Mapped: The Top 10 States by Credit Card Spending
Mapped: The top 10 states by credit card spending
Across all states, Americans spend an average of just over $5,200 per month on their credit cards. Which states have the highest credit card spending?
Using anonymized data from thousands of Empower Personal Dashboard™ users, we explore these geographic trends.
States with the highest credit card spending
Here’s what the average monthly credit card spending was for the top states as of September 2024.
| Rank | State | Average monthly credit card spending per person |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York | $6,202 |
| 2 | Nevada | $6,198 |
| 3 | Texas | $6,132 |
| 4 | Massachusetts | $6,104 |
| 5 | Connecticut | $6,093 |
| 6 | DC | $6,093 |
| 7 | California | $6,047 |
| 8 | Alaska | $6,023 |
| 9 | Colorado | $6,019 |
| 10 | Washington | $5,903 |
The top 10 states by credit card spending are spread across the Northeast, West, South, and Pacific regions. People in New York spend the most, with an average total of $6,202 per month.
Nevada and Texas round out the top three, with people spending over $6,100 per month on average.
Popular purchases
What are some of the most popular everyday luxuries people spend their money on? According to a survey from Empower, accessories, clothing, and shoes, and jewelry are the most common splurges.
About 20% of Americans said financial happiness means having nice things, though it is more important to younger generations than older generations (31% vs 13%). For example, 62% of millennials said they were willing to spend $7 on coffee because it makes them happy.
However, for 53% of people overall, financial happiness is found in spending on experiences with those they cherish.
When it comes to money management, more than half of Americans believe that looking at dream purchases, or “dreamscrolling”, helps them to be smart with their money.
Spending and happiness
Many Americans enjoy treating themselves and say it plays a big factor in increasing their happiness. In fact, 96% of people say that making a purchase increases their love for life.
Looking for more insights into spending trends and the week’s financial headlines?
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Methodology: Credit card spending data reflects the average monthly spend per user based on anonymous, aggregate data of linked accounts and self-declared values are excluded. User count varies by state but was at least 100 people in all cases. Excludes spouse accounts, any account value greater than $100M or less than -$100M (negative $100M), and users without credit card transactions.
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