NEW YORK—The Federal Reserve Bank of New York will release “Credit Insecurity in the United States, 2018–2023,” on March 6, 2025. The report introduces the Credit Insecurity Index, a geographic measure of credit access across the United States. The index combines data about the share of adults who are credit-constrained—relying on high-cost credit and struggling to manage debt—with the share of adults without a credit score or credit file.
Using the index, the report sorts counties into five tiers of credit access. These range from places where most residents have the easiest access to affordable credit to places with the least access to affordable credit.
Along with the report, the New York Fed will also release an Excel workbook that includes data on the index for states, counties, and cities for the years 2018 to 2023.
The report examines how access to credit changed during the five-year period covered, highlighting national, state, city, town, and county trends. The report also explores the factors behind those trends, including the age, income, and education level of residents.
The report builds on earlier New York Fed research. It was developed as part of the New York Fed's Community Development efforts, which include a focus on household financial well-being.
