When finances get tight, some households turn to credit cards to get by. It’s not an ideal solution and can lead to bigger problems down the road.

According to WalletHub, the collective credit card debt of the United States is approximately $1.28 trillion — $109 billion of that came from 2023 alone.

Ohio ranks eighth in the nation for its increase in credit card debt.

Here, household credit card debt averages $9,116. That’s an increase of $232 from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter. As a whole, the state has $39,820,083,569 of credit card debt, an increase of $1,111,321,737 between the two quarters.

What can be done? There are resources and options to help people find their way out of credit card debt that may be helpful for some. In the meantime, policymakers and economic development officials have a clear signal that on their watch, Buckeye State residents are still falling behind.