Hawaii Financial Distress Profile

The credit card delinquency rate in Hawaii is 10.2% as of Q4 2025, ranking #36 among the 51 states and DC, 2.2 percentage points below the U.S. 12.4%. It is up 3 percentage points from 7.2% in Q4 2019.

The NY Fed reports a $83,480 total debt balance per adult with a credit file in Hawaii, $20,280 above the U.S. $63,200 on the same basis. That is 12.5% higher than in Q4 2019. Hawaii ranks #5 on that basis.

Auto loan delinquency in Hawaii is 3.7% as of Q4 2025, 1.5 percentage points below the U.S. 5.2%. This ranks #34 of 51. The rate is down from 4.1% in Q4 2019.

Hawaii mainly uses dual-track foreclosure. See our Hawaii foreclosure guide for the timeline, homeowner protections and where to get free help.

Hawaii scores 26 on the State Distress Index (low state distress), which means it is more distressed than 26% of the 50 states and D.C.. It ranks #38 of 51 jurisdictions, in the second-least distressed fifth. The score is built from 4 equal-weighted domains: delinquency, default and legal, debt burden on a housing basis, and labor. It ranks states against each other at one time. Separately, the national American Distress Index reads 47.0 (Typical) for the country over time. The composite itself sits higher than 44% of all published quarters since 2005.

The CFPB has received 1,641 mortgage complaints from Hawaii since 2012, 114.3 per 100,000 residents, 20.7 below the U.S. rate of 135. That ranks #24 of 51. Companies responded to 98.3% of Hawaii complaints on time.

Hawaii had 1,194 bankruptcy filings in the 12-month period ending Dec 2025, 83.2 per 100,000 residents, 85.9 below the U.S. rate of 169.1. This ranks #42 of 51. Chapter 7 filings account for 59.1% and Chapter 13 for 39.8%. That is 1.9% more filings than in 2024.

8.1% of people with a credit file in Hawaii have debt in collections, 5.8 percentage points below the U.S. average of 13.9%. This ranks #50 of 51. 10.5% have subprime credit scores (below 620), 6.4 percentage points below the U.S. average of 16.9%. Data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Consumer Credit Explorer (NY Fed / Equifax), Q1 2025.

158,656 residents of Hawaii received SNAP benefits in June 2026, an enrollment rate of 11.1%, 0.3 percentage points above the U.S. rate of 10.8%. This ranks #18 of 51. That is 3.8% fewer people than in June 2025. The rate is 0.4 percentage points above the October 2019 to February 2020 average.

Hawaii scores 53.4 out of 100 on the Safety Net Index, ranking #12 of 51 (Moderate). The score combines Medicaid coverage (18.8% enrollment rate, expansion state), SNAP enrollment (11.1%), and foreclosure legal protections. That is above the state average of 43.6.

Hawaii County is the most distressed county in Hawaii with a County Distress Index score of 44 · moderate-low county distress. Maui County (27 · low county distress), Honolulu County (21 · low county distress), Kauai County (16 · very low county distress) are next. Kalawao County is the least distressed at 13 · very low county distress. See all 5 counties at /counties/hawaii/.

Hawaii mainly uses dual-track foreclosure. In Hawaii, foreclosures that finished in the second quarter of 2026 took an average of 2,293 days from the start of the foreclosure process to completion, according to ATTOM. Individual cases vary with cure periods, mediation, postponements, court backlogs and bankruptcy filings. Paying to stop the foreclosure: In a Part II (non-judicial) foreclosure, you can cure the default and reinstate the loan until three business days before the public sale by paying the amount that would be owed if the loan had not been accelerated, plus the lender's attorney's fees, costs, and other fees and costs related to the default, unless you and the lender agree otherwise. There is no right to cure after that deadline. The Part II 60-day pre-foreclosure notice period plus the dispute resolution process (if elected) give you a meaningful window. Homestead exemption: $30,000 for head of family or person 65 or older; $20,000 for all others. Protects equity in your primary residence from judgment creditors. Does NOT stop mortgage foreclosure. Full details at /help/foreclosure/hawaii/.

Hawaii scores 26 on the State Distress Index (low state distress), which means it is more distressed than 26% of the 50 states and D.C.. It ranks #38 of 51 jurisdictions, in the second-least distressed fifth. 2 of 5 NY Fed household debt measures are above the U.S. figure. The State Distress Index domain with the highest score is Debt Burden (housing basis). County Distress Index details are listed separately by county. The safety net ranks #12 (Moderate).