16.0% of U.S. households had medical debt in 2024, and the median amount owed was $2,000, according to the Census Bureau. Credit card and store bills were more common, held by 40.0% of households (median $5,000). Student loans were held by 17.8% (median $23,800).
By age, adults 50 to 64 were the most likely to report medical bills they had not paid in full or were paying off over time: 13.2%, compared with 7.7% of adults 18 to 34 and 7.9% of those 65 and older. That breakdown is our calculation from the same survey and counts people, not households.
Unsecured debt held by households, 2024
| Type of unsecured debt | Households holding (%) | Standard error | Median owed (2024 dollars) | Standard error ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Credit card and store bills | 40.0 | 0.5 | $5,000 | $128 |
| Student loan and education-related expenses | 17.8 | 0.4 | $23,800 | $1,532 |
| Medical debts | 16.0 | 0.4 | $2,000 | $227 |
| Other unsecured debts | 9.4 | 0.3 | $7,000 | $674 |
| All unsecured debts | 53.5 | 0.5 | $10,000 | rounds to zero |
Census Bureau figures, Table 2 of "Wealth of Households: 2024". Medians are for households that held that type of debt. A household can hold more than one type.
Adults with medical bills not paid in full, by age (our calculation)
| Age | Adults with medical bills not paid in full (%) | Survey respondents |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 34 | 7.7 | 5,725 |
| 35 to 49 | 12.0 | 5,418 |
| 50 to 64 | 13.2 | 5,909 |
| 65 and older | 7.9 | 8,786 |
| All adults 18+ | 10.1 | 25,838 |
Our weighted share of adults who said they had medical bills not paid in full, or were paying medical bills off over time, during 2024. We used the person weight for December. We did not compute standard errors, so small differences between age groups may not be meaningful.
What these numbers are
Both tables come from the 2025 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), which asks about 2024. The Census Bureau’s figures are for households and are its published estimates. The age table is our own calculation from the public-use file, at the person level, so its percentages are not directly comparable with the household figures. Medical debt in the survey is what people report owing, not what appears on credit reports. For how states treat medical debt on credit reports, see our tracker of medical debt credit reporting laws.
Source
U.S. Census Bureau, Wealth of Households: 2024 (P70BR-218), Table 2, 2025 SIPP public-use data. Age breakdown: our calculation from the 2025 SIPP public-use API (variables EDEBT_MED, TAGE and WPFINWGT, month 12), retrieved October 18, 2026. The Census Bureau has not reviewed our calculation. U.S. government data. Our tables are available under CC BY 4.0. Credit "My Credit Guide (mycreditguide.org)".
Steven Reynolds, "Medical Debt: How Many Households Owe, and How Much," My Credit Guide, October 18, 2026, https://mycreditguide.org/data/medical-debt-households/.