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Debt Measures

Millions of Americans are suffering through the coronavirus pandemic and an economic recession, and government officials don't seem to fully grasp just how desperate things have become: Congress has yet to approve a second round of stimulus support, and by all accounts, it's not looking likely it will ever happen. Several months in, most Americans have received only $1,200 to help them get by. So of course they're resorting to using credit cards to cover daily expenses, typically a big no-no in the personal finance world, as well as loans and help from friends or family. A study from LendingTree using U.S. Census Bureau data shows where we're relying the most on debt to cover daily living costs.


Note: Percentages reflect use of credit cards and loans to meet everyday needs during a seven-day period in mid-July. States are ranked from those relying least on debt to those relying most on debt.


Related: 12 Retirement Dreams That Are Threatened by COVID-19

Jacob Boomsma/istockphoto

51. North Dakota (relies the least on debt)

Credit cards or loans: 16.5%
Borrowing from friends or family: 7.3%

DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto

50. Vermont

Credit cards or loans: 19.2%
Borrowing from friends or family: 6%

DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto
krblokhin/istockphoto

48. Maine

Credit cards or loans: 21.5%
Borrowing from friends or family: 6.6%

StevenGaertner/istockphoto

47. Minnesota

Credit cards or loans: 22.2%
Borrowing from friends or family: 6.4%

pabradyphoto/istockphoto
Davel5957/istockphoto

45. Michigan

Credit cards or loans: 21.6%
Borrowing from friends or family: 8.7%

SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto

44. Rhode Island

Credit cards or loans: 22.5%
Borrowing from friends or family: 8.4%

aceshot/istockphoto
Chilkoot/istockphoto

42. Alaska

Credit cards or loans: 21.1%
Borrowing from friends or family: 10.4%

DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto

41. South Dakota

Credit cards or loans: 24.9%
Borrowing from friends or family: 7.7%

Mike Worley/istockphoto
Sean Pavone/istockphoto

39. West Virginia

Credit cards or loans: 21.1%
Borrowing from friends or family: 11.6%

DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto

38. Kansas

Credit cards or loans: 22.4%
Borrowing from friends or family: 10.5%

Sean Pavone/istockphoto
SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto

36. Tennessee

Credit cards or loans: 19.2%
Borrowing from friends or family: 13.8%

Davel5957/istockphoto

35. Kentucky

Credit cards or loans: 18.5%
Borrowing from friends or family: 14.5%

JodiJacobson/istockphoto
Sean Pavone/istockphoto

33. Massachusetts

Credit cards or loans: 27.9%
Borrowing from friends or family: 5.3%

Sean Pavone/istockphoto

32. North Carolina

Credit cards or loans: 23.4%
Borrowing from friends or family: 10.6%

Pgiam/istockphoto
Kruck20/istockphoto

30. Louisiana

Credit cards or loans: 17.6%
Borrowing from friends or family: 16.7%

DianeBentleyRaymond/istockphoto

29. Montana

Credit cards or loans: 25.7%
Borrowing from friends or family: 8.7%

RobHainer/istockphoto
pabradyphoto/istockphoto

27. Connecticut

Credit cards or loans: 26.6%
Borrowing from friends or family: 8.2%

Majestic_Aerials/istockphoto

26. Oklahoma

Credit cards or loans: 19.2%
Borrowing from friends or family: 16.5%

Joseph Sohm/shutterstock
SeanPavonePhoto/istockphoto

24. South Carolina

Credit cards or loans: 20.7%
Borrowing from friends or family: 15.7%

Sean Pavone/shutterstock

23. Georgia

Credit cards or loans: 22.4%
Borrowing from friends or family: 14%

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acavalli/istockphoto

21. Florida

Credit cards or loans: 26.1%
Borrowing from friends or family: 10.6%

Eloi_Omella/istockphoto

20. New York

Credit cards or loans: 24.8%
Borrowing from friends or family: 12.3%

aiisha5/istockphoto
Davel5957/istockphoto

18. Nebraska

Credit cards or loans: 25.9%
Borrowing from friends or family: 11.9%

Sean Pavone/istockphoto

17. Mississippi

Credit cards or loans: 20.3%
Borrowing from friends or family: 17.5%

Davel5957/istockphoto
DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto

15. New Mexico

Credit cards or loans: 24.4%
Borrowing from friends or family: 14.1%

Art Wager/istockphoto

14. Arizona

Credit cards or loans: 24.3%
Borrowing from friends or family: 14.4%

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f11photo/istockphoto

12. Texas

Credit cards or loans: 24.8%
Borrowing from friends or family: 14.3%

zrfphoto/istockphoto

11. Arkansas

Credit cards or loans: 22.8%
Borrowing from friends or family: 16.5%

DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto
Casper, Wyoming by Phillip Stewart (CC BY-SA)

9. Wyoming

Credit cards or loans: 25.9%
Borrowing from friends or family: 13.6%

f11photo/shutterstock
DenisTangneyJr/istockphoto

7. Delaware

Credit cards or loans: 28.8%
Borrowing from friends or family: 11.7%

okimo/istockphoto
Rudy Balasko/shutterstock

5. Illinois

Credit cards or loans: 27.1%
Borrowing from friends or family: 13.6%

Ultima_Gaina/istockphoto
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RoschetzkyIstockPhoto/istockphoto

2. Colorado

Credit cards or loans: 26.7%
Borrowing from friends or family: 15.4%

Orhan Cam/shutterstock