Average American Household Debt in 2026: Facts and Figures

Drawing on data from Experian, the Federal Reserve, TransUnion, and the U.S. Census Bureau, Motley Fool Money breaks down the most common types of debt, including mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and personal loans.

Key household debt statistics

Average consumer household debt in 2026: $105,444

The New York Fed's quarterly Household Debt and Credit Survey (HHDC) shows that total consumer debt stands at $18.8 trillion as of the first quarter of 2026. That's a record high.

How much debt does the average American have?

The average American carries $105,444 in total debt as of September 2025, according to Experian. Excluding mortgage debt, the average balance is $21,603, down 3.3% from the prior year, suggesting consumers are paying down non-housing debt faster than they're adding it.

Credit cards, auto loans, and personal loans account for the bulk of non-mortgage debt.

Average debt by age

Debt balances vary significantly by generation, driven largely by where each cohort is in its financial life cycle, according to Experian data from September 2025.

Generation X carries the highest average balance across auto loans, credit cards, and total non-mortgage debt. Gen X credit card balances are at least 24% higher than millennials' and 35% higher than baby boomers', per Experian. Millennials carry the largest average mortgage balance at $324,272, reflecting peak homebuying years at today's elevated home prices.

Average credit card debt: $6,715

According to the latest Household Debt and Credit survey results from the Fed, Americans owe a record $1.3 trillion in credit card debt.

The average credit card balance was $6,715 as of the fourth quarter of 2025, according to TransUnion. That's up from $6,580 a year prior.

Based on Experian data from the second quarter of 2025, Gen X has the highest average credit card balance, $9,600, while Gen Z has the lowest, $3,493.

Credit card balance by generation

Credit card delinquency rate: 8.6%

In the first quarter of 2026, 8.61% of credit card balances had become delinquent by 30 days or more over the past year. That's down from 8.69% last quarter and 8.75% a year ago.

Average mortgage debt: $269,562

Mortgages make up 70% of American consumer debt. That number has risen consistently since mid-2013 and has recently accelerated as home prices hit record levels. Total mortgage debt stands at $13.2 trillion.

How much mortgage debt does the average American have? The average mortgage debt among Americans is $269,562, per TransUnion. That's up from

$261,631 a year ago.

Average mortgage rate: 6.11%

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate for the first quarter of 2026 is 6.11%, down from 6.23% in the third quarter.

Mortgage rates rose through 2023 after hitting lows in 2020 and 2021. They started to decline in the second half of 2024.

Median mortgage payment: $2,131

The median mortgage payment in March 2026 was $2,131, according to the Mortgage Brokers Association. The median mortgage payment has fallen slightly in recent months as mortgage rates have decreased.

Average HELOC amount: $49,517

Based on data from Experian, the average value of a home equity line of credit in 2025 was $49,517.

Average auto loan debt: $24,822

Auto loan debt slightly increased to $1.69 trillion in the first quarter of 2026 from $1.67 trillion in the previous quarter.

The average auto loan debt is $24,822 as of the fourth quarter of 2025.

The average car payment for both new and used vehicles has stabilized over the course of the year, with little change in recent quarters, according to Experian data.

Average new car payment: $767

The average monthly payment on a new-car loan was $767 in 2025, according to Experian. Monthly payments on loans for new cars, by credit score, are as follows:

• Deep subprime (300-500): $767
• Subprime (501-600): $792
• Nonprime (601-660): $819
• Prime (661-780): $773
• Super prime (781-850): $748

Average used car payment: $537

The average monthly payment on a loan for a used car was $537 in 2025, according to Experian. Monthly payments on loans for used cars, by credit score, are as follows:

• Deep subprime (300-500): $558
• Subprime (501-600): $557
• Nonprime (601-660): $545
• Prime (661-780): $523
• Super prime (781-850): $535

Auto loans in delinquency: 1.5%

According to TransUnion, 1.5% of auto loans were 60 days or more past due in the fourth quarter of 2025, up from 1.47% a year prior.

Rising vehicle prices and overall inflation through 2022 and the start of 2023 may be responsible for a higher percentage of auto loans being in hardship compared to previous years.

Average personal loan debt: $11,274

Personal loans are versatile financial products. They can be used for a variety of financial needs, including weddings, home renovations, vacations, or debt consolidation.

According to TransUnion, the average unsecured personal loan amount in the fourth quarter of 2025 was $8,421, down from $8,469 in the previous year.

The average personal loan debt per consumer is $11,699, indicating that many people with one unsecured personal loan have at least one more or are accruing interest faster than they can pay it off. That's higher than the level recorded a year prior, which was $11,607.

Average personal loan interest rate: 11.4%

In February 2026, the average interest rate for a 24-month personal loan was 11.4%, more than a quarter of a percentage point down from the previous year, according to the Federal Reserve.

Personal loans in delinquency: 3.99%

In the fourth quarter of 2025, 3.99% of unsecured personal loans were delinquent and in hardship, 60 days or more past due. That's up from the same quarter in 2024, when 3.57% of unsecured personal loans were in hardship.

Charge-offs and foreclosures

When Americans can't handle their debts, foreclosures, bankruptcies, delinquencies, and charge-offs occur. When those numbers go up, it's clear that Americans' personal finances are in trouble.

So what happened this year?

Charge-off and delinquency rates on consumer loans in 2025: 2.62%

The Federal Reserve Board collects statistics on charge-offs and delinquencies by loan type. Here's how they've changed since 2010:

Charge-offs and delinquencies for consumer loans decreased in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter. Charge-offs and delinquencies for credit cards fell slightly.

The delinquency and charge-off rate for consumer loans (which includes credit cards) was 2.62%, while the overall rate, which includes real estate and commercial loans, was 1.48%.

Paying off debt

Total household debt has hit record levels, but the debt payment-to-income ratio at 11.3% remains lower than it was for most of the 2000s. That gap suggests most households are managing their debt loads, even as balances grow.

For those carrying high-interest balances, a balance transfer card can reduce the cost of credit card debt, and a balance transfer calculator can show how much interest a transfer would save. Building a savings buffer in a high-yield savings account reduces reliance on credit when unexpected expenses come up. For those consolidating multiple debts, personal loans with competitive rates can lower the total interest paid and simplify repayment.