California shoppers last year aggressively used their plastic to keep on shopping.

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California shoppers credit card use up 34% in two years.

Golden State credit card balances at the end of 2023 were equal to $4,450 per resident, says the New York Fed. That’s the 11th-highest card usage among the states.

But to my trusty spreadsheet, it’s the jump in the balances that’s eye-catching – up 34% in two years. Equally stunning: That surge was only the 20th-biggest leap nationwide.

You see, Californians are not the only Americans swiping more.  Credit-card users nationwide had balances of $3,950 per capita in 2023, up 29% in two years.

Credit card usage has surged as consumers spent the last of their pandemic-era stimulus funds and inflation rapidly raised the cost of daily life.

What’s most worrisome is that paying those plastic debts also became a challenge.

At year-end 2023, 10.23% of California credit card balances were 90-days late or worse, the 12th-highest delinquency rate in the nation. And that tardiness grew by 2.33 percentage points from 7.9% a year earlier, the No. 8 jump among the states.

Nationwide, 9.66% of card balances were delinquent last year – up 2.13 percentage points in 12 months.

Credit card delinquencies are rising. Here’s what to do if you’re at risk