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Payday Pulse: Where Americans Are Most Burdened by Household Debt

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February 13, 2026

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Ryan Bellefontaine

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Payday Pulse: Where Americans Are Most Burdened by Household Debt

Key Takeaways

  • Several of the largest U.S. metros exceed a 2.5 DTI, signaling heavy debt versus wages.
  • California and Florida appear most often, although high ratios show up nationwide.
  • Because timing drives many shortfalls, Earned Wage Access can help reduce avoidable interest.

Across the U.S., higher housing costs and everyday expenses keep budgets tight. As a result, many households lean on credit to cover gaps between paydays.

This graphic, in partnership with Payactiv, shows the top U.S. metros with the highest household debt-to-income ratios using data from the Federal Reserve.

The Metros with the Highest Household Debt

Here is a table ranking the top metropolitan statistical areas with populations of 500,000 or more by their Household Debt-to-Income Ratio for Q1 2025.

Metropolitan Statistical Area Debt-to-Income Ratio
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA 2.51 or higher
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 2.51 or higher
Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 2.51 or higher
Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, FL 2.51 or higher
Port St. Lucie, FL 2.51 or higher
Urban Honolulu, HI 2.06–2.51
North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 2.06–2.51
Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 2.06–2.51
Lakeland-Winter Haven, FL 2.06–2.51
Stockton-Lodi, CA 2.06–2.51
Colorado Springs, CO 2.06–2.51
Ogden, UT 2.06–2.51
Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 2.06–2.51
Killeen-Temple, TX 2.06–2.51
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 1.79–2.06
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 1.79–2.06
Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC 1.79–2.06
Jacksonville, FL 1.79–2.06
Tucson, AZ 1.79–2.06
Charleston-North Charleston, SC 1.79–2.06
Boise City, ID 1.79–2.06
Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh, NY . 1.79–2.06
Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 1.79–2.06
Modesto, CA 1.79–2.06

Several large metros sit in the 2.51-or-higher tier, led by Los Angeles suburban areas such Riverside–San Bernardino–Ontario and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura. Florida appears at the top with the highly visited destination of Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach.

Meanwhile, the 2.06–2.51 tier includes the notable Urban Honolulu, Colorado Springs, and several more Florida metros.

Although slightly lower, the metro areas of San Diego, Jacksonville, and Sacramento also largely outpace income with their household debt levels.

What a 2.5 DTI ratio means

A 2.5 debt-to-income (DTI) ratio means the average household owes about two and a half years of wages in debt, and payments alone can absorb roughly 20–25% of monthly take-home pay before everyday expenses.

Debt can support long-term goals, so the key issue is often timing. However, when bills hit before payday, households may pay interest to bridge a short gap.

When debt is already high, even small gaps can rack up interest fast. As a result, using credit to bridge the days before payday can turn routine bills into a recurring fee, month after month. Over time, those charges can crowd out essentials and savings.

A Workplace Lever that Works with Payroll

Earned Wage Access (EWA) lets employees access wages they’ve already earned before payday. Consequently, it can reduce reliance on high-interest options for routine expenses.

In addition, EWA can help align pay timing with bill timing, so workers don’t feel forced to pay interest to cover short gaps. That way, employees can handle essentials with earned wages instead of costly stopgaps.

Give employees access to earned wages.


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Related Topics: #credit cards #jobs #wages #income #debt #salary #payday loans #earned wage access #payroll

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