This brief highlights trends in consumer auto debt in the Third District states of Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania as of the first quarter of 2025.
Here are some key findings:
- About the same share of borrowers in Third District states had auto debt compared with the same period a year before, although, generally, the share has been declining in recent years.
- Average auto debt was $16,600 in Pennsylvania, $17,900 in Delaware, and $18,000 in New Jersey. Middle- and upper-income neighborhoods had higher average auto debt compared with low- and moderate-income neighborhoods.
- The share of auto borrowers with severely delinquent debt has been on the rise in Third District states, most recently reaching levels not seen since 2020.
- Between 13 and 15 percent of borrowers living in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods across the three states had severely delinquent debt. Borrowers under 55 years old also had higher rates than borrowers 55 and older.
- Some regions in the Third District had a higher share of severely delinquent borrowers than others, including the Vineland, NJ, Dover, DE, and Atlantic City–Hammonton, NJ, metropolitan areas.
This brief uses data from the Consumer Credit Explorer, a user-friendly tool for examining how people across the United States are using credit cards and loans over time. The tool allows users to look at quarterly trends for the whole country, specific states, or regions.
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