2017’s States with the Most and Least Student Debt

From Wallet Hub, Aug 2, 2017

Location, location, location are the three most important words in real estate. But the mantra applies to education, too. Indeed, where you live doesn’t just affect the value of your property; it also reflects the worth of your college degree — the same degree that may have put you in debt. With 11 percent of all student-loan debts in delinquency or default as of Q1 2017, graduates need to be selective with the places in which they choose to put their degrees to work. New York City, for instance, might boast a high average salary for a certain profession, but the high cost of living can outweigh the gains, leaving little to pay off college debt.

Save for mortgages, student loans make up the largest component of household debt for Americans. And our collective debt keeps growing. At the end of the first quarter of 2017, total outstanding college-loan balances disclosed on credit reports stood at $1.34 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. The latest figure represents an increase of $34 billion since the end of 2016.

Despite the evidence that income potential rises and chances of joblessness decline with more schooling, many graduates entering the labor market are learning the hard way that a college degree can’t guarantee financial security. Post-college success depends on numerous factors, including where a graduate lays down roots. Student-loan borrowers generally fare better in strong-economy states with low college-debt-to-income ratios.

With student-loan debtors in mind, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on 10 key measures of indebtedness and earning opportunities. Their data set ranges from average student debt to unemployment rate among the population aged 25 to 34 to share of students with past-due loan balances….

read … Debt

Hawaii

• Rank – 51st
• Score -- 14.44
• Student-Loan Indebtedness – 50th
• Grant and Student Work Opportunities – 50th
• Proportion of Students with Debt – 47th
• Student Debt as % of Income – 50th
• % of Student Loan Borrowers Aged 50+