Across the country, families are struggling to keep their heads above water — maybe even pay down a little of their debt — with varying degrees of success. Some states are in better shape than others. So WalletHub took a look at “Cities Paying Off the Most Household Debt,” in a recent report. Those living in some California cities appear to be having the most success, as seven of the top ten are in the Golden State.

If your own household debt situation is giving you a sinking feeling about how well Ohio cities performed, you see where this is going.

In the report listing 182 cities, Ohio had three in the bottom ten (Akron at 174, Toledo at 179 and Cleveland at 181). Columbus landed at 152, Cincinnati at 146 — and that’s the highest placement for Ohio on the list.

For most of the country, according to WalletHub, there was a $73 billion inflation-adjusted decline in household debt in the first quarter of 2025. Overall, there are good things happening. So what’s going on in Ohio?

“A large decrease in the average resident’s debt in a city is a great sign – it shows that people are not only keeping up with their payments but also cutting back on borrowing,” said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo. “When it comes to Santa Clarita, CA, Fremont, CA and Chesapeake, VA, the three cities with the largest decreases, residents are fairly wealthy and responsible with credit, so their large debt decreases aren’t too surprising.”

In other words, the households there make enough money to be “responsible” with their credit. They don’t have to rely as much on credit and they can pay it down more easily when they do.

That kind of freedom hasn’t made its way to Ohio, it seems. Here, mortgages, student, auto and personal loans, and credit cards are weights that feel both more necessary and harder to shrug off.

Of course, some households could benefit from a little education in personal finance. Spending responsibly is important.

But a much larger problem is that, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, the average household income in the Buckeye State is 14% below the national average. Meanwhile, by this month, Ohio’s Consumer Price Index saw an annual increase of 4% over the previous year. Using March numbers, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reports the number of unemployed workers increased by 43,000 from the same month in 2024.

The state’s Department of Development has projected Ohio will lose 675,000 people by 2050. Looking at numbers like what we’re dealing with, and being able to compare with cities in other parts of the country certainly would tempt families to wonder whether the grass could be greener elsewhere.

How much more will it take for elected officials and policy makers to improve prospects here, before those families decide they are better off finding out?