US car sales were up a whopping 11 percent on the previous year in 2023 — but in some parts of the country, those vehicles have people facing some pretty considerable debt.

To find out where Americans overspend the most on car purchases, WalletHub divided the median car loan debt by residents' income in 2,530 cities across the US. The analysis was completed in March 2024.

In more than 200 cities, the average person's auto loan debt is equal to at least half of their annual income. Of the top 30 cities with the highest debt-to-income ratio, 20 are in Texas.

Drivers are overspending the most on cars in Rio Grande, Texas. Despite earning a median of just $31,186, residents face an auto loan debt of $30,418 — that's a debt-to-income ratio of 98 percent.

The second- and third-worst cities for auto loan debt are Donna, Texas (87 percent), and Mercedes, Texas (77 percent).

Via WalletHub.

[Image credit: Antoni Shkraba]