What Is the Average Credit Score in America? (2026 Data by Age, State & Score Range)

What is the average credit score in America? As of Spring 2026, it stands at 714, according to FICO's latest Credit Insights report released March 24, 2026.

That's down from 715 in mid-2025 and 717 in 2024 a third consecutive year of decline. The national average still sits in the "Good" tier, but the downward trend is now firmly established.

What Is the Average Credit Score in America Right Now?

That's the most current figure from FICO's Spring 2026 Credit Insights report.It falls in the "Good" range (670–739) on the standard FICO scale.

Most lenders will approve borrowers at this level, though the best interest rates on mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards typically require scores in the 740–799 ("Very Good") range or higher.

What's striking about the current picture is the split. Even as the average keeps edging down, a record 48.1% of U.S. consumers now have FICO scores of 750 or higher up from 43.3% in 2019.

The average is being pulled lower by a segment of struggling borrowers, while a large portion of the population is actually in stronger shape than ever.

That's the K-shaped credit market in plain terms: stronger at the top, weaker at the bottom, with the middle gradually thinning out.

What Is a Credit Score and How Is It Actually Measured?

A credit score is a three-digit number ranging from 300 to 850 that summarizes how reliably a person has managed borrowed money.

Lenders use it as a quick risk signal before approving loans, setting interest rates, or extending credit lines.Two scoring models dominate the U.S. market.

FICO Score vs. VantageScore — Which One Are We Talking About?

FICO Score is used in over 90% of U.S. lending decisions. When lenders say "your credit score," they almost always mean a version of your FICO Score. The national average figures in this article use FICO Score 8, the most widely referenced version.

VantageScore is a competing model developed jointly by the three major credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion). It uses a similar 300–850 range but weighs factors differently and uses slightly different tier thresholds.

As of March 2026, the average VantageScore 4.0 stood at 701 a separate figure, and not directly comparable to the FICO average.

Some consumer-facing apps display VantageScore, which is why your score might look different depending on where you check it.For the purpose of national averages and lending benchmarks, FICO is the standard.

Credit Score Ranges — What Each Tier Actually Means

FICO Score Range	Rating	What It Generally Means for Borrowers
300–579	Poor	Likely to face denial or very high rates
580–669	Fair	May qualify but with unfavorable terms
670–739	Good	Approved for most products; rates are average
740–799	Very Good	Qualifies for better rates and terms
800–850	Exceptional	Best available rates; easiest approvals

At 714, the national average sits near the middle of the "Good" tier solidly above "Fair," but not yet in "Very Good" territory.

In practice, most lenders treat 670+ as a meaningful threshold. Crossing 740 is where borrowers typically see meaningfully better loan pricing.

How Has the Average U.S. Credit Score Changed Over Time?

For most of the 2010s and through the pandemic years, average credit scores in America were rising.

That trend reversed in 2024 and has continued falling into 2026 and as reported by Bloomberg, the initial slip marked the first decline in a decade before the drop extended across multiple years.

Period	Average FICO	Key Context
2013	~686	Post-recession low point
2014–2019	Rising to 703	Steady economic recovery, rising incomes
2020–2021	Rising to 716–718	Stimulus payments, reduced spending, low defaults
2022–2023	Peaked at 718	Inflation rising, rate hikes beginning
2024	717	First confirmed annual drop; student loan reporting resumes
2025	715	Continued decline; Gen Z and Millennials hardest hit
2026 (Spring)	714	Third consecutive year of decline; stabilization beginning

The post-pandemic era inflated scores somewhat artificially stimulus checks reduced balances, forbearance paused delinquencies, and consumer spending patterns shifted. As those supports unwound, scores began correcting.

The good news from the Spring 2026 FICO report: delinquency rates on auto loans, credit cards, and personal loans have leveled off or improved. The correction isn't accelerating it's stabilizing.

Average Credit Score by Age Group (2025–2026)

Older Americans consistently score higher than younger ones. This isn't a surprise — credit scores reward time.

A longer history of on-time payments, a mix of credit types, and lower overall utilization all accumulate over decades. A 25-year-old simply hasn't had enough time to build that profile, regardless of how responsible they are.

The table below uses the most recent available generational data from Experian's September 2025 report — the latest granular breakdown by generation published as of May 2026.

Generation	Age Range	2024 Avg	2025 Avg	Change
Generation Z	18–28	681	678	−3 points
Millennials	29–44	691	689	−2 points
Generation X	45–60	709	709	No change
Baby Boomers	61–79	746	747	+1 point
Silent Generation	80+	760	760	No change

The FICO Spring 2026 report confirms that Gen Z continued to experience disproportionate score declines into 2026, with 14% of consumers aged 18–29 seeing drops of 50 or more points between 2024 and 2025 double the rate of the broader population.

Why Younger Generations Are Falling Behind

Gen Z and Millennials took the biggest hits and the reasons are concrete. Student loan debt is the primary factor.

More than 7 million borrowers had a new credit delinquency reported in 2025 after pandemic-era forbearance ended. Payments resumed, many borrowers couldn't keep up, and credit reports reflected it almost immediately.

Beyond student loans, younger consumers generally have fewer financial buffers. No home equity to tap. Smaller savings cushions. When an unexpected expense hits, the credit card absorbs it and utilization climbs.

Why Baby Boomers Keep Improving

Baby Boomers (61–79) averaged 747 in 2025 up one point from the year before. Their credit profiles look structurally different: mortgages that are paid off or nearly so, grown children no longer on the household budget, and decades of payment history working in their favor.

They're also less likely to be opening new accounts, which means fewer hard inquiries dragging scores down.

What Is a Good Credit Score for Your Age?

Straightforward answer: there's no official age-adjusted standard. Lenders use the same score thresholds regardless of whether you're 25 or 55.

The generational averages above are benchmarks useful for context, not targets. What matters is your actual score relative to the tier thresholds in the FICO range table above.

Average Credit Score by State (2025–2026)

Geography matters more than most people expect. The gap between the highest and lowest state averages is 66 points a difference that would move a borrower from the "Fair" tier to the "Very Good" tier.

The figures below are from Experian's September 2025 data the most detailed state-level breakdown currently published.

The FICO Spring 2026 report confirms the same regional pattern holds, with Upper Midwest and New England states continuing to lead and Southern states remaining at the lower end.

States With the Highest Average Credit Scores

Rank	State	2025 Average
1	Minnesota	741
2	Vermont	737
3	Wisconsin	737
4	New Hampshire	735
5	Washington	734

States With the Lowest Average Credit Scores

Rank	State	2025 Average
1	Mississippi	677
2	Louisiana	686
3	Alabama	689
4	Georgia	692
5	Texas	692

Full State-by-State FICO Score Comparison — 2024 vs. 2025

State	2024	2025	Change
Alabama	692	689	−3
Alaska	722	720	−2
Arizona	712	709	−3
Arkansas	695	693	−2
California	722	721	−1
Colorado	731	729	−2
Connecticut	726	724	−2
Delaware	714	713	−1
District of Columbia	715	711	−4
Florida	707	704	−3
Georgia	695	692	−3
Hawaii	732	730	−2
Idaho	730	729	−1
Illinois	720	720	0
Indiana	712	710	−2
Iowa	730	728	−2
Kansas	722	720	−2
Kentucky	705	704	−1
Louisiana	690	686	−4
Maine	731	731	0
Maryland	715	714	−1
Massachusetts	732	731	−1
Michigan	719	717	−2
Minnesota	742	741	−1
Mississippi	680	677	−3
Missouri	714	712	−2
Montana	732	730	−2
Nebraska	731	728	−3
Nevada	701	699	−2
New Hampshire	736	735	−1
New Jersey	724	722	−2
New Mexico	702	701	−1
New York	721	719	−2
North Carolina	709	707	−2
North Dakota	733	730	−3
Ohio	716	713	−3
Oklahoma	696	693	−3
Oregon	732	730	−2
Pennsylvania	722	720	−2
Rhode Island	721	719	−2
South Carolina	700	699	−1
South Dakota	734	731	−3
Tennessee	706	703	−3
Texas	695	692	−3
Utah	730	728	−2
Vermont	737	737	0
Virginia	723	721	−2
Washington	735	734	−1
West Virginia	702	699	−3
Wisconsin	738	737	−1
Wyoming	725	722	−3

Why Do Credit Scores Vary by State?

No single explanation covers the full 66-point gap, but a few factors consistently show up. States with lower median incomes tend to have higher rates of missed payments and revolving debt.

Higher unemployment concentrations make it harder to stay current on bills. States with older median populations like Vermont and Maine benefit from longer average credit histories across the board.

What's often overlooked is that these aren't fixed positions. Louisiana and Washington D.C. dropped four points in 2025 alone the steepest declines of any region. Meanwhile, Illinois, Maine, and Vermont held flat.

The state averages shift year to year, and local economic conditions play a real role. Understanding how income and net worth shapes financial behavior at an individual level helps explain why some regions consistently underperform others.

How Credit Scores Are Actually Calculated

Understanding the five FICO factors helps explain both the national average and your own score.

Factor	Weight	What It Measures
Payment History	35%	On-time vs. late or missed payments
Amounts Owed (Utilization)	30%	How much of available credit you're using
Length of Credit History	15%	Age of oldest, newest, and average accounts
Credit Mix	10%	Variety of credit types (cards, loans, etc.)
New Credit	10%	Recent applications and hard inquiries

Payment History (35%)

The single biggest factor. One missed payment even 30 days late can drop a score significantly, especially for borrowers who were in the higher tiers.

In practice, lenders commonly report that a single delinquency on an otherwise clean file causes more concern than months of low utilization can offset.

In 2026, nearly one in four Americans (24%) reported missing or underpaying at least one credit card or loan payment in the past 12 months due to inflation a signal that payment history pressure is widespread and ongoing.

Credit Utilization (30%)

This is how much of your available credit you're actually using. The national average utilization rate held steady at 29% through 2025 right at the threshold where it starts to matter.

FICO Score Range	Average Utilization
Poor (300–579)	79%
Fair (580–669)	61%
Good (670–739)	39%
Very Good (740–799)	15%
Exceptional (800–850)	7%

The pattern is clear: borrowers with exceptional scores carry very little revolving balance relative to their limits.

A 29% national average means the country as a whole is hovering near the edge of where utilization starts to drag scores down.

Length of Credit History (15%)

Time is the one factor you simply can't shortcut. Older accounts help which is why closing a credit card you've had for 10 years, even if you don't use it, can quietly lower your score.

Credit Mix (10%) and New Credit (10%)

These matter, but less so. A mix of credit types (mortgage, auto loan, credit card) signals that you can handle different kinds of debt.

New credit inquiries cause a small temporary dip usually a few points when you apply for a new account.

Notably, 77% of consumers in 2026 report factoring interest rates into the timing of their credit applications a sign that borrowers are becoming more strategic about when and whether to apply.

Delinquency Rates — What the Data Tells Us

Delinquency rates measure the percentage of accounts where borrowers have fallen behind on payments. They're one of the clearest forward-looking signals of where credit scores are heading.

Account Type	2023	2024	2025	2026 Trend
Credit Card	2.45%	2.40%	2.31%	Stabilizing
Mortgage	1.88%	2.24%	2.45%	Still rising
Auto Loans	3.51%	3.68%	3.78%	Leveling off
Personal Loans	3.89%	3.86%	3.76%	Stabilizing
Student Loans	Near 0% (paused)	Reporting resumed	Sharp rise	Growth slowing

The FICO Spring 2026 report confirms that delinquency rates on auto loans, credit cards, and personal loans have leveled off or improved.

Student loan delinquency growth has slowed significantly after the sharp surge in early 2025 rising only marginally between April and October 2025.

Mortgage delinquencies remain the one category still moving upward, continuing toward pre-pandemic levels.

In practical terms: the worst of the credit pressure from student loan reporting appears to be passing. Mortgage stress is the remaining open question.

Why Have Credit Scores Been Declining Since 2024?

The decline across 2024, 2025, and into 2026 wasn't driven by one thing. Several pressures converged.

The resumption of student loan delinquency reporting after a multi-year pandemic pause triggered the sharpest single impact.

According to Fortune, more than 7 million student loan borrowers had a new credit delinquency reported in 2025, causing an average 62-point drop for those affected. For borrowers already stretched thin, that pushed many into the fair or poor score tiers.

Shelter costs remained elevated throughout 2025 and into 2026, consuming a larger share of household budgets.

When rent or mortgage takes more, there's less margin for everything else.Mortgage delinquencies have continued rising, reflecting the sustained pressure of elevated borrowing costs and housing expenses on homeowners.

Inflation has kept everyday expenses elevated. Nearly one in four Americans skipped or underpaid a credit obligation in the past 12 months specifically because of inflation pressure, according to the FICO Spring 2026 consumer survey.

What did not drive the decline: runaway credit utilization. Despite all of the above, the national average utilization held steady this is fundamentally an income and affordability problem, not a spending-beyond-means problem for most borrowers.

What Does a 714 Score Actually Mean for Borrowers in 2026?

A 714 score means you're likely to get approved for most standard financial products credit cards, personal loans, auto loans, and mortgages. But "approved" and "best terms" are different things.

At 714, most borrowers won't qualify for the lowest available interest rates. That tier typically starts around 740–760, depending on the lender and product.

In a still-elevated rate environment, the gap between a 714 and a 760 translates to real dollars particularly on mortgage and auto loan payments over time.

Also worth knowing: lenders don't all use FICO Score 8. Mortgage lenders often use older FICO versions (FICO 2, 4, or 5), and some use industry-specific scores.

Your FICO Score 8 number gives a useful directional read but your actual mortgage score may differ by several points in either direction.

One sign of where consumers stand mentally: 29% of Americans in 2026 say they won't apply for credit unless rates drop to a certain point.

People are being deliberate, which itself reduces new inquiry volume and hard inquiry drag on scores.

How to Improve Your Credit Score in 2026

No shortcuts here. Credit improvement is mostly slow, consistent work. That said, some moves matter more than others.

Pay On Time — Every Time

Payment history is 35% of your score. One missed payment can do more damage than months of good behavior can repair. Setting up automatic minimum payments removes the human error element entirely.

Keep Utilization Under 30% — Ideally Under 10%

The national average is sitting at 29% right at the edge. Consumers with exceptional scores (800+) average just 7% utilization.

You don't need to pay off everything, but keeping balances well below your limits signals financial stability to lenders.

Don't Close Old Accounts

Closing a card you don't use might feel tidy. In credit terms, it usually isn't. It reduces your available credit (pushing utilization higher) and can shorten your average account age. Both hurt your score.

Limit Hard Inquiries

Every credit application triggers a hard inquiry. A few over time are normal and have minimal impact. But applying for multiple new accounts in a short window can noticeably drag your score down.

This is particularly relevant for founders and business owners understanding how a brand founder builds financial credibility often starts with managing personal credit carefully before seeking business financing.

Monitor Your Credit Report Regularly

Errors happen more often than most people realize. An incorrectly reported late payment or an account that isn't yours can quietly suppress your score.

All three bureaus are required to provide free annual reports reviewing them costs nothing and can catch issues before they compound.

Conclusion

The average credit score in America is 714 as of Spring 2026 still "Good," but part of a third consecutive year of decline.

Student loan pressure is stabilizing, but mortgage stress and inflation are keeping the squeeze on many borrowers.

A record share of consumers now score 750 or higher, while another growing share is falling behind.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 714 a good credit score in 2026?

Yes. A 714 falls in the "Good" range (670–739) on the FICO scale. Most lenders will approve borrowers at this level, but the best rates typically require 740 or higher.

What percentage of Americans have a good credit score?

About 71% of U.S. consumers have a FICO score of 670 or higher. A record 48.1% now score 750 or above, according to FICO's Spring 2026 report.

Which state has the highest average credit score?

Minnesota leads with an average FICO score of 741. Vermont and Wisconsin follow closely at 737 each, based on the most recent Experian state-level data.

Why have credit scores been declining since 2024?

The primary driver is student loan delinquency reporting resuming after pandemic-era forbearance ended. Elevated housing costs and persistent inflation have added further pressure.

What's the difference between a FICO Score and a VantageScore?

FICO is used in 90%+ of lending decisions and is the basis for national averages. VantageScore uses a similar range but different methodology the two are not directly comparable.