This brief highlights trends in credit card 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 had credit card debt compared with the same period one year before, although more borrowers in Third District states had credit card debt than in the United States overall.
- Average inflation-adjusted credit card debt has remained relatively stable for Third District states in the past year. Average credit card debt was $5,900 in Pennsylvania, $6,500 in Delaware, and $7,000 in New Jersey.
- The share of credit card borrowers with severely delinquent debt has been on the rise in Third District states, most recently reaching levels not seen in more than 20 years.
- At least 20 percent of credit card 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.
- About one-quarter of credit card borrowers in Third District states were using 75 percent or more of their credit card limit. This was more common in some regions, including the Vineland, NJ, and Dover, DE, metropolitan areas, where over one-third of credit card borrowers had this high utilization rate.
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.
View the Full Brief