Top 20 States for Senior Citizen Debt

Senior couple hiking together

While some senior citizens may be exiting the workforce, their debt and credit have not yet retired.

Across the U.S., senior citizens have an average FICO® Score of 745—44 points higher than the national average of 701, according to Experian data from the fourth quarter of 2018. Senior citizens (considered as people 60 years or older for this analysis) also carry an average of $70,633 in total debt, though seniors in some states carried almost double that amount.

Using the national average of $93,446 in total debt as a comparison, it's clear that as consumers grow older, their total average debt shrinks. When looking across the age spectrum, total average balances continued to grow until age 44, at which point amounts stabilize for a few years before reversing and beginning to decrease.

When it comes to credit scores, senior citizens hold some of the country's top scores. Of all consumers over age 60, 80-year-olds have the highest credit scores, with an average FICO® Score of 758.

To find out more about where senior citizens hold the most debt, Experian reviewed consumer credit data from the fourth quarter of 2018 to identify states where senior citizens had the highest balances. Read on to see if your state appeared in the top 20.

Senior Citizen Debt Ranked by State
RankStateTotal Average DebtAverage FICO® Score
1District of Columbia$132,366723
2California$131,184747
3Hawaii$130,250759
4Maryland$100,317744
5Colorado$98,002760
6Nevada$92,692731
7Washington$91,686760
8Virginia$89,406750
9Alaska$84,627748
10Massachusetts$83,915757
11Arizona$83,052742
12Oregon$82,924758
13Delaware$81,614748
14Connecticut$80,894756
15Utah$78,698757
16New Jersey$76,020749
17Rhode Island$70,663752
18Idaho$68,609756
19New Hampshire$67,253761
20Florida$66,352739
21New Mexico$65,659733
22New York$65,399748
23Wyoming$65,006757
24Georgia$64,804729
25Montana$61,978760
26Illinois$61,944750
27South Carolina$61,716731
28Minnesota$59,700770
29Vermont$59,583762
30North Carolina$59,241739
31Texas$56,468726
32Maine$53,671754
33Tennessee$52,946737
34Pennsylvania$51,313753
35Missouri$50,591748
36Michigan$50,419749
37South Dakota$49,605766
38Alabama$49,548729
39Wisconsin$47,504763
40Indiana$47,361746
41Louisiana$47,168724
42Ohio$47,008749
43Kansas$46,990756
44Nebraska$46,862765
45Arkansas$45,484735
46Kentucky$44,654739
47Oklahoma$44,484732
48Iowa$43,340764
49North Dakota$41,655770
50Mississippi$38,562719
51West Virginia$38,358736

Source: Experian data Q4 2018

Senior Citizens in West Virginia Had the Least Total Debt

When it came to states with the lowest average debt amounts for seniors, West Virginia topped the list with an average debt amount of $38,358, according to Experian data. That's more than one-third the national average and nearly 50% less than the amount held by the average consumer above the age of 60. Mississippi came in second with a total average debt amount of $38,562, followed by Puerto Rico, where seniors carried an average of $39,246 in average total debt.

Senior Citizens in North Dakota and Minnesota Had the Highest Average Credit Scores

Consumers over 60 in North Dakota and Minnesota had the highest average FICO® Score, both with an average of 770. This is 69 points higher than the national average and 25 points higher than the average senior citizen's score. South Dakota had the second-highest average at 766, with Nebraska and Iowa trailing with a 765 and 764, respectively.

If you're over 60 and want to learn more about your debt and credit, consider getting a free copy of your credit reports and scores from Experian to see what appears in your credit file.

Methodology: The analysis results provided are based on an Experian-created statistically relevant aggregate sampling of our consumer credit database that may include use of the FICO® Score 8 version. Different sampling parameters may generate different findings compared with other similar analysis. Analyzed credit data did not contain personal identification information. Metro areas group counties and cities into specific geographic areas for population censuses and compilations of related statistical data.

FICO® is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.