Maryland ranks among the more financially literate states in the country, coming in 10th overall in a new 2026 report from WalletHub released during National Financial Literacy Month. The study comes as nearly 2 in 5 Americans say they expect to carry more credit card debt by the end of the year, underscoring the importance of financial education and habits.
The report evaluates all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 17 key metrics, including high school financial literacy grades, savings behavior, and credit usage. It also incorporates results from WalletHub’s WalletLiteracy Survey to better understand how Americans manage their finances in real life.
Maryland stood out in several areas, most notably ranking 2nd in the nation for the percentage of adults with rainy-day funds, signaling strong emergency savings habits. The state also placed 12th in WalletHub’s survey score, reflecting relatively strong financial knowledge among residents.
Other rankings were more middle-of-the-pack. Maryland ranked 14th for the share of adults who spend more than they earn and 19th for those paying only the minimum on credit cards. It placed 18th for both comparing credit cards before applying and high school financial literacy grades, while ranking 25th for the percentage of unbanked households.
For the full report, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/most-and-least-financially-literate-states/3337
