Pleasant Hill Makes List Of Cities With Heaviest College Debt Burden

EAST BAY, CA — Students around the area have been celebrating college graduations over the past few weeks. For some, that means the start of student loan repayments that will last for decades.

A recent study found 14 East Bay communities are among the US cities whose residents owe the most.

LendEDU’s report, entitled “U.S. Cities with the Highest & Lowest Student Debt Balances” provides a detailed look at which U.S. cities owe the most and least in student loan debt.

Student loan debt is the second highest form of debt in the U.S., second only to mortgages. In 2017, there are 43.3 million student loan borrowers who collectively owe $1.41 trillion in outstanding student loan debt. Six out of 10 students will graduate from college (something our society says they need to do) with debt. On average, these student borrowers will owe $28,400.

"For most, student loan payments have become another monthly expenditure that eats away at earnings, similar to a rent, electric, or water bill," the researchers said. "How big has the student loan debt crisis become? A few statistics can paint a pretty bleak picture."

As for the study's methodology, LendEDU used data licensed from Experian to pinpoint the 500 U.S. communities where the average student debt balances are highest and where they're lowest. To be considered for the study, a town or city had to have a population above 15,000.

Two towns in Texas lead the rankings both for highest and lowest student loan debt. Kaufman, Texas has an average $10,924.70, ranking No. 1 among communities with the lowest burden, while Helotes, Texas actually ranks No. 1 on the heavy burden list, with an whopping $59,803.10 debt average.

In California, Loma Linda tops the highest average debt list with an average $58,380 in debt, ranking No. 2 nationally.

Here are the East Bay, communities that made the highest student loan debt list, listed by national ranking and average debt:

16. Orinda: $47,367.30

29. Berkeley: $45,421.42

41. Albany: $44,804.50

42. El Cerrito: $44,726.60

50. Lafayette: $44,059.10

95. Moraga: $41,709.24

125. Emeryville: $40,631.50

159. Walnut Creek: $39,873.54

182. Alameda: $39,366.58

249. Dublin: $38,291.90

255. Oakland: $38,200.01

280. Danville: $37,804.19

327. Pleasant Hill: $37,228.30

330. San Ramon: $37,163.36

Also See:

• Amid housing crisis, why 2 out of 5 young Californians live at home
• California's 2017 National Merit Scholarship Winners: List
• California’s Next Election Will Be a Tug-of-War on Education
• University Of California Caps Non-Resident Students

Patch editor Lanning Taliaferro contributed to this report; Image: LendEDU