Higher-rate state profile

California: high per-capita complaints

California residents filed 1,432,228 CFPB complaints (3675.7/100K) - a higher-third per-capita rate. See which companies and products drive the volume.

Data updated 2026-08-14

1,432,228
Total complaints
3675.7
Per 100K residents
Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports
Top product
Transunion Intermediate Holdings, Inc.
Most complaints

The verdict

California residents have filed 1,432,228 CFPB complaints - 3675.7 per 100,000 people, one of the highest complaint rates in the country (#17 of 52). Transunion Intermediate Holdings, Inc. draws the most complaints in the state. Nearest per-capita peers: Virginia and Tennessee.

#17
of 52 states by complaints per 100K
3676
complaints per 100,000 residents
Credit reporting o…
most-complained product

California vs all states by CFPB complaints per 100K

Where this state's per-capita complaint rate sits among every state and territory in the CFPB file (lower is better for residents)

3,676 Around the middle lower rate than 31% of 52 states

States and territories, banded by CFPB complaints per 100,000 residents

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source CFPB Consumer Complaint Database · 2026-08-14

Most-complained companies in California

Absolute complaint volume for companies residents name most, a different cut from the per-capita state band above.

Transunion Intermediate Hold…350,611Equifax, Inc.345,530Experian Information Solutio…316,705Bank of America, National As…35,529Wells Fargo & Company29,840JPMorgan Chase & Co.28,161Citibank, N.a.21,546Capital One Financial Corpor…16,848

Top Companies in California

Nearest per-capita peers: Virginia; Tennessee; Michigan.

1.Transunion Intermediate Holdings, Inc. 350,611 Also complaint-heavy in Idaho and Wyoming. 2.Equifax, Inc. 345,530 Also complaint-heavy in South Carolina and Nevada. 3.Experian Information Solutions Inc. 316,705 Also complaint-heavy in Washington and Puerto Rico. 4.Bank of America, National Association 35,529 Also complaint-heavy in New York and Virginia. 5.Wells Fargo & Company 29,840 Also complaint-heavy in Mississippi and South Dakota. 6.JPMorgan Chase & Co. 28,161 Also complaint-heavy in Maryland and Oregon. 7.Citibank, N.a. 21,546 Also complaint-heavy in Indiana and Oklahoma. 8.Capital One Financial Corporation 16,848 Also complaint-heavy in Montana and Florida. 9.Synchrony Financial 9,209 Also complaint-heavy in Pennsylvania and Michigan. 10.U.S. Bancorp 8,692 Also complaint-heavy in Vermont and Minnesota. 11.American Express Company 7,908 Also complaint-heavy in Pennsylvania and Washington. 12.Ocwen Financial Corporation 6,289 Also complaint-heavy in District of Columbia and Kansas. 13.Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC 5,987 Also complaint-heavy in Minnesota and Utah. 14.Encore Capital Group Inc. 5,840 Also complaint-heavy in Montana and Georgia. 15.Resurgent Capital Services L.P. 5,522 Also complaint-heavy in Tennessee and Arkansas.

Rising year-over-year volume

California in the higher-rate third

Consumers in California have filed 1,432,228 CFPB complaints (3675.7 per 100,000 residents) - a higher-third per-capita rate among states and territories in this extract. "Credit reporting or other personal consumer reports" leads the product mix - the usual friction point when per-capita volume runs hot. Transunion Intermediate Holdings, Inc. draws the most complaints from California residents in the top-companies table above. On the per-capita ladder, nearest peers are Virginia and Tennessee.

Year-over-year, complaint volume from California rose from 268,698 in 2024 to 505,349 in 2025 - a change of +88%. 135,238 complaints have been logged for 2026 so far in this extract, a partial year that should not be compared directly to a full prior year. A swing this large on an already high-rate state can coincide with a servicing failure at a major bureau or a local enforcement wave - still check the company table before inferring a statewide crisis.

Educational data summary, not financial or legal advice. Population figures are U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

Source: CFPB Consumer Complaint Database Population: U.S. Census Bureau estimates

Read our methodology - high per-capita states: how rates and company concentration are computed.

Compare all-state rankings, browse every state profile, or see the national complaint picture.