Mastering the dollar: These cities rank as the top budgeters in 2026, data suggests

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FILE-In this photo illustration a person holds money in their wallet. (Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

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The rising costs of goods and services have compelled many Americans to modify their spending habits to preserve their money.

Since there are a myriad of ways to be fiscally responsible these days, one conventional strategy that’s effective for some is establishing a budget.

RELATED: 1 in 4 couples wait until after marriage to discuss debt and financial issues, survey finds

And regardless of the amount of bills you have, residents in specific cities have developed a system to manage their finances based on a recent WalletHub report. 

The personal finance website ranked the best and worst cities for budgeters by comparing 182 cities using three key categories: spending and debt, credit and savings. Each city was graded on a 100-point scale with a perfect score representing the best location for budgeting skills. 

2026 top cities for budgeters 

Local perspective:

WalletHub also built its list using 12 key metrics like average credit scores, debt-to-income ratios and foreclosure rates. Here are the top cities for budgeters. 

1. Seattle
2. Boston
3. Fremont, California
4. Honolulu, Hawaii
5. South Burlington, Vermont
6. San Jose
7. Minneapolis
8. San Francisco
9. Worcester, Massachusetts
10. Washington, D.C.
11. St. Paul, Minnesota
12. Huntington Beach, California
13. Pearl City, Hawaii
14. Vancouver, Washington
15. Burlington, Vermont
16. Madison, Wisconsin
17. Columbia, Maryland
18. San Diego
19. Nashua, New Hampshire
20. Portland, Oregon

See the complete ranking of cities here. 

Analysis of the top cities for budgeting 

Dig deeper:

Seattle, Boston, and Fremont, California are the top three cities for budgeters this year, and WalletHub offers a breakdown of their findings. 

Seattle

Seattle ranks as the best city for budgeters in the nation. The report found that the area has the lowest debt-to-income ratios for credit card debt, student loan debt, and car loan debt. 

WalletHub noted that the average credit card debt is roughly 8.6% of the average median annual income in the city, while the average student loan debt is about 52.7% and the average car loan debt is 22.8%. 

Meanwhile, residents have one of the lowest credit utilization ratios in the country, with people using about 37% of their credit limits. Seattle residents also have one of the lowest 90-day mortgage delinquency rates in the nation. 

Boston

Boston is second on the list primarily because it has the second-lowest number of residents who pay the minimum on their credit card monthly, at 33%. According to WalletHub, the city also has the second-highest number of people who allocate money for emergency funds, at 53%.

The city also demonstrates financial stability with the average credit score ranking in the top 10 in the U.S. and one of the lowest rates of non-business bankruptcy filings per capita, WalletHub noted. 

Fremont, California

Fremont, California, is third on the list in part since the city has a low debt-to-income ratio for credit card debt (7.2%), student loan debt (42.6%), and car loan debt (24%). Residents also are effective at not using much of their revolving credit. WalletHub noted that the average credit utilization ratio in the area is 38.7%. Additionally, Fremont also has the second-lowest housing expenses and the third-lowest non-housing expenses, adjusted for the cost of living.