These cities have the highest credit card delinquencies in the U.S., study shows
FILE-A man shows some of his credit cards as he pays for items at a store. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Late credit card payments can cause a substantial financial ripple effect, like causing your credit score to drop, which may impact your ability to qualify for new credit to purchase a home or car.
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While this is an ongoing issue nationwide, some Americans in specific cities are hit the hardest by it. To take an in-depth look at where consumers are affected the most, WalletHub released a ranking of cities with the highest credit card delinquencies.
Top 20 cities with the highest credit card delinquencies
Why you should care:
WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities using proprietary user data on consumer delinquency rates between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
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Here are the cities with the highest credit card delinquencies.
- Fremont, California
- Plano, Texas
- Seattle
- Spokane, Washington
- Newark, New Jersey
- Santa Ana, California
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Washington, D.C.
- Jersey City, New Jersey
- Virginia Beach, Virginia
- St. Louis
- Raleigh, North Carolina
- Los Angeles
- Long Beach, California
- Irvine, California
- Aurora, Colorado
- Gilbert, Arizona
- Orlando
- Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Cincinnati
Analysis of the top cities with credit card delinquencies
Dig deeper:
Fremont, California, Plano, Texas, and Seattle were at the top of the list of areas seeing a sharp increase in credit card delinquency rates based on WalletHub’s data.
Fremont, CA
Fremont, California has seen the biggest jump in credit card delinquency, with residents late on almost 29% more credit card tradelines in the first quarter of 2025 than the first quarter of 2024.
A tradeline refers to an account listed on a person’s credit report, and it can include different information to determine how to manage your debt, according to Experian.
The study noted that the city’s growing delinquency rate possibly has less to do with new debt and more with the rising challenges of handling existing credit card balances. Residents of Fremont had the 84th-most credit card debt in the first quarter of 2025.
Plano, TX
According to WalletHub, Plano, Texas, had the second-highest increase in credit card delinquency in the past year. Residents were behind on payments for almost 18% more credit cards in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024.
The study noted that the city’s rising credit card delinquency could reflect financial habits. Residents in the area may be overextending themselves by relying on credit to pay for lifestyles that their incomes can’t consistently support.
Seattle, WA
Delinquent credit card accounts in Seattle grew by roughly 15% between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025, which ranks third in the U.S.
WalletHub determined in their findings that Seattle has low credit card debt and the second-lowest overall delinquency rate across all types of debt, implying residents demonstrate stable financial practices. However, any increase in credit card delinquency might indicate growing stress in specific populations or growing expenses squeezing even well-managed fiscal budgets.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by WalletHub, which conducted a study ranking cities with the highest credit card delinquency rates comparing the 100 largest cities and analyzing data on consumer delinquency rates between the first quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.