Times are tough for many.
In fact, about 69% of people say they would have difficulty meeting their financial obligations if their next paycheck was delayed for a week, according to a new report.
WalletHub released its report on the Cities in the Most Financial Distress During COVID-19 and took a deeper look into where people are struggling the most financially. It compared the 100 largest cities without data limitations across nine key metrics.
The data according to a news release said the report includes factors like the change in the number of bankruptcy filings between June 2019 and June 2020, the average credit score, and the share of people with accounts in distress.
Below, you can see highlights from the report and insight from an analyst.
| Most Distressed | Least Distressed |
| 1. Las Vegas, NV | 91. Colorado Springs, CO |
| 2. Chicago, IL | 92. Irvine, CA |
| 3. Houston, TX | 93. Chesapeake, VA |
| 4. San Antonio, TX | 94. Lincoln, NE |
| 5. Dallas, TX | 95. Scottsdale, AZ |
| 6. Phoenix, AZ | 96. Newark, NJ |
| 7. Los Angeles, CA | 97. Fremont, CA |
| 8. Austin, TX | 98. Jersey City, NJ |
| 9. Miami, FL | 99. Madison, WI |
| 10. Fort Worth, TX | 100. Anchorage, AK |
How might a surge in consumer confidence affect the number of people in financial distress?
“The recent surge in consumer confidence should reduce the number of people in financial distress in the long run. If Americans feel that the economy is getting better and are more inclined to shop at businesses, we will see an increase in business revenue that eventually leads to more hiring,” said Jill Gonzalez, WalletHub analyst. “One of the biggest sources of financial distress right now is the high unemployment rate, so the sooner we can get businesses in a position to hire more, the sooner we can cut down the number of people in trouble.”
Also, the closure of schools contributes to financial distress, the report said.
“Closing schools increase the number of people in financial distress because it removes the normal supervision of children during the day and places that burden on parents. Parents, especially those with younger children, may have to stay home from work or hire childcare as a result. Households, where both parents work, may see a sudden drop in income, but the hardest-hit households will be those with single parents,” Gonzalez said. “If it is feasible, businesses should let parents work from home when their children have to do online schooling. The government should also help schools reopen faster by adopting widespread rapid COVID-19 testing, which will prevent infection within schools while giving students the in-person learning they desperately need.”
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit here.
Source: WalletHub
