The debt apparently just keeps climbing in the Garden State with no end in sight.
WalletHub just dropped their latest report, and surprise, surprise... New Jersey is once again climbing the ranks for credit card debt. In Q2 of 2025 alone, NJ residents added a jaw-dropping $850,978,265 in new credit card debt. That makes us 9th in the nation for the biggest debt increase.
The average household in NJ now owes $12,873 on credit cards, which is well above the national average of $10,951. When the cost of living here feels like it's been on steroids, is it really any shock at this point?
It's not that people are being reckless, most of us are just trying to survive. Between rent hikes, rising food prices, and sky-high utility bills, more and more New Jerseyans are relying on credit cards just to get through the month. This isn't splurging, it's survival mode.
Yes, national credit card debt is technically 13% below its inflation-adjusted peak, but that doesn't help much when your grocery bill has doubled since 2020, does it?
If you're drowning in interest, it might be time to check out some of the best balance transfer credit cards with 0% APRs for up to 24 months. It won't fix everything, but it could buy you some breathing room. Even if it's just for a little while, that's better than nothing, right?
Because let's face it: the real problem isn't how we're spending, it's how expensive life in Jersey has become. It's the cost of living. It's absolutely nuts.