It has gotten so tough in the oil patch that people have stopped paying their mortgages
Andrew Burton/Getty
There are just three states in the US where mortgage delinquency rates have increased from a year ago.
They are all in the oil patch.
North Dakota, Wyoming and West Virginia — states heavily dependent on oil, gas, and coal mining — have all seen an increase in mortgage delinquencies in the past year, according to data from TransUnion.
“While the mortgage sector performs well, we continue to pay special attention to states impacted by the energy crisis. States with economies heavily reliant on oil and energy are bucking the trend and experiencing higher delinquency rates," said Joe Mellman, vice president and leader of TransUnion’s mortgage line of business.
It is important to note that the delinquency rate in these oil patch states aren't necessarily high, but rather that they are increasing.
In North Dakota, the delinquency rate is 1.05%, up 10.8% from the previous year. In Wyoming, it is 1.57%, up 9.6%. In West Virginia, it is 2.54%, up 0.5%.
For context, serious mortgage delinquency rates, where a borrower is 60 or more days past due, fell to 2.3% nationwide in the second quarter, down from 2.82%.
There was a similar story for auto loans and credit cards, with delinquency rates in these three states jumping.
- Auto delinquency rates in Wyoming have increased 21.9%, while credit card delinquencies have increased 28.2%.
- In North Dakota, auto delinquency rates have increased 32.5%, while credit card delinquencies have increased 22.1%.
- In West Virginia, auto delinquency rates increased 17.6%, while credit card delinquencies have jumped 21.1%.
We've written about the pain in areas dependent on the energy sector before. Researchers at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found earlier this year that auto loan delinquencies were jumping in the oil patch, and numerous company chief executives have noted the impact of the lower oil price on their business.
You can check out all of TransUnion's data here.
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