The first credit cards were first introduced in 1950 and gave American consumers a greater buying power. Now, there are more than 189 million credit card holders across the country, but this can potentially do more harm than good.
The everchanging economy has never made it easy for people who need to borrow money. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act was passed in 2005, which made it significantly more difficult for people to file for bankruptcy. This act forced a lot of people who were in debt to open credit cards in an attempt to pay their bills. Ever since then, credit card debt has only grown and with the Great Recession increasing debt, it has gotten even more out of control.
Although another recession might be on the horizon, Americans continue to add to their own credit card debt. Currently, the total U.S. consumer debt sits at $13.86 trillion, with the average American’s credit card debt hitting $5,938 in 2019. Continue reading to see the average credit card balance in every state.
Average Credit Card Debt in Every State
50. Iowa
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $4,685
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $4,774
- Year-over-year change: 1.90%
49. Wisconsin
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $4,908
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $4,961
- Year-over-year change: 1.08%
48. Mississippi
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $4,998
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,134
- Year-over-year change: 2.72%
47. Kentucky
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,060
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,140
- Year-over-year change: 1.58%
46. West Virginia
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,074
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,144
- Year-over-year change: 1.38%
45. Idaho
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,102
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,213
- Year-over-year change: 2.18%
44. South Dakota
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,131
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,235
- Year-over-year change: 2.03%
43. Indiana
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,174
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,254
- Year-over-year change: 1.55%
42. North Dakota
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,162
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,265
- Year-over-year change: 2.00%
41. Arkansas
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,298
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,327
- Year-over-year change: 0.55%
40. Michigan
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,310
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,399
- Year-over-year change: 1.68%
39. Nebraska
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,308
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,423
- Year-over-year change: 2.17%
38. Maine
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,143
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,442
- Year-over-year change: 5.81%
37. Vermont
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,278
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,466
- Year-over-year change: 3.56%
36. Montana
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,383
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,482
- Year-over-year change: 1.84%
35. Minnesota
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,367
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,489
- Year-over-year change: 2.27%
34. Oregon
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,319
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,498
- Year-over-year change: 3.37%
33. Ohio
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,494
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,560
- Year-over-year change: 1.20%
32. Utah
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,456
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,600
- Year-over-year change: 2.64%
31. Missouri
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,544
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,601
- Year-over-year change: 1.03%
30. Alabama
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,557
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,672
- Year-over-year change: 2.07%
29. Tennessee
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,579
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,688
- Year-over-year change: 1.95%
28. Kansas
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,719
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,769
- Year-over-year change: 0.87%
27. Wyoming
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,754
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,782
- Year-over-year change: 0.49%
26. Louisiana
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,712
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,811
- Year-over-year change: 1.73%
25. North Carolina
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,732
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,832
- Year-over-year change: 1.74%
24. Pennsylvania
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,735
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,840
- Year-over-year change: 1.83%
23. Oklahoma
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,756
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,848
- Year-over-year change: 1.60%
22. New Mexico
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,804
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,851
- Year-over-year change: 0.81%
21. South Carolina
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,765
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $5,938
- Year-over-year change: 3.00%
20. Arizona
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,909
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,053
- Year-over-year change: 2.44%
19. Washington
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,998
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,156
- Year-over-year change: 2.63%
18. Rhode Island
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,042
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,177
- Year-over-year change: 2.23%
17. Massachusetts
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,022
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,213
- Year-over-year change: 3.17%
16. Nevada
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,036
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,220
- Year-over-year change: 3.05%
15. California
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $5,998
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,222
- Year-over-year change: 3.73%
14. New Hampshire
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,094
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,235
- Year-over-year change: 2.31%
13. Illinois
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,112
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,253
- Year-over-year change: 2.31%
12. Delaware
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,176
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,335
- Year-over-year change: 2.57%
11. Colorado
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,273
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,416
- Year-over-year change: 2.28%
10. Florida
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,236
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,460
- Year-over-year change: 3.59%
9. New York
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,309
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,491
- Year-over-year change: 2.88%
8. Georgia
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,400
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,569
- Year-over-year change: 2.64%
7. Hawaii
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,441
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,673
- Year-over-year change: 3.60%
6. Texas
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,596
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,753
- Year-over-year change: 2.38%
5. Maryland
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,770
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,946
- Year-over-year change: 2.60%
4. Virginia
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,822
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $6,969
- Year-over-year change: 2.15%
3. Connecticut
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,893
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $7,082
- Year-over-year change: 2.74%
2. New Jersey
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $6,907
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $7,084
- Year-over-year change: 2.56%
1. Alaska
- Average credit card debt in 2018: $7,974
- Average credit card debt in 2019: $8,026
- Year-over-year change: 0.65%
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Bottom Line
As the economic problems we are having in the present day has become harder to pay bills, more and more people are turning to credit cards as a way of paying their bills. This comes with some downsides because this will exponentially increase their credit card debt. On the other hand, if you are prepared enough, you can use these credit cards to build your credit by paying off your balance on time. For more posts like this, check out our list of bank guides and credit card bonuses!
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