Debt in Collections · United States

States with the highest debt in collections

Debt in collections measures the share of adults with at least one account handed to a collections agency — medical bills, credit cards, or other consumer debt. These rankings show the county-average rate per state. South Carolina leads at 36.3%. Data: Urban Institute Debt in America, 2024.

Top 10 — Highest Debt States

States ranked by debt in collections

State Avg Rate Counties

1 South Carolina 36.3% 46 counties 2 Texas 33.8% 236 counties 3 Georgia 33.5% 158 counties 4 Louisiana 33.4% 64 counties 5 Alabama 32.2% 67 counties 6 Arkansas 31.9% 75 counties 7 Mississippi 31.7% 81 counties 8 Oklahoma 30.8% 77 counties 9 West Virginia 28.3% 55 counties 10 North Carolina 28.2% 100 counties

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