States Where Consumers Are Adding the Most Debt

Feb 11, 2026

Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer

Feb 11, 2026WalletHub Financial Writer

Biggest Increases from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025

Maine - 7.8% increase in credit card debt, 1.9% for auto loans, 0.5% for personal loans
Wyoming - 5.5% increase in credit card debt, 2.5% for auto loans, 2.4% decrease in personal loans
Hawaii - 2.4% increase in credit card debt, 0.5% for auto loans, 1.9% for personal loans

States Where Consumers Are Adding the Most Debt

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One thing Americans are known for is having a lot of debt. Collectively, we have nearly $1.3 trillion in credit card debt, around $1.7 trillion in auto loan debt and a few hundred billion dollars in personal-loan debt.

What’s even more alarming than the total amount of debt is how quickly we’re adding to it. For example, our collective auto loan debt went from around $1.5 trillion to nearly $1.7 trillion just since 2015, a 14.4% increase in a decade.

Some states are adding to their debt a lot faster than others, though. To determine the states with the biggest consumer debt increases, WalletHub compared the 50 states based on our proprietary data on consumer debt from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025.

“At a time when interest rates are very high, it’s especially important to minimize the accumulation of debt. Americans have added a staggering amount of new debt in the past decade, and it can be very easy for that debt to become unsustainable, leading to future issues like default and major credit score damage.”

John Kiernan, WalletHub Editor

Table of Contents

Main Findings

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States with the Most Consumer Debt Increase

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	Change in Average Debt Rank	Average Debt Rank
1	Maine	74.36	1	28
2	Wyoming	67.58	2	17
3	Hawaii	60.04	7	4
4	Montana	56.63	8	13
5	Georgia	56.11	16	6
6	New Mexico	55.87	3	18
7	North Dakota	55.39	6	19
8	Florida	55.34	17	3
9	Texas	55.06	18	5
10	Vermont	54.50	5	21
11	Arizona	54.00	19	7
12	Alaska	53.93	34	1
13	New Jersey	52.31	20	11
14	New York	50.60	24	10
15	Alabama	49.57	4	41
16	Nevada	49.40	33	8
17	California	49.29	35	9
18	Louisiana	48.99	15	26
19	Virginia	47.47	29	15
20	Rhode Island	47.43	12	36
21	Mississippi	46.89	11	39
22	Maryland	46.48	42	2
23	Arkansas	46.34	13	42
24	South Dakota	46.27	14	40
25	Nebraska	45.95	10	44
26	Illinois	45.25	22	24
27	Colorado	45.21	40	12
28	Idaho	45.04	26	20
29	Massachusetts	44.71	27	22
30	Wisconsin	44.25	9	49
31	Oklahoma	43.80	21	32
32	Washington	43.74	41	14
33	North Carolina	40.98	38	23
34	Kansas	40.62	23	38
35	Minnesota	40.05	28	37
36	Tennessee	39.86	31	35
37	Pennsylvania	39.03	37	34
38	South Carolina	38.94	39	30
39	Utah	38.48	45	16
40	Indiana	36.91	30	47
41	Michigan	36.85	36	43
42	Kentucky	36.51	25	50
43	Ohio	36.36	32	46
44	New Hampshire	34.27	46	29
45	Connecticut	31.39	47	25
46	Iowa	31.20	44	45
47	Missouri	30.82	43	48
48	Delaware	28.86	50	27
49	Oregon	28.32	48	31
50	West Virginia	27.44	49	33

Note: *No. 1 = Most Consumer Debt Increase

In-Depth Look at the States With the Biggest Consumer Debt Increases

Maine

Maine had the biggest consumer debt increase overall in the final quarter of 2025, and credit card debt showed the second-most dramatic change. The average credit card balance in Maine increased by nearly 8% from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025, rising to nearly $8,000. For context, the vast majority of states saw increases of less than 5%.

The average Maine resident’s auto loan balance increased by nearly 2%, the third-highest in the country and their balance reached $26,336 during the same period. Only seven states had increases larger than 1%, and 12 states even had decreases.

The average personal loan balance in Maine went up to $9,176 in Q4 2025, increasing by around 0.5%. Maine was one of three states to see an increase, while the remaining states recorded decreases.

Wyoming

Wyoming residents had the second-largest increase in consumer debt. The Equality state's average credit card balance went up by around 5.5% from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025, to $7,633. Although the increase was the fourth-largest in the country, this is actually a relatively moderate balance compared to most states.

Wyoming had the largest increase in auto loan debt, with the average balance increasing by nearly 2.5%, to $29,025 the 10th-highest balance in the country.

The average personal loan balance in Wyoming actually decreased by nearly 2.4%, amounting to $9,657. Although the balance declined in Wyoming, the state still has a moderate average loan balance compared with other states.

Hawaii

Hawaii ranks as the state with the third-biggest increase in consumer debt, and unlike the other top states, its biggest increase didn't come from credit cards. The average credit card balance in Hawaii went up by 2.4% from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025, rising to $8,076. That’s the 16th highest average balance in the country.

The Aloha State had the biggest increase in personal loan debt compared to credit card and auto loans, with the average balance increasing by 1.95%, to $14,105 which also ranks highest nationally.

The average auto loan balance in Hawaii went up by nearly 0.5% from Q3 2025 to Q4 2025, rising to $27,697. While this was the 23rd highest increase, its balance was the 19th highest.

Tips for Paying off Debt

Create a detailed debt repayment plan: Start by listing all your debts, including the total amount owed, interest rates, and minimum monthly payments. Develop a realistic repayment plan by allocating extra funds to the debt with the highest interest rate while making minimum payments on others. This strategy, often called the “avalanche method”, saves you the most money on interest long-term.
Cut unnecessary expenses: Review your monthly budget and identify areas where you can cut expenses. Redirect the money saved toward debt repayment. Eliminating non-essential spending allows you to allocate more funds toward paying off your debts faster.
Negotiate lower interest rates: If you’re truly having trouble making your payments, reach out to your creditors and explore the possibility of negotiating lower interest rates. You may be able to get a temporary fix through a hardship plan, or a lasting arrangement by setting up a debt management plan.
Generate additional income: Explore opportunities to increase your income, such as taking on a part-time job, freelancing, or selling items you no longer need. Supplementing your income provides extra funds that can be dedicated to paying off your debts more efficiently.
Refinance your debt: If you have good or excellent credit but your debts have high interest rates, you should consider using a balance transfer credit card or debt consolidation loan to move the balance to a lender that charges a lower interest rate. With a balance transfer credit card, you may even be able to secure an introductory 0% APR for a year or longer, giving you time to pay off your debt interest-free.

Ask the Experts

E. James Burton
Ph.D., Dean Emeritus, Jones College of Business, Middle Tennessee State University
Read More

Colin Slabach
Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Programs in Business - New York University, School of Professional Studies
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Dr. Sandra Poirier
EdD., LDN, CFCS, IFHE – Professor Emeritus, Marquis Who’s Who, Department of Human Sciences, Middle Tennessee State University
Read More

Sarah Jane Hughes
University Scholar and Fellow in Commercial Law - Indiana University Maurer School of Law
Read More

Raymond Kowalczyk
Professor, Accounting - Illinois Central College
Read More

Maggie apRoberts-Warren
Ph.D. – Associate Professor of Economics - Eastern Washington University
Read More

Methodology

In order to determine the states adding the most consumer debt, WalletHub compared the 50 states across two key dimensions: 1) Change in Average Debt and 2) Average Debt.

We evaluated the states using six individual metrics, which drew from WalletHub’s proprietary data on credit card, auto loan and personal loan debt. The metrics are listed below with their corresponding weights, each metric being graded on a 100-point scale.

Finally, we determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Change in Average Debt – Total Points: 70

% Change in Average Credit Card Balance Q4 2025 vs Q3 2025: Full Weight (~23.33 Points)
% Change in Average Auto Loans Balance Q4 2025 vs Q3 2025: Full Weight (~23.33 Points)
% Change in Average Personal Loans Balance Q4 2025 vs Q3 2025: Full Weight (~23.33 Points)

Average Debt – Total Points: 30

Average Credit Card Balance in Q4 2025: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
Average Auto Loans Balance in Q4 2025: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
Average Personal Loans Balance in Q4 2025: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)

Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of January 16, 2026 from WalletHub database.

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