Wyoming Tops Nation — But Not in a Good Way: Most Collection Accounts

Normally, whenever the Cowboy State comes in first place, it's a for a good reason, but this time, it's not really something to brag about.

READ MORE: Wyoming Tops the Nation in Generosity Again, But Are We Surprised?

A new study conducted by personal finance website, WalletHub, listed the "States with the Most Collection Accounts", and Wyoming, unfortunately landed at the number one spot. As far as the surrounding states, Montana and Idaho also landed in the top ten, coming in at third and eighth respectively.

What does "having a debt in collections" mean for the average Wyomingite?

Here are the three things you need to know according to American consumer credit reporting agency, Equifax.

• If you fall behind on payments, your credit account may be sent to a collection agency or sold to a debt buyer
• You are still legally obligated to pay debts that are in collections
• Collections accounts can have a negative impact on credit scores

If you have an collection account, it can be reported to one, two or even all three of the nationwide credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion), and even worse, reflected on your credit reports.

Why did Wyoming rate so high on this report?

According to the WalletHub study:

Wyoming is the state with the most collection accounts, with an average of more than four accounts per resident in collections. Wyoming also has the highest average balance per collection account, at $2,024. That’s a sizable amount of money to be liable for, particularly if you have more than one delinquent account.

Wyoming saw only a small increase in the number of collection accounts per person, relatively modest compared with other states. However, Wyoming recorded the fourth-largest increase in average balance between Q2 and Q3 2025, indicating that while the number of accounts isn’t rising sharply, the amounts owed are growing much more significantly.

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Why is this so important?

Collection accounts can remain on your credit report for seven years, which can seriously harm your credit score. The study also stated that the rise in these accounts basically suggests that residents are struggling to pay their bills, which is definitely not a good look for the state overall.