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By Giulia Carbonaro
Senior Reporter
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Americans are carrying more debt than they used to and are increasingly falling behind on payments, according to a new analysis of mortgages, auto loans, credit cards and student debt conducted by ConsumerAffairs.
The review and consumer news platform found that debt pressures are very different across the U.S., but overall the national average individual debt has nearly doubled over the past two decades, soaring from $32,840 in 2003 to $63,200 in 2025. This debt outpaces the country’s average annual individual income—which the company estimated at $45,256, by 40 percent—making the nationwide debt-to-income ratio a whopping 139.6 percent.
For Americans struggling with higher debt, this means that any unexpected expense can turn into a dificult financial dilemma.
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"If you’re already stretched that thin, something like a car repair—even a minor one—or a doctor’s office visit can easily turn into a much bigger financial setback," Dayna Edens, media relations manager at ConsumerAffairs, told Newsweek.
When adjusted for inflation, the growth in personal debt shouldered by Americans is actually 10 percent, ConsumerAffairs calculated, but it is still significant.
"It helps separate what’s truly an increase in borrowing from what’s the result of rising prices over time," Edens said.
In several parts of the country, the gap between a household’s income and the debt they have to pay is wider than the national average. And while some are just about scraping by, others are struggling to keep up with payments, and falling behind.
Where Are Americans Falling Behind Payments the Most?
ConsumerAffairs researchers analyzed debt balances and serious delinquency rates in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., using the latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
They found that Utah is the most debt-burdened state in the nation, with residents reporting a debt-to-income ratio of 199.4 percent.
"In Utah, the average person owes nearly twice what they make in the whole year," Edens said.
Despite the high level of debt, residents of the Beehive State were still managing to make their payments, with a share of debt delinquency well below the national average in all four metrics evaluated by ConsumerAffairs (mortgage, auto, credit card, student loan). Mortgage debt delinquency was only at 0.7 percent; auto debt delinquency at 3 percent; credit card debt delinquency at 9.5 percent; and student loan debt delinquency at 5.9 percent.
"In other states, the bigger issue isn’t how much people owe, but whether they can keep up with payments. In Louisiana, where incomes tend to be lower, we’re seeing the highest rates of homeowners falling behind on their mortgages," she said.
That is why Louisiana ranked second as the state where residents were most burdened by debt, after Utah. The state had a debt-to-income ratio of 136.1 percent, driven by the highest mortgage serious delinquency rate (1.83 percent).
Nevada came third because of its high credit card delinquency rate of 16.3 percent and a debt-to-income ratio of 167.5 percent. The state "has the highest share of credit card debt that’s seriously past due, suggesting many households are relying on borrowed credit just to get by," Edens said.
"And with student loans, the challenge is long-term. In Mississippi, even though overall debt levels are relatively low, over 13 percent of all student loan balances are 90 days past due," she added.
Despite having one of the lowest average individual debt balances in the country, the Magnolia State ranked eighth in ConsumerAffairs’ list of the most debt-burdened states, with the highest student loan delinquency rate in the nation, at 13.4 percent.
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