What Is the Average American Credit Score — And What Does It Mean for You?

The average American credit score is 713 in 2025, based on FICO® Score 8 data. That's a "good" score — but it's also the first national decline since 2013. Here's what it means, how you compare by age and state, and what it takes to move higher.

FICO Score vs. VantageScore: Why You Might See a Different Number

You've probably come across conflicting figures — 713, 715, 717. They're not wrong. They're measuring slightly different things.

Two main credit scoring models exist in the U.S.: FICO® and VantageScore. Both evaluate creditworthiness, but they weigh the same underlying factors differently. FICO® Score 8 is what most lenders actually use when making decisions, and it's the basis for most national average figures you'll see cited.

Factor	FICO Weight	VantageScore Weight
Payment history	35%	40%
Amounts owed / Credit utilization	30%	20%
Length of credit history	15%	21% (age + type combined)
Credit mix	10%	—
New credit / Inquiries	10%	5%
Total balances / Available credit	—	14% (combined)

The timing of the data pull also matters. Experian's September 2025 snapshot shows 713. FICO's own April 2025 figure shows 715. Both are accurate — they're just different points in the same year. What you should care about is which model your lender uses, not which headline number you saw online.

In practice, most lenders rely on FICO. VantageScore is more commonly seen on free consumer tools like Credit Karma.

Credit Score Ranges Explained: Where Does 713 Land?

FICO Score Ranges at a Glance

FICO Score Range	Rating	What It Generally Signals to Lenders
800–850	Exceptional	Lowest rates, strongest approval odds
740–799	Very Good	Near-best terms, strong borrower profile
670–739	Good	Qualifies for most products at decent rates
580–669	Fair	Higher rates, some rejections likely
300–579	Poor	Limited options; secured products may be required

At 713, the average American sits in the "good" tier — not the top, but well above the threshold where lenders start pulling back. About 70% of Americans fall at 670 or above, which means the majority qualify for standard credit products.

What's often overlooked is that sitting at 713 isn't the same as sitting at 739. Both are "good," but a 26-point gap within the same tier can translate to meaningfully different interest rate offers, depending on the lender and loan type.

What the Average Credit Score Can — and Can't — Get You

This is where the number gets practical. Knowing the national average matters less than knowing what it actually unlocks.

Credit Score Thresholds for Common Loan Types

Loan Type	Typical Minimum Score	Where 713 Stands
Conventional mortgage	~620–640	Qualifies; rate depends on full profile
FHA mortgage	500–580	Well above minimum
Auto loan (new vehicle)	~600–640	Qualifies comfortably
Personal loan	~600–640	Competitive position
Standard rewards credit card	~670–700	Qualifies for most cards
Premium travel credit card	~720–740	Borderline — varies by issuer

Note: Actual approval depends on income, debt-to-income ratio, lender criteria, and market conditions — not just credit score.

How Your Score Tier Affects the Rate You're Offered

The difference between a 680 and a 760 isn't just bragging rights. It shows up in the interest rate offered on mortgages, auto loans, and personal loans.

FICO Score Tier	Mortgage Rate Impact	Auto Loan Rate Impact
760 and above	Best available rates	Best available rates
700–759	Near-best rates	Competitive rates
660–699	Average market rates	Slightly elevated
620–659	Above-average cost	Notably higher
Below 620	Limited lender options	Significantly higher

These tiers reflect broadly observed industry lending patterns. Specific rates vary by lender, loan term, down payment, and prevailing market conditions.

At 713, most borrowers land in the competitive-to-near-best tier for most products. Moving to 740+ often makes a measurable difference on larger loans like mortgages, where even a fraction of a percentage point compounds over years.

Average American Credit Score by Age

Why Scores Rise as People Get Older

Age and credit score move in the same direction — not because older people are more financially responsible by nature, but because credit scoring models reward time.

A longer credit history, a broader mix of account types, and more opportunities to demonstrate on-time repayment all accumulate with age. Older consumers are also more likely to have paid down large debts. The math works in their favor.

Average Credit Score by Generation (2025)

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

Source: Experian, September 2025

Younger generations absorbed the sharpest declines in 2025. Gen Z and Millennials carry more student loan debt, shorter credit histories, and fewer financial assets to cushion economic shocks. Baby Boomers, meanwhile, continued to improve — many have paid-off mortgages, lower overall debt loads, and decades of payment history behind them.

Average Credit Score by Decade

Age Group	Average Score	What Typically Shapes It
20s	~662	First accounts, short history, limited credit mix
30s	~672	Growing history, auto loans, early mortgages
40s	~684	Established mix, longer repayment track record
50s	~706	Long history, broad credit types, maturing debt
0 and older	~749	Decades of history, lower balances, stable behavior

Average Credit Score by State

Geography shapes credit scores more than most people expect. States with higher median incomes, lower unemployment, and more stable economic conditions consistently produce higher average scores. Financial pressure is one of the most direct predictors of missed payments — and missed payments are the single biggest factor in a credit score.

Top 5 States by Average Score: Minnesota (741), Vermont (737), Wisconsin (737), New Hampshire (735), Washington (734)

Bottom 5 States by Average Score: Mississippi (677), Louisiana (686), Alabama (689), Georgia (692), Texas (692)

Full State-by-State Breakdown (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

Source: Experian, September 2025. Louisiana and Washington D.C. saw the steepest declines at −4 points each. Illinois, Maine, and Vermont were the only areas with no change.

How the Average Credit Score Has Changed Over Time

The 2025 dip didn't arrive without warning. Average FICO® Scores had climbed steadily for over a decade — the last annual decline before this one was in 2013. By October 2024, FICO reported the national average at 717. By April 2025, it had slipped to 715. Experian's September 2025 data puts it at 713.

What changed? Several things at once. Persistent inflation continued squeezing household budgets — as reported by Fortune, mortgage rates approached 7% in early 2025, adding further strain on housing costs that were already near historic affordability lows.

Unemployment ticked upward from historically low levels. The SAVE student loan repayment program also wound down in 2025 — according to CNBC, over 7 million borrowers who had been in interest-free forbearance began transitioning to higher-payment plans as the program ended. Debt delinquency expectations also hit their highest point since the start of the pandemic.

At first glance this looks alarming — but context matters. Average scores in nearly every state are still higher than they were in 2020. The current dip is best read as a correction after an unusually long upward run, not a collapse.

How American Credit Scores Are Distributed

Score Range Distribution (2024 vs. 2025)

FICO Score Range	2024 % of Americans	2025 % of Americans	Direction
Poor (300–579)	13.2%	14.7%	↑ Growing
Fair (580–669)	15.5%	14.9%	↓ Shrinking
Good (670–739)	21.0%	20.1%	↓ Shrinking
Very Good (740–799)	27.8%	27.5%	↓ Shrinking
Exceptional (800–850)	22.5%	22.8%	↑ Growing

Source: Experian, September 2025

Interestingly, both extremes grew at the same time. The exceptional tier hit an all-time high of 22.8%, while the poor tier expanded from 13.2% to 14.7%. The middle ranges quietly shrank.

This simultaneous growth at the top and bottom — while the middle compresses — is consistent with the broader economic pattern where some consumers continue to improve their financial position while others face mounting pressure.

What Makes Up Your Credit Score?

The Five FICO Score Factors

Factor	Weight	What It Means in Practice
Payment history	35%	The single biggest factor. One missed payment can leave a mark that lasts seven years.
Amounts owed (utilization)	30%	How much of your available credit you're actively using. Below 30% is the common benchmark; below 10% is where top-tier scorers operate.
Length of credit history	15%	Older accounts help your score. Closing an old card you rarely use can quietly hurt it.
Credit mix	10%	Having both revolving credit (cards) and installment loans (auto, mortgage) is better than one type alone.
New credit	10%	Each hard inquiry from a new application causes a small, temporary dip. Multiple applications in a short period compound the effect.

The national average credit utilization rate held steady at 29% through 2023, 2024, and 2025 — just under the commonly cited 30% threshold. But that average conceals a wide spread. Consumers in the poor score range average 79% utilization. Those in the exceptional range average just 7%.

Delinquency Rates by Account Type (2023–2025)

Account Type	2023	2024	2025
Credit card	2.45%	2.40%	2.31%
Mortgage	1.88%	2.24%	2.45%
Auto loans	3.51%	3.68%	3.78%
Personal loans (unsecured)	3.89%	3.86%	3.76%

Source: Experian, September 2025

Mortgage and auto delinquencies have trended upward over the past two years. Credit card and personal loan delinquencies are slightly down — suggesting consumers may be managing revolving debt more carefully while fixed obligations like car payments and mortgages become harder to meet.

How to Improve Your Credit Score

If Your Score Is Below 713

Start with payment history — it carries 35% of your score and there's no shortcut around it. Paying every bill on time, every month, is the foundational move. If you've already missed payments, bringing those accounts current and staying current matters more than any other step.

Next, pull your credit report from AnnualCreditReport.com and check for errors. Incorrect late payment notations, duplicate accounts, or debts you don't recognize can all suppress your score unnecessarily. Errors are more common than most people expect, and disputing them is straightforward.

If you're rebuilding from a low starting point, a secured credit card is a practical tool. You provide a deposit, use the card lightly for routine purchases, and pay the full balance each month. It won't move your score overnight — but over six to twelve months, credit counselors commonly observe meaningful improvement with consistent use.

If Your Score Is at or Above 713

Moving from good to very good or exceptional is mostly about two things: utilization and time. Pull your credit card balances below 30% of your limits — and if you want to see real movement, aim for below 10%.

Keep your oldest accounts open even if you rarely use them; closing them reduces your available credit and shortens your average account age. And think twice before applying for new credit unnecessarily. Each hard inquiry causes a small, temporary dip.

How Long Negative Marks Stay on Your Report

Negative Item	Typical Duration on Report
Late or missed payment	7 years
Collection account	7 years
Chapter 7 bankruptcy	10 years
Chapter 13 bankruptcy	7 years
Hard inquiry	2 years
Foreclosure	7 years

The impact of a negative mark diminishes over time — a missed payment from five years ago weighs far less than one from six months ago, even while both still appear on the report.

How Often Does Your Credit Score Update?

Most scores update monthly, triggered when lenders report your account activity to the credit bureaus. Your score can also shift mid-cycle if a large balance is paid down, a new account is opened, or a hard inquiry is posted.

Where to Check Your Credit Score for Free

• Experian.com — Free FICO® Score 8 with a free account
• Credit Karma — Free VantageScore 3.0 from TransUnion and Equifax
• Your bank or card issuer — Many now offer free score access directly through their app or online portal
• AnnualCreditReport.com — Free credit reports (not scores) from all three bureaus, available weekly

Checking your own score is a soft inquiry. It does not affect your credit score in any way.

Conclusion

The average American credit score of 713 is a reasonable benchmark — and a useful one. Whether you're above it, below it, or right at it, the path forward is the same: pay on time, keep utilization low, and let your history build. That's what separates the 22.8% in the exceptional tier from everyone else.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average American credit score in 2025?

The average American credit score is 713, based on Experian FICO® Score 8 data from September 2025. FICO's April 2025 figure shows 715 — the difference reflects timing and data source, not error.

Is 713 a good enough credit score to get a mortgage?

Yes. Most conventional loans accept scores starting around 620–640. At 713, you'll typically qualify — though your interest rate will depend on your income, debt-to-income ratio, and down payment, not just your score.

Why did the average credit score drop in 2025?

The drop reflects economic strain: persistent inflation, rising mortgage and auto delinquencies, climbing unemployment, and the end of the SAVE student loan repayment program — which raised monthly payment obligations for millions of borrowers.

What percentage of Americans have an exceptional credit score?

As of September 2025, 22.8% of Americans have a FICO® Score of 800 or above — an all-time high. At the same time, 14.7% are in the poor range (300–579), up from 13.2% in 2024.

How long does a missed payment stay on your credit report?

A missed or late payment typically stays on your credit report for seven years from the date of the missed payment. Its impact on your score reduces over time, even before it drops off entirely.