{"id":359853,"date":"2026-06-14T00:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/359853\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T00:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T00:41:11","slug":"california-dominates-us-cities-with-the-highest-credit-card-debt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/359853\/","title":{"rendered":"California dominates US cities with the highest credit card debt"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seven California cities landed on the list of the top 10 with the most credit card debt <\/a>in the US, as Americans grapple with record household debt and rising delinquencies <\/a>nationwide.<\/p>\n

An analysis from WalletHub<\/a> examining 182 of the nation\u2019s largest cities ranked communities based on total and per-capita credit card debt.<\/p>\n

Customer using credit cart for payment to owner at cafe. Nattakorn \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Golden State cities dominated the list:<\/p>\n

Santa Clarita \u2014 No. 1 nationally, with average household credit card debt of $23,714 and roughly $1.8 billion in total balances. WalletHub also noted it ranks first in debt payoff rates, suggesting high balances may reflect higher spending capacity.<\/p>\n

Chula Vista \u2014 No. 2, with average debt of $20,778.<\/p>\n

Rancho Cucamonga \u2014 No. 5, with $19,619.<\/p>\n

Fontana \u2014 No. 7, with $19,316.<\/p>\n

Oxnard \u2014 No. 8, with $19,277.<\/p>\n

Moreno Valley \u2014 No. 9, with $19,127.<\/p>\n

Santa Ana \u2014 No. 10, with $19,094.<\/p>\n

Mickey Mouse poses in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. Walt Disney Resorts via Getty Im<\/p>\n

Pearl City, Hawaii, New York and Gilbert, Arizona rounded out the rest of list.<\/p>\n

Nationally, Americans held $1.4 trillion in credit card debt at the end of the first quarter of 2026, or about $11,000 per household, WalletHub found.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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A general view of a credit card reader. Christopher Sadowski for NY Post<\/p>\n

Christopher Sadowski<\/p>\n

That figure remains $212 billion below the inflation-adjusted peak seen during the 2008 financial crisis.<\/p>\n

Separate data from the New York Fed showed credit card balances dipped by $25 billion to $1.3 trillion in the same period, though balances are still more than 60% higher than five years ago.<\/p>\n

At the same time, repayment stress is rising.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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The share of credit card balances at least 90 days delinquent climbed to 13.1%, up 0.4 percentage points from late 2025 and marking the highest level in 15 years.<\/p>\n

The broader debt picture is drawing renewed political scrutiny in California.<\/p>\n

Critics argue residents are carrying heavier financial burdens under Gov. Gavin Newsom <\/a>compared with former Gov. Jerry Brown.<\/p>\n

California Governor Gavin Newsom. David Buchan for Ca Post<\/p>\n

Brown left office in 2019 touting a balanced budget, a multibillion-dollar surplus, and the elimination of California\u2019s so-called \u201cwall of debt.\u201d<\/p>\n

Under Newsom, critics point to rising state liabilities <\/a>and the use of more than $20 billion in borrowing from internal special funds to help close budget gaps.<\/p>\n

The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported total US\u00a0 household debt surged to an all-time high of $18.8 trillion in the first quarter, driven largely by increases in mortgage and auto loan balances.<\/p>\n

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