have to rely on credit cards for unforeseen costs. Plus, you can always use money from your emergency fund for a credit card payment to avoid delinquency.
Communicate with Creditors: If you're facing financial challenges, communicate with your creditors early. They may offer temporary solutions, such as a modified payment plan, to help you avoid delinquency.
Get Back on Track After Missed Payments: If you miss a payment, try to fix things before 30 days pass. Getting back on track within this window can save you from being labeled as delinquent on your credit report. You might still face a late fee, though.

Methodology

In order to determine the cities least delinquent on credit cards, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities for which we could obtain a complete data set using proprietary user data on consumer delinquency rates between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026.

Our sample considers only the city proper in each case and excludes cities in the surrounding metro area.

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of June 3, 2026 from WalletHub database.

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