SAN ANTONIO – As inflation and economic pressures continue to strain household budgets, a new report found many Americans are struggling financially — including in San Antonio.
The Alamo City ranked among the top 10 cities in the country with the most residents in financial distress.
A 2026 analysis from WalletHub places San Antonio sixth out of 100 U.S. cities with the most people struggling financially.
According to the report, financial distress is defined as situations where people have one or more credit accounts in forbearance or with deferred payments because they are unable to keep up with regular bills.
Even when payments are paused, the financial burden can grow.
“While you’re not making any payments, say for six months, the interest on those accounts — and in many cases there are multiple accounts — the interest is still going to accrue,” WalletHub reporter Chip Lupo said.
WalletHub researchers evaluated several indicators to determine how financially strained people are in major U.S. cities.
Other key factors included in the report were the amount of bankruptcy filings and low credit scores. Based on those measures, San Antonio ranked near the top of the list.
“San Antonio is in pretty dire straits when it comes to financial distress,” Lupo said. “But this is not specifically a San Antonio problem. This is a Texas problem.”
In a separate WalletHub analysis looking at financial distress by state, the Lone Star State ranked No. 1.
Lupo said some of the reasoning behind that is many moving to Texas are paying premium home prices coupled with wages not keeping pace with inflation.
As a result, some households are increasingly relying on credit cards to supplement their income.
According to WalletHub, the top six cities experiencing financial distress are:
- Chicago
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- San Antonio
The full U.S. cities report can be found here.
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