When finances get tight, some households turn to credit cards to get by. It's not an ideal solution, and can lead to bigger problems down the road, but sometimes it feels like the only way.

According to WalletHub, the collective credit card debt of the United States is approximately $1.28 trillion -- and $109 billion of that came from 2023 alone.

But some regions are faring better than others.

"Some parts of the country are racking up credit card debt at an alarming rate," financial writer Adam McCann reported in WalletHub's "States with Largest and Smallest Credit Card Debt Increases."

In Ohio, credit card debt is a bit of a problem.

The Buckeye State ranks eighth in the nation for the size of the increase in credit card debt.

Here, household credit card debt averages $9,116. That's an increase of $232 from the first quarter of 2024 to the second quarter. As a whole, the state has $39,820,083,569 of credit card debt, an increase of $1,111,321,737 between the two quarters.

That's a lot of catching up to do for households that may find themselves able to pay only the minimum monthly payments on that debt.

What can be done? Well, one credit ratings agency helpfully suggests "you may want to focus on increasing your earnings or finding ways to save money on necessities."

Of course, impulse spending is a different story, but for many who find themselves falling into ever-growing credit card debt, increasing earnings and trying to save money on necessities have probably already crossed their minds.

Inflation combined with a state economy about which state officials have a habit of overpromising and underdelivering have made that difficult.

There are resources and options for helping people find their way back out of credit card debt, and it may be helpful for some Ohio residents to explore them. In the meantime, policymakers and economic development officials have been given a clear signal that on their watch Buckeye State residents are still falling behind.