Whats the Average Credit Score in the US? A 2026 Breakdown

Whats the average credit score in the US? It's one of those numbers that gets talked about constantly but most people only half-remember.

So here's the straight answer for 2026, the context behind it, and how your own score fits into the bigger picture.

Quick Answer: Whats the Average Credit Score in the US Right Now

What's the average credit score in the US heading into 2026? It sits at 713 to 714, depending on which dataset you pull from. Experian reports 713 (a 2-point drop from the prior year).

FICO's own Spring 2026 Credit Insights puts it at 714 (down 1 point), as reported by CNBC, whose scoring models are used in roughly 90% of lending decisions.

Both numbers land squarely in the "Good" range which, in practical terms, means the typical American borrower is still considered a reasonable lending risk.

Source	Prior Year	Latest 2026 Reading	Change
Experian	715	713	-2 points
FICO Score Insights	715	714	-1 point

The small gap between the two numbers comes down to different sampling pools and reporting windows. It's not a contradiction just two slightly different lenses on the same population.

A Quick Refresher on Credit Scores

A credit score is a three-digit number that summarizes how reliably someone has handled borrowed money. It's calculated from your credit reports payment history, balances, account ages, and so on.

Lenders use it to gauge risk before approving loans, cards, or mortgages.In practice, two scoring models dominate the conversation: FICO and VantageScore. Both run on a 300–850 scale, but they weigh the underlying factors differently.

FICO vs. VantageScore: How They Differ

Factor	FICO Weight	VantageScore Weight
Payment history	35%	40%
Amounts owed / credit used	30%	20%
Length of credit history	15%	21% (age & type)
Credit mix	10%	(combined above)
New credit	10%	5%
Available credit	—	3%

Most lenders rely on FICO it's used in the vast majority of US lending decisions. That's why national averages are almost always quoted using FICO data.

What Counts as a "Good" Credit Score?

This is the question competitors tend to dance around. The plain answer: at 713, the average American sits inside the "Good" band.

FICO Range	Rating
300–579	Poor
580–669	Fair
670–739	Good
740–799	Very Good
800–850	Exceptional

Anything 670 or above generally opens the door to standard credit products at reasonable rates. The catch and most people learn this the hard way is that the best rates and terms usually start showing up around 740+.

Average Credit Score by State in 2026

State averages vary more than most people expect. The spread between the highest and lowest is roughly 65 points a meaningful gap when you consider how much that can shift loan eligibility.

Highest-Scoring States

Minnesota: 741
Vermont: 737
Wisconsin: 737
New Hampshire: 735
Washington: 734

Lowest-Scoring States

Mississippi: 677
Louisiana: 686
Alabama: 689
Georgia: 692
Texas: 692

There's a rough north-vs-south pattern here, with the Upper Midwest and New England consistently outperforming the Southeast.

The reasons aren't single-cause income levels, housing costs, debt mix, and regional economic conditions all play into it.

Year-Over-Year Changes

Average scores fell in most states this year. The steepest drops four points each landed in Louisiana and Washington, D.C. Only Illinois, Maine, and Vermont held steady.

No state's average score increased. That's unusual, and it points to broad, shared pressures rather than anything localized.

In practice, most state-level shifts under five points don't dramatically change what borrowers can qualify for. They're more useful as a directional signal than as a personal benchmark.

Average Credit Score by Age and Generation

Age matters in credit scoring not because older people are inherently more responsible, but because length of credit history is a real scoring factor.

Plus, older borrowers have generally had more time to settle into stable credit patterns, according to Business Insider, which tracks how the national average shifts across age, state, and year.

By Generation

Generation (Age in 2026)	Prior Year	Latest 2026	Change
Gen Z (18–28)	681	678	-3
Millennials (29–44)	691	689	-2
Gen X (45–60)	709	709	0
Baby Boomers (61–79)	746	747	+1
Silent Generation (80+)	760	760	0

By Age Decade

20s: 662
30s: 672
40s: 684
50s: 706
60+: 749

Notice the steady climb. The pattern lenders typically see is younger borrowers carrying more student debt, more recent credit inquiries, and shorter histories all of which weigh on scores until time catches up.

Income patterns tracked in reporting from outlets like btwletternews by betterthisworld show similar generational gaps in earnings and saving habits, which feed directly into how quickly younger borrowers can build credit depth.

Where Most Americans Actually Fall

Headline averages tell you one thing. The distribution tells you something else entirely.

FICO Range	Prior Year	2026 Reading
Poor (300–579)	13.2%	14.7%
Fair (580–669)	15.5%	14.9%
Good (670–739)	21.0%	20.1%
Very Good (740–799)	27.8%	27.5%
Exceptional (800–850)	22.5%	22.8%

Roughly 70% of consumers have a Good score or better. What's worth flagging: both extremes Poor and Exceptional grew this year, while the middle bands shrank slightly.

The share of Americans hitting 800+ is at an all-time high (22.8%), even as the Poor category quietly expanded. Industry analysts have started calling this a "K-shaped" credit pattern, where the top and bottom move in opposite directions.

What Actually Determines Your Score

Five factors. Same five, every time.

The weights vary slightly by model, but the FICO breakdown is the one most lenders use:

Payment history (35%) — Whether you've paid on time. One missed payment can leave a mark for years.
Amounts owed (30%) — How much of your available credit you're using. This is where credit utilization lives.
Length of credit history (15%) — How long your accounts have been open.
Credit mix (10%) — Whether you've handled different types of credit (cards, loans, mortgage).
New credit (10%) — Recent applications and hard inquiries.

In practice, most people see the biggest swings from the first two factors. The rest move slowly.

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Credit Utilization: The Quiet Score Killer

The national average credit card utilization rate is 29% and it's held steady there for two straight years. That's right at the edge of where it starts to matter.

Score Range	Average Utilization
Poor	79%
Fair	61%
Good	39%
Very Good	15%
Exceptional	7%

The relationship is clear. People with exceptional scores aren't using much of their available credit at all. That doesn't mean they're not spending it usually means they're paying down balances before the statement closes.

High earners with outsized personal wealth often show this same low-utilization pattern, not because they have to, but because it's the cleanest way to keep a score in the 800+ range.

How to Improve Your Credit Score

There's no shortcut, but the playbook is well-established:

Pay every bill on time. The single biggest factor. Autopay helps.
Keep utilization low. Below 30% is the standard advice. Under 10% is where top scorers live.
Don't close old accounts. Length of history matters; an old card sitting unused is helping you.
Space out new applications. Each hard inquiry causes a small dip.
Check your reports. Errors happen more often than people realize, and disputing them is free.

Lenders commonly observe that the borrowers who climb fastest aren't doing anything exotic they're just consistent.

A solid workplace management approach to personal finances treating bills, budgets, and check-ins as routine rather than reactive — tends to do more for a score over time than any one trick.

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Conclusion

The average credit score in the US is 713–714 in 2026, landing in the "Good" range. It dipped slightly over the past year a small but notable shift after more than a decade of steady increases.

Your own score is shaped far more by personal habits than by where you live or which generation you belong to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 713 a good credit score?

Yes. A 713 falls in the "Good" range (670–739) under the FICO model. Most lenders will approve standard credit products at reasonable rates, though the best terms typically start around 740 and above.

Why do Experian and FICO report different national averages?

The two use different sampling methods and reporting windows. Experian draws from its own consumer credit database, while FICO publishes from its national score insights. A 1–2 point gap is normal and reflects methodology, not error.

Which state has the highest average credit score in 2026?

Minnesota holds the top spot at 741, followed closely by Vermont and Wisconsin at 737. Upper Midwest and New England states consistently rank highest.

Which age group has the highest average credit score?

The Silent Generation (80+) averages 760, the highest of any group. Baby Boomers follow at 747. Longer credit histories and more stable financial patterns explain most of the gap.

Does checking my own credit score lower it?

No. Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and has no effect on the number. Only hard inquiries usually from applying for new credit can cause a small temporary dip.