HELOC Balances Outstanding
Total outstanding balance on home equity lines of credit
What is the current HELOC Balances Outstanding reading?
Borrowers owed $458.5 billion on home equity lines of credit in Q2 2026, according to the New York Fed's Household Debt and Credit Report, up $47.5 billion from $411 billion a year earlier. The figure is drawn balances on credit reports, in dollars not adjusted for inflation. Source: New York Fed Household Debt and Credit Report (Q2 2026).
Balances on home equity lines of credit were $458.5 billion in Q2 2026, up $47.5 billion from $411 billion a year earlier.
The New York Fed's Household Debt and Credit Report counts what borrowers owe on home equity lines of credit, or HELOCs, from a random sample of Equifax credit reports. At the end of Q2 2026 the total was $458.5 billion, up $47.5 billion from $411 billion a year earlier. Balances rose $12.5 billion in the latest quarter alone, from $446 billion in Q1 2026.
That is the most since Q4 2016, in dollars not adjusted for inflation. Balances have been higher than a year earlier for 16 quarters in a row.
For scale, the report put HELOC balances at $714 billion in the first quarter of 2009 and $317 billion in the first quarter of 2022. These are dollar totals, not adjusted for inflation.
A HELOC is a revolving line secured by a home: the borrower draws on it as needed, up to a limit. This series is the amount drawn and still owed, not the credit limit, which the New York Fed reports separately. Closed-end home equity loans are not included; the report counts them with mortgages.
The report does not say why balances move, and a change in the balance says nothing on its own about whether borrowers are behind on payments.
Explore Further
HELOC Balances Outstanding over time: what has changed?
Counties with the highest safety net and buffer scores
These are safety net and buffer scores from our County Distress Index, not county readings of HELOC Balances Outstanding.
Explore all 3,144 counties →| Period | Value | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | $458.5B | +$47.5B |
| Q1 2026 | $446B | +$44B |
| Q4 2025 | $433.6B | +$37.6B |
| Q3 2025 | $422B | +$35B |
| Q2 2025 | $411B | +$31B |
| Q1 2025 | $402B | +$26B |
| Q4 2024 | $396B | +$36B |
| Q3 2024 | $387B | +$38B |
| Q2 2024 | $380B | +$40B |
| Q1 2024 | $376B | +$37B |
| Q4 2023 | $360B | +$24B |
| Q3 2023 | $349B | +$27B |
Frequently Asked Questions
How much HELOC debt is outstanding?
The New York Fed counted $458.5 billion owed on home equity lines of credit in Q2 2026. That covers balances on consumer credit reports in its Equifax sample; it leaves out people without a Social Security number and balances in bankruptcy.
Are HELOC balances at a record high?
In Q2 2026 balances were $458.5 billion. That is the most since Q4 2016, but not a record. The New York Fed's series starts in 2003, and its figures are not adjusted for inflation.
Is a HELOC the same as a home equity loan?
No. A HELOC is a revolving line you draw on as needed, up to a limit. A home equity loan is paid out in one lump sum and repaid in installments. The New York Fed counts home equity loans with mortgages, so they are not in this total.
Where does the HELOC data come from?
The New York Fed's quarterly Household Debt and Credit Report, built from its Consumer Credit Panel, a random sample of Equifax credit reports. Each report comes out about six weeks after the quarter ends.
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