Seven California cities rank among the 10 U.S. communities with the highest credit card debt, underscoring the financial strain many households are facing as overall debt and delinquency rates continue to climb nationwide.
The findings come from a WalletHub analysis of 182 of the country’s largest cities, which measured both total credit card balances and debt per resident.
California cities made up most of the list, highlighting the outsized debt burden in the state compared with much of the rest of the country.
- Santa Clarita — 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.
- Chula Vista — No. 2, with average debt of $20,778.
- Rancho Cucamonga — No. 5, with $19,619.
- Fontana — No. 7, with $19,316.
- Oxnard — No. 8, with $19,277.
- Moreno Valley — No. 9, with $19,127.
- Santa Ana — No. 10, with $19,094.
Pearl City, Hawaii; New York; and Gilbert, Arizona, were the only non-California cities to appear in the top 10.
Across the U.S., Americans carried $1.4 trillion in credit card debt at the end of the first quarter of 2026, according to WalletHub. That works out to roughly $11,000 per household.
Even so, the total remains $212 billion below the inflation-adjusted high reached during the 2008 financial crisis.
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.
At the same time, repayment stress is rising.
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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.
The broader debt picture is drawing renewed political scrutiny in California.
Critics argue residents are carrying heavier financial burdens under Gov. Gavin Newsom compared with former Gov. Jerry Brown.
Brown left office in 2019 touting a balanced budget, a multibillion-dollar surplus, and the elimination of California’s so-called “wall of debt.”
Under Newsom, critics point to rising state liabilities and the use of more than $20 billion in borrowing from internal special funds to help close budget gaps.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reported total US 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.
