What Is Normal Debt?

In a nation defined by its diversity of cultures, beliefs and financial classes, the vast majority of American citizens have at least one thing in common -- debt. As the national average debt skyrocketed in the first decade of the 21st century, so did the average consumer's debt. While each individual consumer's experience is somewhat different, the average amounts of debt per person or household paint a frightening picture.

National Average Debt

Consumer debt mirrors the national average debt.

As of 2010, the United States Debt Clock reports a $13 trillion national debt. Consumer debt reflects this high figure, totaling about $2.4 trillion that same year. The "normal" amount of debt, or the average debt per person, was $52,496 in 2010, mostly attributed to mortgages and credit cards. Most Americans begin incurring their first debt in high school. Similarly, 2009 reports from Visual Economics indicate that the average American has about 13 credit obligations.

Mortgage Debt

Americans incur hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of debt via home mortgages.

According to 2009 reports from Visual Economics, the average American home mortgage costs roughly $240,000. A normal homeowner paying that mortgage over the course of 30 years will have paid more than $580,000 on her house. Forbes reports that 81 percent of all mortgages went "underwater" between 2004 and 2009, meaning that the owner's mortgage costs more than the current market value of the house. Owners of underwater homes are unable to recoup mortgage debt after the sale of their homes. Over a lifetime, the average American citizen pays more than $600,000 in interest on his mortgage and other debts.

Credit Card Debt

Credit card debt affects about two-thirds of American consumers.

In 2009, more than 173 million Americans had at least one credit card; two-thirds of all Americans had more than one, and the average 60 year old had five or more. According to 2010 data from Index Credit Cards, the typical American household with at least one credit card carries $9,858 of credit card debt. The Federal Reserve Board estimates a national total of revolving consumer debt -- such as debt from credit cards -- of $874 billion in 2010.

Student Loan Debt

For the "normal" citizen, education comes at a high price.

Student loans are another common form of debt. According to 2009 data from Visual Economics, the average student graduates college with more than $20,000 of student loan debt after earning her first degree. The New York Times places the figure at $24,000 and rising each year. The number increases as education continues; master's degree students add an average of $17,000 to this debt, the financial burden of doctoral students goes up by about $29,000 and med school graduates amass an additional $113,000 of debt.