Le Lézard
Classified in: Business
Subjects: SVY, ECO

CompareCards Study Reveals Which Places Use the Most Retail Credit and Charge Cards


CHARLOTTE, N.C., June 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- CompareCards by LendingTree today released the findings of its study on the places that use the most retail credit and charge cards. The study found that some metro areas are home to heavy users of retail cards while other locations have a population who use retail cards more sparingly.

Using TransUnion credit data from users of My LendingTree, the free credit monitoring service of the parent company of CompareCards, the study uncovers retail and charge card usage for 100 of the most populated metropolitan areas.

Nationally, 61.3 percent of credit card owners have at least one retail card. Of those who have at least one retail card, 30.4 percent carry a balance on a retail card, representing 11.4 percent of outstanding balances. The average balance on a retail card in the U.S. is $2,699.

Highlights from the report:

Where people use the most retail cards

McAllen, Texas is the clear leader for retail card usage with a score of 87.2. A whopping 72.4 percent have retail credit cards, and 45.1 percent carry a balance on their card. The average retail card balance is $3,207. Credit card users also have 17 percent of their total credit card debt sitting on retail credit cards, the highest percentage in the study.

Charleston, S.C. lands a score of 68.8 with 63.4 percent having retail credit cards. Although this location is second on the list, Charleston has the highest average balance on retail cards ($4,026), and 32.9 percent who have a retail card carry a balance. Retail balances make up 13.1 percent of their total credit card debt.

Bakersfield, Calif. rounds out the top three locations that use the most retail cards with a score of 66.1, and an average retail card balance of $3,053. A sizeable 68.1 percent of people have retail cards, 37.3 percent keep a balance on their cards, and retail card balances make up 14.5 percent of their total credit card debt.

In Riverside, Calif., 66.4 percent have retail cards with 36.5 percent carrying a balance. The average retail credit card debt is $3,115, and 13.7 percent of people's total credit card debt is sitting on retail cards.

Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla. earns a score of 60.9 to take fifth place. This location has the second highest average balance on retail cards ($3,628). However, only 60.8 percent use retail cards, and 34 percent carry a balance. On average, retail card balances make up 12.9 percent of their total credit card debt.  

To view the full report, visit: http://www.comparecards.com/blog/places-that-use-the-most-retail-credit-and-charge-cards/.

Metros That Use Retail Credit and Charge Cards the Most

Rank

Metro

Final Score

Average Balance on Retail Cards

% Who Have Retail Cards

 

% Who Carry a Balance on Retail Cards

Average % of Total Card Balance Carried on Retail Cards

1

McAllen, Texas

87.2

$3,207

72.4%

45.1%

17.0%

2

Charleston, S.C.

68.8

$4,026

63.4%

32.9%

13.1%

3

Bakersfield, Calif.

66.1

$3,053

68.1%

37.3%

14.5%

4

Riverside, Calif.

62.5

$3,115

66.4%

36.5%

13.7%

5

Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.

60.9

$3,628

60.8%

34.0%

12.9%

6

Greenville, S.C.

59.7

$3,244

60.3%

34.8%

14.6%

7

Syracuse, N.Y.

59.5

$3,424

66.0%

34.9%

11.5%

8

Spokane, Wash.

58.5

$2,863

63.5%

35.0%

15.1%

9

Cleveland

57.1

$3,066

62.6%

34.9%

13.8%

10

El Paso, Texas

56.9

$2,896

65.3%

39.2%

12.3%

10

Houston

56.9

$3,381

62.6%

33.2%

12.6%

12

Stockton, Calif.

56.8

$2,956

66.5%

34.4%

13.2%

13

Austin, Texas

56.5

$3,509

62.7%

31.3%

12.3%

13

Charlotte, N.C.

56.5

$3,320

62.6%

32.6%

13.0%

15

Toledo, Ohio

56.1

$3,184

62.6%

33.3%

13.4%

16

Pittsburgh

55.7

$3,240

65.9%

33.7%

11.7%

17

Columbus, Ohio

55.4

$3,311

62.2%

31.7%

13.1%

18

Providence, R.I.

55.2

$3,234

66.3%

34.9%

11.0%

19

Akron, Ohio

54.4

$3,025

66.7%

33.4%

12.3%

20

Rochester, N.Y.

53.9

$3,082

66.3%

34.1%

11.6%

21

Indianapolis

53.7

$3,200

63.6%

32.2%

12.5%

22

Greensboro, N.C.

53.6

$3,205

61.8%

33.1%

12.7%

23

Tampa, Fla.

53.2

$3,346

63.0%

32.4%

11.6%

24

Buffalo, N.Y.

52.6

$3,246

66.0%

33.2%

10.7%

25

Augusta, Ga.

52

$3,469

60.3%

31.1%

11.8%

25

Nashville, Tenn.

52

$3,196

62.8%

29.7%

13.0%

27

Little Rock, Ark.

51.9

$3,271

61.2%

32.0%

12.3%

28

Cincinnati

51.8

$3,251

62.6%

30.8%

12.3%

29

Fresno, Calif.

51.5

$2,694

66.6%

35.3%

12.4%

30

Dallas

51.3

$3,344

61.9%

31.2%

11.7%

30

Daytona Beach, Fla.

51.3

$3,153

63.4%

32.7%

11.8%

32

Sarasota, Fla.

50.9

$3,158

65.8%

31.6%

11.2%

33

Oklahoma City

50.8

$3,098

60.5%

31.2%

13.4%

34

Albany, N.Y.

50.6

$2,420

69.9%

33.4%

13.2%

35

Boise City, Idaho

50.3

$2,768

65.5%

31.7%

13.2%

36

Raleigh, N.C.

50.2

$3,268

62.7%

30.0%

11.9%

36

Richmond, Va.

50.2

$3,288

61.4%

31.2%

11.8%

38

Tucson, Ariz.

49.5

$3,174

61.2%

30.8%

12.4%

39

Fort Myers, Fla.

49.3

$3,297

62.4%

30.5%

11.3%

40

Columbia, S.C.

49

$3,368

58.0%

30.8%

12.2%

40

Tulsa, Okla.

49

$3,178

59.4%

29.6%

13.2%

42

Allentown, Pa.

48.6

$3,030

65.2%

33.3%

10.7%

43

Louisville, Ky.

47.9

$3,057

63.0%

30.2%

12.1%

44

Dayton, Ohio

47.5

$2,970

61.0%

32.0%

12.4%

45

Oxnard, Calif.

47.3

$3,130

64.7%

30.5%

10.8%

46

New Haven, Conn.

47.2

$2,915

65.8%

34.0%

10.4%

47

Detroit

46.8

$3,096

62.3%

31.7%

11.2%

48

Chattanooga, Tenn.

46.3

$3,071

60.3%

29.8%

12.5%

48

Seattle

46.3

$2,805

63.0%

32.7%

12.0%

50

Orlando, Fla.

45.4

$3,070

61.5%

31.7%

11.1%

51

Birmingham, Ala.

44.6

$3,002

60.3%

30.4%

12.1%

52

Colorado Springs, Colo.

44.4

$3,225

61.3%

28.4%

11.1%

52

Miami

44.4

$3,112

62.2%

31.3%

10.4%

54

Winston-Salem, N.C.

44.3

$2,824

59.8%

32.3%

12.4%

55

Jacksonville, Fla.

44.1

$3,268

59.9%

29.9%

10.7%

55

Melbourne, Fla.

44.1

$2,969

63.5%

30.4%

11.0%

57

Hartford, Conn.

43.8

$3,052

65.5%

31.9%

9.2%

58

Memphis, Tenn.

43.4

$3,023

57.5%

30.8%

12.3%

59

Scranton, Pa.

43

$2,942

58.9%

29.7%

12.5%

60

Knoxville, Tenn.

42.5

$3,155

60.3%

27.7%

11.4%

61

Durham, N.C.

42.2

$3,055

59.5%

28.7%

11.7%

62

Virginia Beach, Va.

42.1

$3,292

59.2%

29.2%

10.3%

63

Los Angeles

41.7

$3,009

60.3%

29.9%

11.1%

64

Grand Rapids, Mich.

41.6

$2,860

62.2%

28.6%

11.8%

65

Atlanta

41

$3,157

58.7%

29.4%

10.8%

66

Harrisburg, Pa.

40.6

$2,822

64.2%

30.8%

10.2%

67

Sacramento, Calif.

40.4

$2,936

62.0%

28.6%

11.0%

68

Phoenix

40.3

$3,004

61.1%

28.2%

11.0%

69

San Francisco

40.2

$2,883

63.5%

29.0%

10.5%

70

Washington

40

$3,542

58.5%

26.1%

9.5%

71

Chicago

39.8

$2,843

61.6%

31.2%

10.5%

72

Worcester, Mass.

39.7

$3,111

62.7%

29.6%

9.2%

73

Las Vegas

39.4

$2,959

61.5%

30.0%

10.1%

74

Baltimore

38.6

$3,061

60.4%

28.7%

10.1%

75

Baton Rouge, La.

38.5

$2,964

57.7%

28.4%

11.6%

76

Wichita, Kan.

37

$2,779

60.0%

29.4%

11.0%

77

New York

36

$3,016

61.5%

29.7%

8.7%

78

Kansas City, Mo.

35.5

$2,855

59.1%

28.5%

10.6%

78

Minneapolis

35.5

$3,004

60.2%

27.1%

9.9%

80

Denver

35

$3,017

59.8%

26.1%

10.2%

81

New Orleans

34.4

$2,858

57.1%

28.4%

11.0%

81

Philadelphia

34.4

$2,834

60.5%

29.3%

9.6%

83

Omaha, Neb.

34.3

$2,857

60.8%

28.5%

9.6%

84

Albuquerque, N.M.

34

$2,722

59.1%

27.8%

11.1%

85

Ogden, Utah

33

$2,673

59.7%

26.2%

11.4%

86

Springfield, Mass.

32.9

$2,931

58.1%

24.3%

11.1%

87

Jackson, Miss.

32.2

$2,734

55.0%

27.7%

11.8%

88

St. Louis

30.9

$3,081

56.3%

24.4%

10.1%

89

Des Moines, Iowa

30.8

$2,737

60.2%

27.9%

9.5%

90

Bridgeport, Conn.

30.1

$2,843

61.3%

28.1%

8.2%

91

San Antonio

29.4

$3,408

54.2%

22.5%

9.1%

92

Milwaukee

28.1

$2,702

58.9%

26.6%

9.6%

93

Portland, Ore.

27.9

$2,721

60.4%

27.0%

8.8%

94

Boston

26.4

$2,797

59.7%

25.7%

8.5%

95

San Jose, Calif.

24.9

$2,851

57.9%

26.3%

8.0%

96

Salt Lake City

21.2

$2,858

54.4%

22.7%

9.1%

97

Madison, Wis.

18

$2,506

57.4%

23.2%

8.7%

98

San Diego

14.1

$2,935

45.4%

21.7%

9.5%

99

Provo, Utah

13.4

$2,658

52.4%

19.6%

9.2%

100

Honolulu

9.4

$2,716

49.7%

20.3%

8.1%

Methodology
LendingTree analysts looked at a sample of anonymized users who logged into My LendingTree the first quarter of 2018. From this sample, they calculated how many of them had retail credit and charge cards, and then calculated statistics related to their balances. Four statistics were the areas of focus: 

The results were aggregated to the 100 largest metropolitan statistical areas by population. To rank results, each metro was scored by summing the normalized value (relative to other metros) of each of the four statistics and then dividing that sum by four, for a highest possible score of 100 and a lowest possible score of 0.

In this study, retail cards are defined as revolving credit cards or charge accounts under the following industry codes: Clothing; Home Furnishings; Department & Variety Stores; Automotive; Oil Companies; Jewelry & Cameras; Lumber/Building Material/Hardware; and Sporting Goods. Farm & Garden Supplies are not included since these appeared to include mostly heavy agricultural equipment suppliers.

About LendingTree
LendingTree (NASDAQ: TREE) is the nation's leading online loan marketplace, empowering consumers as they comparison-shop across a full suite of loan and credit-based offerings.  LendingTree provides an online marketplace which connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business, as well as an array of online tools and information to help consumers find the best loan. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 65 million loan requests. LendingTree provides free monthly credit scores through My LendingTree and access to its network of over 500 lenders offering home loans, personal loans, credit cards, student loans, business loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, auto loans and more. LendingTree, LLC is a subsidiary of LendingTree, Inc. For more information go to www.lendingtree.com, dial 800-555-TREE, like our Facebook page and/or follow us on Twitter @LendingTree.

About CompareCards:
CompareCards' mission is to help people make smarter, more informed, healthier financial decisions based on deeper knowledge of financial offers. Each month, over 2.9 million visitors come to CompareCards' website to independently compare credit cards side-by-side and choose a credit card based on interest rate, reward benefit, cost savings, and other factors that are important to each person. CompareCards provides easy-to-use, objective tools and educational resources that help people do everything from making credit card comparisons to managing their credit health. For more information, please visit www.comparecards.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Megan Greuling
704-943-8208
[email protected]

 (PRNewsfoto/CompareCards)

SOURCE CompareCards


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