Most Black People Live in States With the Highest Student Debt

By Bria Overs, Word in Black

Mix the racial wealth gap with high costs of living, and the burden of student loan debt feels heavier for Black people in some parts of the U.S.

From coast to coast, Americans are closely watching and dreading the upcoming end to the federal student loan payment pause. Borrowers in some states, however, have more debt than others. 

For Black people, the lasting effects of their debt depend on where they live which is often in those same states with higher debts owed per borrower.

A new CreditDonkey analysis comparing all 50 U.S. states found the top 10 with the highest student debt per borrower. Those top states, in order, are Maryland, Georgia, Delaware, Virginia, New York, Florida, Oregon, Illinois, California, and Alabama.

Data from Pew Research Center adds another layer to this picture. At least eight of these states rank highly among those with the largest Black populations. Combined with the reality that Black students hold more student loan debt than any other racial or ethnic group, with a median of $30,000 owed. 

Saddled with such a large amount of debt, many attempt to find their footing in places with higher costs of living. 

For example, over 3 million Black people call the New York City metro area home — the nation’s largest Black population. Fortuna Admissions co-founder Caroline Diarte Edwards says places like this are hubs for career opportunities. 

“The big cities offer unmatched career opportunities, leading many Black Americans to take risks and move to them despite the high student loan debt and cost of living,” Edwards says. 

Read more about this financial crisis in the original article.

Learn about other racial injustices and inequalities Black people are facing in this virtual exhibit.

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