St. Louis residents' debt on the rise

As the economy slowly recovers, residents in the St. Louis area have been taking on debt at a faster clip than Americans elsewhere.

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, a study conducted by credit reporting firm Experian found the average St. Louisians owe $26,721 on consumer debt – items such as credit cards, cars and student loans, but not home mortgages. While both the national and St. Louis averages are up in recent years, folks from the Gateway City have outpaced their peers around the country.

The national average is up to $25,927, a 5 percent bump in the past four years. St. Louis residents have grown their consumer debt by 8 percent during that time. The city ranked No. 9 in highest debt level among the nation’s largest metro areas. Dallas topped the list with the highest debt average of $28,420. 

Read more from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.