Kansas is carrying the heaviest financial burden of any U.S. state, according to a new WalletHub analysis that ranked all 50 states by credit scores, distressed accounts, bankruptcy filings and online search behavior around debt and loans.

The state's troubles are not subtle. Non-business bankruptcies climbed nearly 12% over the past year, and Kansans are running unusually high volumes of searches for debt relief and loan terms, a signal that financial anxiety is spreading beyond people who have already defaulted. Louisiana, Florida, Texas and South Carolina follow in the rankings, each struggling with their own pressure points. About 12% of Louisiana residents have a credit account in forbearance or deferred payments, the highest share in the country, and the state also recorded the most distressed accounts per capita.

Florida's numbers stand out

Florida drew particular attention in the WalletHub data. Between Q1 2025 and Q1 2026, the share of Florida residents with distressed accounts rose by nearly 19%, the second-largest jump of any state in that period. Nearly 8.7% of people in Florida held distressed accounts during that same window, placing the state third overall. That kind of deterioration over a single year is notable, especially as consumer confidence in major economies has been shifting and cost-of-living pressures continue to bite across income brackets.

At the other end of the spectrum, Maine came out as the least financially stressed state. Residents there benefit from stronger average credit scores, fewer distressed accounts and almost no search activity tied to financial hardship. Rhode Island, Hawaii, Vermont and Michigan round out the five calmest states, with New England and the Great Lakes region consistently performing well across the metrics.

WalletHub built its rankings from nine metrics spread across six categories, covering everything from average credit scores and bankruptcy filing changes between March 2025 and March 2026 to search query data on debt and loan topics. The spread between Kansas and Maine shows how unevenly rising inflation and shifting unemployment levels are landing across the country.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.