New numbers show Georgia remains one of the leading bankruptcy states in the nation. What is changing however, is the face of the typical filer.

From January through November of 2009, one in every 50 households in Georgia declared bankruptcy – nearly 67,000 filings.
That’s a jump of 22 percent over 2008, marking Georgia the third-highest bankruptcy rate in the nation.

But Doug Erickson with Atlanta ’s Consumer Credit Counseling Service says now, the profile of the typical bankruptcy filer has climbed the economic ladder:

"The average income is up, the average assets are up, and the average amount owed is up. So we are seeing more of the middle to upper-middle class come in who have been forced into bankruptcy."

For years, Georgia has had one of the country’s higher bankruptcy rates. The trend has been fed by high unemployment and the sour real estate market.

Only Nevada and Tennessee have higher filing rates, according to the National Bankruptcy Research Center.

Tags: Georgia, economy, bankruptcy, chapter 7, Chapter 13, middle class, upper income, Consumer Credit Counseling Service, National Bankruptcy Research Center