What Is the Average Credit Score in the US?

What Is the Average Credit Score in the US?The average credit score in the US is 713, according to Experian's FICO Score data from September 2025. A separate FICO report from Spring 2026 puts the figure at 714.

Either way, the national average sits in the "good" range but it's the first time the number has dropped in over a decade.That one or two-point dip might sound minor. In the bigger picture, though, it signals something worth paying attention to.

Is 713 a Good Credit Score?

Short answer: yes, technically. On the standard FICO scale, anything from 670 to 739 is classified as "good." So the national average clears that bar but only just.What's often overlooked is that "good" doesn't mean optimal.

Borrowers with scores in the good range will typically qualify for most credit products, but they won't get the lowest interest rates available. Those tend to go to people in the 740-plus range.

In practice, the difference between a 713 and a 760 can translate to meaningful savings over the life of a mortgage or auto loan. Tools like gomyfinance.com credit score can help you track where you stand and understand what your number means for borrowing.

Why Did the Average Credit Score Drop?

For more than a decade, the national average FICO score climbed steadily. The decline to 713 in 2025 marks the first annual drop since 2013.Several factors contributed. As reported by CNBC, student loan delinquency reporting resumed after a multi-year federal pause, driving sharp rises in early- and late-stage delinquencies starting in early 2025.

Unemployment ticked upward, though from historically low levels. Inflation kept pressure on everyday spending, particularly on housing and transportation costs.Interestingly, credit utilization how much of available credit people are using held steady at 29% through 2025.

That suggests the score decline wasn't caused by people maxing out their cards. It appears to be more about missed payments and shifts in debt behavior than reckless spending.

Average Credit Score by Age Group

Scores tend to rise with age. That's not a coincidence longer credit histories, more account types, and years of on-time payments all push scores upward over time. Younger borrowers are simply working with less of that history.

Gen Z and millennials took the biggest hits in 2025 — and that's partly structural. These generations carry more student loan debt, have fewer assets to fall back on, and are more sensitive to income disruptions.

According to data from Bloomberg, Gen Z borrowers took the biggest hit of any age group in 2025, helping pull overall credit scores lower in what was the worst year for US consumer credit quality since the financial crisis.

Baby boomers, by contrast, mostly have paid-off or low-balance mortgages, stable credit histories, and fewer new financial demands. That profile ages well on a credit report.

Average Credit Score by State

Geography matters more than most people expect. Average FICO scores vary by as much as 66 points between the highest and lowest-ranked states.

The pattern is fairly consistent: Upper Midwest and New England states tend to score higher; southern states tend to score lower. The reasons aren't fully explained by any single variable income levels, credit access, local economic conditions, and debt composition all play a role.

States With the Highest Average Credit Scores

States With the Lowest Average Credit Scores

Worth noting: despite 2025's declines, average FICO scores are still higher than they were in 2020 in the vast majority of states. The longer arc still leans positive.

How Credit Scores Are Distributed Across the US

The national average tells one story. The distribution tells another.As of 2025, roughly 70% of US consumers have a FICO score of 670 or higher — meaning most Americans qualify as good credit risks by lenders' basic standards. But the picture at the extremes is shifting.

The "poor" tier grew from 13.2% to 14.7% in a single year. At the same time, the "exceptional" tier hit an all-time high of 22.8%. What's happening in the middle — the fair, good, and very good buckets — is a gradual migration outward in both directions. Some people are improving their credit; others are falling behind.

What the FICO Score Ranges Actually Mean

FICO Score Ranges

VantageScore Ranges

VantageScore uses the same 300–850 scale but draws the lines differently:

Which Model Do Lenders Actually Use?

FICO is the dominant model — used in over 90% of US lending decisions. VantageScore appears more often in free credit monitoring tools. For example, Chase Credit Journey uses VantageScore 3.0. If you check your score through a bank app or a free service and it looks different from a mortgage lender's number, this is likely why.

What Goes Into a Credit Score

Both FICO and VantageScore pull from the same underlying credit data, but they weight the factors differently.

FICO Score Factors

VantageScore Factors

Both models agree on the big picture: paying on time and keeping balances low matters most. The specifics shift slightly depending on which model a lender runs.

Credit Utilization: A Closer Look

The national average credit utilization rate — how much of available credit people are using — held steady at 29% in 2025. That's just under the commonly cited 30% threshold.In practice, most financial advisors treat 30% as a soft ceiling, not a hard rule.

If you're unsure how to calculate your own ratio, a percentage calculator can help you work out what fraction of your credit limit you're currently using. Consumers with exceptional credit scores tend to keep utilization well under 10% — for example, using 1/13 of available credit or less on any given card.

The correlation is clear. Low utilization is one of the most reliable markers of a strong credit profile.

How to Improve Your Credit Score

Nothing here is complicated. What's hard is consistency.Pay on time, every time. Payment history is the single biggest factor in both FICO and VantageScore. One missed payment can leave a mark for years.

Setting up autopay for at least the minimum due is a reliable safety net.Keep balances low. Aim to use less than 30% of any credit card's limit. If you can get it under 10%, better still.Don't close old accounts. Length of credit history counts.

An old card you rarely use still adds value to your credit profile just by existing.Limit new applications. Every hard inquiry from a new credit application causes a small, temporary dip. Spacing out applications reduces this effect.Check your credit report regularly.

Errors on credit reports are more common than most people realize. Disputing inaccurate negative marks late payments you didn't miss, accounts you don't recognize can improve scores without changing any financial behavior.

Pairing this habit with a simple budget plan on gomyfinance.com can help you stay on top of both spending and repayment in one place.

Conclusion

The average credit score in the US is 713 as of 2025 — still in the good range, but declining for the first time in over a decade. Scores rise with age and vary significantly by state. Paying on time and keeping utilization low remain the most effective levers for improvement.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average credit score in the US right now?

The average FICO credit score in the US is 713 as of September 2025, per Experian data. A FICO report from Spring 2026 cites 714. Both figures fall in the "good" range on the standard 300–850 scale.

What credit score do you need to buy a house?

Most conventional mortgages require a minimum score of 620. FHA loans may accept lower. For the best available interest rates, lenders generally look for 740 or above. A lower score doesn't disqualify you — it typically raises your rate.

Does income affect your credit score?

No. Income is not a factor in FICO or VantageScore calculations. What matters is how you manage debt — payment history, utilization, and account age — regardless of how much you earn.

How often is the national average credit score updated?

Experian publishes updated national figures annually, typically using September data. FICO releases periodic reports including a Spring and Fall credit insights update each year.

What is the difference between FICO and VantageScore?

Both use a 300–850 scale but apply different weightings to credit factors. FICO is used in over 90% of US lending decisions. VantageScore is common in free monitoring tools. They usually produce similar scores, but not always identical ones.