Economy

Where Do Americans Have the Most Student Debt?

A new map tracks the growing crisis down to a zip code.
Mapping Student Debt

The collective student loan debt in America stands at $1.2 trillion. That’s “the second-largest class of consumer debt behind mortgages,” according to a recent government report, and it’s growing. An analysis of this data released in September found that this amount is four times what it was 12 years ago. This year, the average student debt in the country surpassed $35,000—the highest it’s ever been in U.S. history.

A new interactive map takes a geographic look at the troubling trends. Built by the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, Generation Progress, and Higher Ed, Not Debt, the map tracks student loan balances, delinquency rates, and median income by zip code. Here are WCEG’s Marshall Steinbaum and Kavya Vaghul in an introductory post: