Top 20 Best and Worst Cities at Money Management

Step it up, Georgia. While citizens in cities in California and the Northeast fair well with money management skills, the Peach State pales in comparison with finances and frugality.

After surveying over 2,500 municipalities, WalletHub found Cupertino, California, has the lowest credit-card debt-to-income ratio at 1.80%, which is 6.6 times lower than in Park City, Utah, the city with the highest at 11.86%.

WalletHub based the results on 10 key indicators of money-management skills. The data set ranges from median credit score to average number of late payments to mortgage debt-to-income ratio.

Cupertino took the top spot overall, followed by Los Altos, California; Scarsdale, New York; Princeton, New Jersey; and, Sunnyvale, California.

The bottom of the list saw Canton, Mississippi; Hinesville, Georgia; Hampton, Georgia; Lithonia, Georgia; and, at the absolute worst was Fairburn, Georgia, ranked 2572^nd.

By the numbers

Saddle Butte, Montana, has the lowest mortgage debt-to-income ratio, 137.61%, which is 7.6 times lower than in Bell Gardens, California, the city with the highest at 1,041.35%.

Westport, Connecticut, has the lowest student-loan debt-to-income ratio, 12.63%, which is 8.1 times lower than in Orangeburg, South Carolina, the city with the highest at 101.76%.

Laguna Woods, California, has the lowest average percentage of credit used, 21%, which is three times lower than in Herriman, Utah, the city with the highest at 64%.

            Best                                        Worst

1. Cupertino, CA                 2553. Hephzibah, GA
2. Los Altos, CA                  2554. Ruston, LA
3. Scarsdale, NY                 2555. Maple Heights, OH
4. Princeton, NJ                 2556. Cordele, GA
5. Sunnyvale, CA                2557. Park Forest, IL
6. Palo Alto, CA                  2558. Riverdale, GA
7. Lexington, MA                2559. Austell, GA
8. Mountain View, CA         2560. Hope Mills, NC
9. Saratoga, CA                  2561. Upper Marlboro, MD
10. Laguna Woods, CA         2562. South Holland, IL
11. Bronxville, NY                2563. Union City, GA
12. Redmond, WA                2564. Dolton, IL
13. Mercer Island, WA          2565. Jonesboro, GA
14. Belmont, CA                  2566. Raeford, NC
15. McLean, VA                   2567. Bastrop, LA
16. Sammamish, WA           2568. Canton, MS
17. Chevy Chase, MD          2569. Hinesville, GA
18. Bellevue, WA                 2570. Hampton, GA
19. Potomac, MD                2571. Lithonia, GA
20. T-20. Mill Valley, CA       2572. Fairburn, GA
21. T-20. Hingham, MA