When finances get tight, some households turn to credit cards to get by. It’s not an ideal solution, and can lead to bigger problems down the road, but sometimes feels like the only way.

According to WalletHub, the collective credit card debt of the United States is approximately $1.28 trillion — and $109 billion of that came from 2023 alone.

But some regions are faring better than others, the Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website reports.

“Some parts of the country are racking up credit card debt at an alarming rate,” financial writer Adam McCann reported in WalletHub’s “States with Largest and Smallest Credit Card Debt Increases.”

Across the Tri-State Area, credit card debt has become a bit of a problem.

Ohio ranks eighth in the nation for the size of the increase in credit card debt, and household credit card debt averages $9,116. That’s an increase of $232 from the first quarter of this year to the second quarter. As a whole, the state has $39,820,083,569 of credit card debt, an increase of $1,111,321,737 between the two quarters.

Pennsylvania ranks sixth, with an annual household credit card average debt of $9,975. That’s an increase of $254 from the first quarter of this year to the second quarter. The commonwealth has $47,251,993,421 of credit card debt, an increase of $1,318,735,741.

West Virginia, meanwhile, is 40th, with an average debt of $9,022, an increase of $230 when looking at the first two quarters of the year. Total credit card debt in the Mountain State is $5,891,783,543, an increase of $164,431,275.

For comparison, California residents have the most credit card debt — $162,940,165,790 — while Wyoming residents have the least — $59,692,596.

That’s a lot of catching up to do for households who may find themselves able to pay only the minimum monthly payments on that debt.

What can be done? Well, one credit ratings agency helpfully suggests “You may want to focus on increasing your earnings or finding ways to save money on necessities.”

Of course, impulse spending is a different story, but for many who find themselves falling into ever-growing credit card debt, increasing earnings and trying to save money on necessities have probably already crossed their minds.

Inflation, combined with state economies about which officials have a habit of over-promising and under-delivering, have made that difficult.

There are resources and options for helping people find their way back out of credit card debt, and it may be helpful for some Tri-State Area residents to explore them. In the meantime, policymakers and economic development officials have been given a clear signal that on their watch residents continue to fall behind.