28.3% of Working-Age Adults Put Groceries on Credit, Struggling to Repay

2 articles · Updated · News-Press · Aug 10

Urban Institute found 28.3% of working-age adults used credit cards to buy groceries and then could not pay the full balance when bills came due.
Grocery prices rose 3.1% year over year, while wages lagged and SNAP cuts squeezed low-income households already covering rent, utilities, car payments and insurance.
Nearly 1 in 10 adults used buy-now-pay-later for groceries, and one-third of that group missed a payment; nearly 1 in 5 tapped savings meant for other needs.
In Florida, cardholders with unpaid balances carry average credit card debt of $9,184, underscoring how food purchases can compound into longer-term debt through interest.
Southwest Florida's Harry Chapin Food Bank expects to distribute more than 40 million pounds of food in 2026 as hunger relief groups absorb pressure from households financing basic meals.