Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It isn’t financial, legal or tax advice, and we aren’t financial advisors, attorneys or tax professionals. Credit card terms, lender offers and debt collection laws change, and many of them differ by state. Check the details with the issuer or lender, and consider talking to a nonprofit credit counselor or a licensed attorney about your own situation.
The average credit card balance in the US is about $6,600 per person. TransUnion puts it at $6,610 per borrower in the second quarter of 2026, and Experian measured $6,659 in March 2026. Across the whole country, Americans owed $1.263 trillion on credit cards at the end of June 2026, according to the New York Fed.
An average can mislead, though. A small number of very large balances pull it up, so the typical person with card debt owes less. This article lays out the latest figures, explains why the numbers differ between sources, and breaks them down by age and by state.
Average credit card debt at a glance
| Measure | Figure | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Total credit card balances | $1.263 trillion | New York Fed, Q2 2026 |
| Average debt per borrower | $6,610 | TransUnion, Q2 2026 |
| Average consumer card balance | $6,659 | Experian, March 2026 |
| Consumers carrying a card balance | 176.9 million | TransUnion, Q2 2026 |
| Average APR on accounts charged interest | 22.15% | Federal Reserve G.19, Q2 2026 |
| Average credit utilization | 28.3% | Experian, March 2026 |
| Median balance, families with card debt | $2,700 | Federal Reserve SCF, 2022 |
Why sources give different numbers
You’ll see several “average” figures online, and they aren’t contradicting each other. Each one comes from a different database, a different date and a slightly different definition.
The totals show it clearly. The New York Fed reports $1.263 trillion for June 2026. TransUnion’s bankcard total is $1.14 trillion for the same quarter, and Experian’s total is about $1.246 trillion for March 2026. The per-person averages differ for the same reasons.
When you read a statistic, check four things: who produced it, what month it covers, whether it counts people or households, and whether it’s an average or a median. The sections below name the source for every figure.
Average vs. median: what’s typical?
The average (mean) adds up all the balances and divides by the number of people. The median is the middle value, where half of people owe less and half owe more. When a few people owe a lot, the average ends up well above the median.
The Federal Reserve’s most recent Survey of Consumer Finances, covering 2022, shows the gap. About 45% of families had card debt. Among those families, the median balance was $2,700 and the mean was $6,100. In other words, the typical family with card debt owed less than half of the average.
That survey is a few years old. The Fed has said it plans to publish summary results of the 2025 survey in late 2026, and we’ll update this article when the new numbers are out.
Is average credit card debt going up?
Yes, but slowly. TransUnion’s average debt per borrower rose 2.1% in a year, from $6,473 to $6,610. Experian measured an even smaller rise, 0.6%, from $6,618 in March 2025 to $6,659 in March 2026.
| Quarter | Average debt per borrower | Consumers carrying a balance |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2023 | $5,947 | 167.2 million |
| Q2 2024 | $6,329 | 170.1 million |
| Q2 2025 | $6,473 | 173.5 million |
| Q2 2026 | $6,610 | 176.9 million |
Source: TransUnion, Q2 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report.
The total is growing faster than the average, partly because more people are carrying balances. Experian reports that total card debt rose 5.4% in a year, to $1.246 trillion in March 2026. The New York Fed’s total went up by $54 billion over the 12 months to June 2026.
Average credit card debt by age
Experian’s March 2026 data breaks balances out by generation. Gen X carries the most, and the youngest and oldest groups carry the least.
| Generation (age in 2026) | Average balance | Change since 2025 | Average utilization |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Z (18-29) | $3,483 | +2.5% | 35% |
| Millennials (30-45) | $7,013 | +2.1% | 34% |
| Gen X (46-61) | $9,560 | +1.3% | 32% |
| Baby boomers (62-80) | $6,676 | +0.6% | 20% |
| Silent Generation (81+) | $3,323 | -0.6% | 12% |
Source: Experian, March 2026.
Gen Z’s balances are the smallest of the working-age groups but are growing the fastest. Their utilization is the highest, which Experian links to lenders extending them less credit than older groups.
Average credit card debt by state
Experian also tracks average balances for every state. Higher-cost and higher-income states tend to sit at the top.
Highest average balances
| Rank | State | Average balance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | $7,760 |
| 2 | District of Columbia | $7,740 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $7,654 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $7,494 |
| 5 | New Jersey | $7,464 |
| 6 | Florida | $7,444 |
| 7 | Texas | $7,383 |
| 8 | Maryland | $7,358 |
| 9 | Nevada | $7,293 |
| 10 | Colorado | $7,189 |
Lowest average balances
| Rank | State | Average balance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iowa | $5,187 |
| 2 | Wisconsin | $5,264 |
| 3 | Kentucky | $5,279 |
| 4 | West Virginia | $5,287 |
| 5 | Mississippi | $5,327 |
| 6 | Indiana | $5,467 |
| 7 | South Dakota | $5,587 |
| 8 | Arkansas | $5,624 |
| 9 | Ohio | $5,706 |
| 10 | Michigan | $5,791 |
Source: Experian, March 2026. Washington, D.C. isn’t a state, but Experian includes it in the table. See Experian’s full report for every state and the 100 largest metro areas.
A bigger balance isn’t always a worse situation. Incomes and costs of living differ a lot between states, so the same balance weighs differently on different households.
Credit utilization: how much of their limits people use
Credit utilization is the share of your total credit limits that you’re using. Experian puts the national average at 28.3% as of March 2026. Utilization varies a lot by credit score.
| Credit score range | Average utilization |
|---|---|
| Poor (300-579) | 76.8% |
| Fair (580-669) | 59.2% |
| Good (670-739) | 38.5% |
| Very good (740-799) | 14.6% |
| Exceptional (800-850) | 6.4% |
Source: Experian, March 2026.
Experian notes that keeping utilization below 30% can help you avoid more serious damage to your FICO Score, and that under 10% is generally best. Payment history is still the biggest single factor in the score.
What the average means for your own balance
Don’t treat the average as a target. You may owe less than it and still be stretched, or owe more and manage fine. What matters is your interest rate, your monthly budget and how long it will take you to pay the balance off.
Here’s a hypothetical based on the TransUnion average. Say you owe $6,610 at the Fed’s average rate of 22.15% for accounts charged interest, and you stop adding to the card. In the first month, interest is roughly $122. This is our own calculation, assuming a fixed rate, a fixed payment and no new purchases.
| Monthly payment | Months to pay off | Total interest paid |
|---|---|---|
| $150 | 92 | $7,158 |
| $200 | 52 | $3,688 |
| $300 | 29 | $1,954 |
| $400 | 20 | $1,348 |
| $500 | 16 | $1,038 |
At $150 a month, you’d pay more in interest than the original balance. At $300, the interest drops by almost three quarters. If you’re working out a plan, our complete guide to credit card debt walks through payoff methods, ways to lower your rate and where to get help.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average credit card debt per person in the US?
About $6,600. TransUnion reports $6,610 per borrower for Q2 2026, and Experian reports $6,659 per consumer for March 2026.
What is the median credit card debt?
In the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, families with card debt had a median balance of $2,700. The mean was $6,100. The 2025 survey results are expected in late 2026.
Which state has the highest credit card debt?
Among the 50 states, Alaska has the highest average balance in Experian’s March 2026 data, at $7,760. Iowa has the lowest, at $5,187.
Is credit card debt going up?
Total credit card debt keeps rising: $1.263 trillion in Q2 2026, up $54 billion from a year earlier, according to the New York Fed. The average balance per person is rising more slowly, by 0.6% to 2.1% depending on the source.
How many Americans carry a credit card balance?
TransUnion counted 176.9 million consumers carrying a balance on at least one credit card in Q2 2026.
Sources
Figures were checked in October 2026. Balances come from quarterly and annual reports, and rates change, so we update this article as new data comes out.
- Household Debt Balances Decreased Slightly; Credit Card Delinquency Transition Rates Remained Steady, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, August 11, 2026
- More Americans Have Access to Credit While Debt Growth Has Moderated (Q2 2026 Credit Industry Insights Report), TransUnion, August 6, 2026
- Average Credit Card Debt Increases Just 0.6% to $6,659 in 2026, Experian, July 27, 2026
- Consumer Credit – G.19, July 2026 release, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, September 8, 2026
- Changes in U.S. Family Finances from 2019 to 2022, Federal Reserve Board, October 2023
- Federal Reserve Board begins 2025 Survey of Consumer Finances, Federal Reserve Board, February 28, 2025
The payoff example is hypothetical and calculated by us. It assumes a fixed rate and a fixed payment and shows how the math works, not what you’ll be offered.