Source: Rome News Tribune —
The average mortgage debt held by American homeowners has risen 14%, according to Experian data. At the end of 2021, the average mortgage balance was $223,952 in the U.S., up from an average of $196,403 for the same time period in 2017.
The average homeowner’s mortgage debt in states including Washington, Texas, and Tennessee has grown the most, increasing by more than 20%. This period of skyrocketing prices happened against the backdrop of unprecedented social and financial upheaval: the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, historically low interest rates in 2020, and the subsequent housing market frenzy, among them. The country also saw more city dwellers moving to suburban areas in search of more space and lower prices. By early 2021, 82% of urban areas had fewer people moving in than out, according to Bloomberg.
Keeping housing expenses at or below 30% of income is a widely accepted measure used among researchers and economists for measuring the affordability—or financial burden—of housing in the U.S. However, rising housing prices in some states have forced Americans to get comfortable paying beyond the suggested 30% threshold in some of the more expensive metro areas across the U.S.
Experian looked at how mortgage debt varies by state and how it’s grown over time.
