Credit card debt is a serious issue that is impacting consumers all over the country, but the people here in California are feeling that impact a little more than you would find in other parts of the country.
Two recent articles highlighting cities with massive credit card debt combined to include six different California towns on a list that only included a total of 20 places. With that much debt concentrated in one area, it’s no wonder that many California residents are finding it harder to make ends meet than it has been in years past.
In order to better shine a light on these struggling California cities, let’s take a quick look at the good and bad that each brings to the table.
Beverly Hills, California
Located in the heart of Southern California, just north of Los Angeles, Beverly Hills is commonly known as one of the shopping capitals of the world. However, the people that actually live there are finding that keeping up with their neighbors is easier said than done.
According to the recent CNBC article, the average household credit card debt in Beverly Hills is $24,962, which was high enough to rank it ninth in the country.
Calabasas, California
If you travel just a bit west of Beverly Hills, you can’t help but stumble upon the number eight city on CNBC’s list of the largest household credit card debt in the country.
Known as a great place to live that is close to Los Angeles while also featuring its own unique assortment of shopping and restaurants, Calabasas is another excellent example of a place where people are willing to overpay for the lifestyle they believe they deserve.
Huntington Beach, California
If we head just a bit south of Los Angeles, we will find ourselves in Huntington Beach, which is commonly referred to as Surf City, USA. This area is known for stunning beaches, excellent surfing, and all of the fun amenities that come with a great surf town.
On the downside, Huntington Beach found its way onto US News & World Report’s article highlighting the top ten cities in terms of increasing credit card debt. At the time of that report, the average household debt in Huntington Beach was $15,895.
Murrieta, California
Heading inland from Huntington Beach, it won’t be long before you find yourself cruising through the city of Murrieta.
Not only is Murrieta a close neighbor to Huntington Beach on the map, but it is also a close neighbor in terms of consumer debt with an average household debt of $17,895.
Newport Beach, California
Speaking of Huntington Beach Neighbors, the beach town of Newport Beach also found itself on the same list with a ridiculous average household debt of $21,508. With numbers like that, it doesn’t take an economics degree to figure out that everyone is struggling to make ends meet in Newport Beach.
San Mateo, California
Consumer debt isn’t a problem that is isolated to just Southern California either. Located right between San Francisco and San Jose, San Mateo also found itself on the U.S. News & World Report list of the top ten cities with increasing credit card debt.
The article reported an average household credit card debt of $14,895 for this popular NoCal community.
While it is worth noting that averages don’t necessarily tell the story of individual consumers, those massive debt numbers are definitely not encouraging either. This can be a critical issue for anyone extending credit to consumers in the state of California.
Should you find yourself in a situation where a customer or client is struggling to keep up with their payments, one of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to partner with a commercial debt collection agency to handle the consumers on your behalf.
Unfortunately, there is no end in sight for rising debt across the country, so make sure that you are always doing everything in your power to protect yourself and your business.
