Cities with the Most & Least Student Debt (2026)

Student loan debt represents one of the biggest financial burdens for Americans. In fact, student loans are the second-largest type of household debt after mortgages, totaling nearly $1.7 trillion. That works out to about $39,633 per borrower, and a payoff timeline that lasts into middle age forces many graduates to significantly delay or forgo other financial goals such as saving for retirement or buying a home.

While we have a big student loan crisis as a country, student-loan debts are less sustainable in some places than others. To determine where borrowers are burdened the most, WalletHub compared the median student-loan balance against the median earnings of adults ages 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree in more than 2,500 U.S. cities.

If you are considering borrowing money for college or you’re in danger of defaulting, we advise using a student loan calculator to determine an affordable payment amount and realistic payoff timeline. In addition, you can set up a free WalletHub account to ensure your timely payments are reflected accurately in your credit report and score.

Main Findings

Student-Loan Debts by City

Notes:

*1st Percentile = Most Overleveraged

**“Bachelor’s Degree Holders” refers to adults aged 25 and older with a bachelor’s degree.

In-Depth Look at the Cities With the Most Student Debt

Ashtabula, OH

Ashtabula, OH is the city with the most student loan debt relative to its residents’ incomes. The median student loan debt per person is $22,449. This actually isn’t all that high, ranking as the 918th highest in the country. However, Ashtabula residents’ median annual income is very low. The median annual income for people with at least a bachelor’s degree is $28,750, which is the second-lowest in the country.

Due to the extremely low median income in the city, Ashtabula residents have a student loan debt-to-income ratio of around 78.1%, compared to the national average of around 33%.

Orangeburg, SC

Orangeburg, SC has the second-worst student loan debt-to-income ratio. The median student loan debt is $27,493, among the highest in the country. In addition, the median annual income in Orangeburg for people with at least a bachelor’s degree is $36,979, which is the 23rd-lowest in the country.

Altogether, people in Orangeburg have a student loan debt-to-income ratio of around 74.4%, much higher than the national average of around 33%.

Loma Linda, CA

Loma Linda, CA is the city with the third-most student debt relative to its residents’ incomes. The median student loan debt is $42,025, which is the second-highest out of the more than 2,500 cities we studied. In addition, the median annual income in Loma Linda for people with at least a bachelor’s degree is $56,892, which is among the lowest in the country.

The combination of high student debt and a low income means that the average Loma Linda resident has a 73.9% debt-to-income ratio for student loans. For comparison, the average is around 33%.

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.