Miamians Have Higher Auto, Housing and Student Debt Than National Average

Miami residents are more in debt than other Americans, says a new study from Credit Karma. Before writing them off as plastic-loving spendthrifts, though, the study also discovered that Miamians actually have less credit-card debt than the national average.

Instead, San Francisco-based Credit Karma found that residents of Miami have higher auto loans, mortgages and student debts than the rest of the country.

Miami drivers owe about $500 more than the national average on car loans, but their biggest payout goes toward mortgages, which is an average of $199,472 while most Americans owe $166,990. The gap between Miami residents and the rest of the country where student loans are concerned is much smaller, with Miamians owing $32,330 and average students owing $23,092.

Despite this bigger debt, residents of “The Magic City” have a credit score of 641, just five points lower than the national average of 646. Plus, while the national average of credit-card debt is $5,403, Miamians typically owe $4,697, nearly $1,000 less than they owed in 2011.