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Debt Collection Complaints by State

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Consumer Complaint Database (April 2026 vintage), debt collection complaint volume per 100,000 residents varies more than 12-fold across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The figure ranges from fewer than 4,300 complaints in the least-active jurisdiction to more than 52,000 per 100,000 in the most-active. Higher per-capita rates can reflect stronger consumer awareness, higher household debt loads, or more aggressive collection practices — not just bad actors. See our methodology page for the geographic normalization formula and refresh cadence.

Understanding State-Level Complaint Data

Not all states experience debt collection the same way. States with strong consumer protection agencies and active CFPB outreach tend to have higher complaint rates per capita — not because collectors are worse there, but because consumers are more empowered to file complaints.

States with high debt-to-income ratios, higher healthcare costs, or weaker consumer protection laws may see different patterns in complaint types. Medical debt collection, for example, is more prevalent in states that did not expand Medicaid. Credit card debt collection concentrates in states with higher average credit card balances.

How to Use State Data

Browse individual collector profiles on PlainCollector to see which states generate the most complaints for a specific company. If a collector is most active in your state, the complaint patterns from your state are most relevant to your situation. For state-level consumer protection resources, contact your state attorney general's office.