WHEELING, W.Va. — West Virginia ranks among the states with the highest levels of delinquent debt in the nation, according to a new analysis released by personal finance website WalletHub.
The report placed West Virginia fourth overall among all 50 states for debt delinquency, indicating a greater risk for residents to experience credit score damage and other financial consequences associated with missed payments.
Researchers analyzed proprietary consumer data from the first quarter of 2026, examining both the percentage of delinquent tradelines and the percentage of total loan balances that were delinquent in each state.
According to the study, 10.94% of tradelines in West Virginia were delinquent during the first quarter of the year. The report also found that 10.76% of total loan balances held by West Virginia residents were delinquent during the same period.
WalletHub noted that individual cases of delinquency can occur for a variety of reasons, including missed payments, unexpected financial hardships or circumstances outside a person’s control.
However, analysts said higher statewide delinquency rates can serve as an indicator that many residents are facing broader financial challenges and economic pressures.
The rankings were based on a combination of delinquent account rates and delinquent loan balances to determine where consumers are most at risk of falling behind on debt obligations.
