A Third of Americans are Delinquent on Debt .. Find out How the People in Your State are Doing ..

More than a third of the country is in trouble when it comes to paying debts on time; 35% of Americans have debt in collections, according to a study out Tuesday from the Urban Institute, which analyzed the credit files of 7 million Americans.

That means the debt is so far past due that the account has been closed and placed in collections. This typically happens after the bill hasn't been paid for 180 days. It also means the debt has been reported to credit bureaus and can affect someone's credit score.

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Southern states especially stand out with the highest concentration of people delinquent. In 13 states — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico and West Virginia — and Washington, D.C., more than 40% of the population with a credit file has debt in collections. Nevada, one of the states hardest hit by the housing crisis and recession, has the highest share, at 46.9%.

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The 77 million Americans with debt in collections owe an average of $5,200. That includes debt from credit card bills, child support, medical bills, utility bills, parking tickets or membership fees.

The share of delinquent households is "pretty disheartening," says Josh Bivens, research and policy director at the Economic Policy Institute. He calls the data a "powerful" reminder of the fact that many Americans are still battling for economic stability since the end of the recession.

"This is yet another really bad legacy of the Great Recession that we're just nowhere near climbing all the way out of," he says.

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At the same time, a significant number of people with debt in collections aren't aware of the bill and may otherwise have great credit, especially when it comes to medical bills that patients often think were picked up by insurance, says Greg McBride, chief financial analyst for Bankrate.com.

"The numbers don't necessarily speak to the percentage of households that haven't been paying their obligations," he says of the data.

The research only draws on data from Americans with a credit file, so the researchers say lower-income consumers are underrepresented, and alternative forms of debt such as payday loans aren't included.

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