{"id":10635,"date":"2026-06-25T15:34:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-25T22:34:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/?p=10635"},"modified":"2026-06-25T15:39:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-25T22:39:02","slug":"2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Study: Debt Collection Calls Continue to Surge In These US States and Cities"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Debt collection calls are surging across America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As financial pressures continue to weigh on many Americans, some states and cities are seeing triple-digit increases in debt collection complaints compared to the year before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To better understand where consumers are facing the most debt collection calls, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NumberBarn<\/a>, a phone number management company and marketplace, analyzed the latest FTC complaint data to uncover which states, cities, and age groups are being hit hardest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list port-content-table\">\n<li><strong><a href=\"#1\">States with the Most Debt Collection Calls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#2\">Fastest-Growing States for Debt Collection Calls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#3\">Cities with the Most Debt Collection Calls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#4\">Fastest-Growing Cities for Debt Collection Calls<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#5\">Lodged Debt Collection Complaints Doubled<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#6\">Which Age Groups Receive the Most Debt Collection Calls?<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#7\">Average Debt by State<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong><a href=\"#8\">How to Protect Yourself<\/a><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key Findings<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list bloglist-style\">\n<li>Debt collection complaints surged 114% year-over-year, rising from 220,424 reports in 2024 to 471,142 reports in 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>47% of 2025 reports were flagged as abusive, threatening, or harassing, which is a 177% increase from the previous year.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Georgia<\/strong> leads the nation in debt collection calls per capita, with 310.9 reports per 100,000 residents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Atlanta<\/strong> ranks #1 among U.S. cities for per capita debt collection call reports, followed by <strong>Dallas<\/strong>, <strong>Houston<\/strong>, <strong>Miami<\/strong>, and <strong>Memphis<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Americans aged 30 to 39 reported the most collection calls in 2025.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The average household debt in the U.S. is now $63,200, with <strong>Colorado<\/strong>, <strong>California<\/strong>, and <strong>Washington<\/strong> reporting the highest average balances.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"1\"><strong>States with the Most Debt Collection Calls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29196386\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29196386\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Americans filed more than 471,000 debt collection complaints with the Federal Trade Commission in 2025, more than double the number reported just one year earlier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Not every complaint involves a legitimate debt collector, and not every consumer believes they owe the debt in question. Of the 471,142 complaints filed last year, nearly half (47%) were categorized as abusive, threatening, or harassing. That\u2019s up sharply from 80,126 similar complaints reported in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The increase suggests growing frustration among consumers, whether from aggressive collection tactics, disputed debts, or persistent collection attempts. It also highlights the importance of understanding your rights under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/legal-library\/browse\/rules\/fair-debt-collection-practices-act-text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fair Debt Collection Practices Act<\/a> (FDCPA), which protects consumers from deceptive or abusive collection practices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some states are seeing especially high levels of debt collection activity. <strong>Georgia<\/strong> leads the nation in debt collection complaints per capita, followed by <strong>Texas<\/strong>, <strong>Florida<\/strong>, and <strong>Louisiana<\/strong>. These states also rank among the highest for complaints involving abusive or threatening collection behavior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-table\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29196823\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29196823\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"table visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"2\"><strong>Fastest-Growing States for Debt Collection Calls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29197623\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29197623\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"chart visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Every state in the country experienced an increase in debt collection call activity in 2025, and <strong>some states saw triple-digit increases compared to the year before.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>West Virginia<\/strong> reported the largest year-over-year increase in debt collection complaints, with reports surging 190.5% compared to 2024. <strong>Arkansas<\/strong>, <strong>Texas<\/strong>, <strong>Rhode Island<\/strong>, and <strong>North Carolina<\/strong> also experienced significant increases, with complaints rising by more than 165% in each state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When it comes to debt collection calls, everything really is bigger in <strong>Texas<\/strong>. Not only does the state rank second nationally for debt collection complaints per capita, but it also recorded one of the largest year-over-year increases in the country (+172.1%).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sharp increases may reflect a combination of rising delinquency rates, increased collection efforts, and greater consumer awareness of reporting options available through the Federal Trade Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"3\"><strong>Cities with the Most Debt Collection Calls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Debt collection call activity isn\u2019t just a statewide issue, it\u2019s also hitting major cities across the U.S., too. We analyzed complaint data across the country\u2019s largest metro areas to find out where residents are being contacted the most.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-map\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29196315\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29196315\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"map visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>When adjusted for population, residents in <strong>Atlanta<\/strong> reported the highest rate of debt collection calls in the nation, followed by cities like <strong>Dallas<\/strong>, <strong>Houston<\/strong>, <strong>Miami<\/strong>, and <strong>Memphis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But in terms of total complaint volume, major population centers like <strong>Dallas<\/strong>, <strong>Houston<\/strong>, <strong>Atlanta<\/strong>, <strong>New York<\/strong>, and <strong>Miami<\/strong> saw the largest raw numbers of reports in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-table\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29196843\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29196843\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"table visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"4\"><strong>Fastest-Growing Cities for Debt Collection Calls<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29197590\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29197590\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"chart visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Debt collection complaints are rising even faster in some U.S. cities than they are statewide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Houston reported the largest year-over-year increase among major metro areas, with complaints rising 179.4% compared to the previous year. <strong>Dallas<\/strong> followed closely behind at 167.9%, while <strong>Portland<\/strong>, <strong>Sacramento<\/strong>, <strong>Providence<\/strong>, and <strong>Phoenix<\/strong> also reported substantial increases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Texas dominates the list, with <strong>Houston<\/strong>, <strong>Dallas<\/strong>, and <strong>Austin<\/strong> all ranking among the fastest-growing metros for debt collection complaints. Combined with the state\u2019s high overall complaint volume, the data suggests Texans are increasingly encountering collection efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"5\"><strong>Lodged Debt Collection Complaints Doubled<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29197521\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29197521\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"chart visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Debt collection complaints have fluctuated over the past several years, but the trend has turned sharply upward since 2023. After falling from 161,319 complaints in 2021 to 113,349 in 2022, complaint volumes have climbed for three consecutive years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The biggest jump occurred between 2024 and 2025, when complaints more than doubled from 220,424 to 471,142. This dramatic increase suggests that debt collection activity is accelerating nationwide and affecting more consumers than at any point in the last five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"6\"><strong>Which Age Groups Receive the Most Debt Collection Calls?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-chart\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29197391\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29197391\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"chart visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Americans between the ages of 30 and 39 reported the highest number of debt collection complaints in 2025, followed by those ages 40 to 49 and 20 to 29.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These age groups are often navigating some of life\u2019s most expensive financial milestones, including mortgages, auto loans, student debt, and raising children. As debt burdens increase, so too can the likelihood of receiving collection calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Complaint volumes decline significantly among older age groups, with relatively few reports coming from Americans over the age of 70.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"7\"><strong>Average Debt by State<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"flourish-embed flourish-table\" data-src=\"visualisation\/29197338\"><script src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/resources\/embed.js\"><\/script><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/public.flourish.studio\/visualisation\/29197338\/thumbnail\" width=\"100%\" alt=\"table visualization\" \/><\/noscript><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Not surprisingly, many of the states with the highest debt burdens also report increased levels of debt collection calls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Maryland<\/strong>, <strong>Arizona<\/strong>, <strong>Virginia<\/strong>, and <strong>New Jersey<\/strong>, all rank above the national average for household debt and also place among the top 20 states for debt collection complaints per 100,000 residents.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elsewhere, residents in <strong>Washington, D.C.<\/strong>, <strong>Colorado<\/strong>, <strong>California<\/strong>, <strong>Washington<\/strong>, and <strong>Hawaii<\/strong> carry some of the highest average household debt balances in the country. While higher debt doesn\u2019t automatically lead to collection activity, larger balances can increase financial strain and the likelihood of falling behind on payments.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As household debt continues to rise nationwide, debt collection calls may remain a growing concern for consumers across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading headingh4\" id=\"8\"><strong>How to Protect Yourself<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re receiving frequent debt collection calls, especially ones that feel suspicious, here are a few steps you can take to protect yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list bloglist-style\">\n<li>Don\u2019t confirm personal information over the phone unless you\u2019re sure the caller is legitimate.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ask for written verification of the debt. Legitimate collectors are required to provide this.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Know your rights under the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ftc.gov\/legal-library\/browse\/rules\/fair-debt-collection-practices-act-text\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)<\/a>. You can request that collectors stop contacting you.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report abusive, threatening, or harassing calls to the FTC at <a href=\"http:\/\/reportfraud.ftc.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reportfraud.ftc.gov<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Block known scam numbers using your mobile provider\u2019s tools or a call-blocking app.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Methodology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This study analyzes the number of debt collection call reports per capita across all 50 states and the 50 most populous cities in the United States, using data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). It also incorporates average household debt levels by state based on the latest data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The data includes the most recent information available as of June 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>All findings are based on publicly available FTC reports and were adjusted to account for variations in population size, ensuring accurate per capita comparisons. This study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of debt collection trends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sources: Federal Trade Commission, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fair Use: Feel free to use this data and research with proper attribution linking to this study.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Media Inquiries: <\/strong>For media inquiries, contact <a href=\"mailto:media@numberbarn.com\">media@numberbarn.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Debt collection calls are surging across America. As financial pressures continue to weigh on many Americans, some states and cities are seeing triple-digit increases in debt collection complaints compared to the year before. To better understand where consumers are facing the most debt collection calls, NumberBarn, a phone number management company and marketplace, analyzed the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":10715,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[341],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-by-the-numbers"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>2026 Study: Debt Collection Calls Continue to Surge In These US States and Cities - NumberBarn Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Debt collection calls are up 177% in 2026 with complaints never ceasing. Here are the states, cities, and age groups that are being contacted the most.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"2026 Study: Debt Collection Calls Continue to Surge In These US States and Cities - NumberBarn Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Debt collection calls are up 177% in 2026 with complaints never ceasing. Here are the states, cities, and age groups that are being contacted the most.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"NumberBarn Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-25T22:34:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-25T22:39:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/New-Blog-Dimensions-3.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Collin Czarnecki\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Collin Czarnecki\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Collin Czarnecki\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/21c6f10b034f2dd1a667708a1b4016f9\"},\"headline\":\"2026 Study: Debt Collection Calls Continue to Surge In These US States and Cities\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T22:34:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-25T22:39:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/\"},\"wordCount\":1246,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/New-Blog-Dimensions-3.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"By The Numbers\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/\",\"name\":\"2026 Study: Debt Collection Calls Continue to Surge In These US States and Cities - NumberBarn Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/2026-study-debt-collection-calls-continue-to-surge-in-these-us-states-and-cities\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.numberbarn.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/New-Blog-Dimensions-3.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-25T22:34:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-25T22:39:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"Debt collection calls are up 177% in 2026 with complaints never ceasing. 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