A look at which states have a higher percentage of people who are unable to pay off their student loans on time.

Americans are accumulating more debt, particularly around student loans, but borrowers in some states are struggling more than others to pay back these loans on time. Overall, about 44.7 million people have student loans in the U.S. — that adds up to $1.5 trillion in debt and breaks down to roughly $32,731 per person. But while studies show those with a college degree have higher earning potential, this type of debt has the highest delinquency rate in the country, ahead of credit cards, auto loans and mortgages: 9.23 percent. Delinquency rates vary considerably by state, though. To find out which states had the highest and lowest delinquency levels, finance site Credit Sesame used data from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's report State Level Household Debt Statistics. The delinquency rate is based on the share of loans that are over 90 days overdue.

Where repayment is hardest

Mississippi and West Virginia have the highest student loan delinquency rates in the U.S. at 16.84 percent and 16.38 percent, respectively. Residents of these states don't have the largest amounts of student debt in the country. About 60 percent of college graduates in Mississippi have student loans totaling an average of $29,384 per person, according to the Institute for College Access and Success's 12th Annual Student Debt report. Similarly, in West Virginia, about 77 percent of graduates have student debt that averages out to $27,708 per person. Meanwhile, nearly 75 percent of college graduates in New Hampshire have outstanding student loans and owe an average of $36,367 each. Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Minnesota and Massachusetts round out the top six states with the highest average amount of undergraduate student debt: Recent grads in these states carry over $31,500 on average.

The Institute for College Access & Success (TICAS) | MapInSeconds

Click to enlarge The delinquency rates in those states, however, aren't as high, possibly because salaries for college graduates tend to be more generous in the Northeast.

Why repayment and delinquency rates matter