Late payments can happen. If you miss a payment by a few days but then catch up, it shouldn't appear on your credit report. For a late payment to appear on a credit report, you must miss a full billing cycle (which means your payment is a full 30 days late).
Corpus Christi, TX averaged at least one late payment per billing cycle in 2017. The rest of the cities in the top five were also in Texas.Odessa - Midland ranked second, followed by Beaumont-Port Arthur, Abilene-Sweetwater, and Sherman-Ada. Texas made up the top six spots with the highest average of late payments and seven spots overall in the top ten.
| Top Cities with the Worst Average for Late Payments | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | City | Late Payments Per Billing Cycle | YoY Percent Change |
| 1 | Corpus Christi, TX | 1 | 6% |
| 2 | Odessa-Midland, TX | .80 | 70% |
| 3 | Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX | .77 | 7% |
| 4 | Abilene-Sweetwater, TX | .76 | 1% |
| 5 | Sherman-Ada, TX | .72 | 24% |
| 6 | Harlingen-Weslaco-Brownsville-McAllen, TX | .69 | 86% |
| 7 | Alexandria, LA | .68 | 0% |
| 8 | Victoria, TX | .68 | 42% |
| 9 | Albany, GA | .66 | -12% |
| 10 | Macon, GA | .64 | 205% |
The Cities with the Largest Late Payment Averages Increases
Macon, GA saw their average late payments worsen by 205% in 2017 versus 2016. Zanesville, OH and Shreveport, LA, both saw their average for late payments grow by 173%. Monroe-El Dorado, TX and Savannah, GA saw their late payment average grow worse by 130%.
| Cities With the Biggest Increase in Average Late Payments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | City | YoY Change |
| 1 | Macon, GA | 205% |
| 2 | Zanesville, OH | 173% |
| 3 | Shreveport, LA | 173% |
| 4 | Monroe-El Dorado, TX | 132% |
| 5 | Savannah, GA | 130% |
| 6 | San Antonio, TX | 126% |
| 7 | Knoxville, TN | 117% |
| 8 | Tyler-Longview, TX | 114% |
| 9 | Jacksonville, FL | 111% |
| 10 | Milwaukee, WI | 110% |
How do Late Payment Affect Your Credit Scores
Payment history makes up approximately 35% of your credit scores, so a 30-day late payment will hurt your credit scores. The more recent the late payment, the more it will impact your scores. Paying your bills on time is the best advice when it comes to improving your credit score.