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- The average FICO credit score is 718, and the average VantageScore credit score is 701.
- Minnesota has the highest average FICO credit score, with an average FICO score of 742.
- Mississippi has the lowest average FICO credit score, with an average FICO score of 680.
The average FICO credit score in 2023 was 718, and the average VantageScore credit score as of December 2023 was 701. However, average credit scores vary widely based on a number of factors, including age, income, immigration status, health, and race.
Average credit scores also vary significantly based on location. The average Minnesota resident has a 742 FICO credit score, the highest average of any state. Meanwhile, the state with the lowest average FICO credit score is Mississippi, at 680.
10 states with the highest average credit score
According to data gathered by Experian, the 10 states with the highest average credit scores in the third quarter of 2023 are as follows:
| States | Average FICO score (Q3, 2023) |
| 1. Minnesota | 742 |
| 2. Vermont | 737 |
| 3. Wisconsin | 737 |
| 4. New Hampshire | 736 |
| 5. Washington | 735 |
| 6. South Dakota | 734 |
| 7. North Dakota | 733 |
| 8. Hawaii | 732 |
| 9. Massachusetts | 732 |
| 10. Montana | 732 |
| 11. Oregon | 732 |
The highest average VantageScore credit scores as of October 2023 are as follows:
| States | Average VantageScore 4.0 score (January 2024) |
| 1. Minnesota | 727 |
| 2. New Hampshire | 725 |
| 3. Vermont | 723 |
| 4. Washington | 722 |
| 5. Massachusetts | 720 |
| 6. Wisconsin | 719 |
| 7. South Dakota | 719 |
| 8. Colorado | 718 |
| 9. Hawaii | 718 |
| 10. Montana | 717 |
10 states with the lowest average credit score
Credit scores have improved over the past couple of decades. In 2012, the average FICO credit score was 689 compared to 718 in 2023. Yet some states continue to lag behind the national average. The 10 states with the lowest average credit scores in 2022 are as follows:
| States | Average FICO score (Q3, 2023) |
| 41. Nevada | 702 |
| 42. New Mexico | 702 |
| 43. South Carolina | 699 |
| 44. Arkansas | 696 |
| 45. Oklahoma | 696 |
| 46. Georgia | 695 |
| 47. Texas | 695 |
| 48. Alabama | 692 |
| 49. Louisiana | 690 |
| 50. Mississippi | 680 |
It's worth noting that of these 10 states, all but one are located in the South, defined by the US Census Bureau. However, even at the bottom of this list, the average resident in all these states would have a "prime" credit score, above 660. Average credit scores were not always what they are today. The average FICO score in October 2005 was 688 and has steadily risen over the past two decades.
You'd also think that the states with the lowest credit scores would have the most debt, though this isn't the case. In fact, Mississippi has the lowest average credit card debt and the second lowest average debt among all states.
The 10 states with the lowest average VantageScore credit scores show a similar pattern, predominantly comprised of southern states.
| States | Average VantageScore 4.0 score (January 2024) |
| 41. South Carolina | 687 |
| 42. West Virginia | 686 |
| 43. Kentucky | 686 |
| 44. Georgia | 681 |
| 45. Arkansas | 680 |
| 46. Texas | 680 |
| 47. Oklahoma | 680 |
| 48. Alabama | 678 |
| 49. Louisiana | 674 |
| 50. Mississippi | 668 |
How credit scores are categorized
The range of possible credit scores spans from 300 to 850, which FICO categorizes into five levels called risk categories. While lending decisions aren't solely determined by your credit score or which risk category you fall into, these help gauge how likely you are to qualify for a loan or credit card.
The five risk categories and their corresponding ranges are:
| FICO risk category | FICO score range |
| Excellent | 800-850 |
| Very Good | 740-799 |
| Good | 670-739 |
| Fair | 580-669 |
| Poor | 300-579 |
Looking at this spread, the average credit score of 49 states are good credit scores. Minnesota, with a 742 average score, is the only exception, nudging its way into a "very good" average score.
How do you raise your credit score?
Improving your credit score isn't a matter of eliminating negative information from your credit report, but building positive information on top of your negative information.
You should prioritize making payments on your current lines of credit on time and make sure your overall balance isn't too high. If your minimum payments are posing a problem each month, consider consulting with a credit counselor and signing up for a debt management plan.
The best debt management servicescan negotiate a lower interest rate with your creditors or lower your minimum payments in exchange for longer payment periods.
You can also look into credit-building products such as credit builder loans. These will add payment history to your credit reports and accept your application without a credit check. Rent reporting services will also help you build your payment history by reporting any rent payments you make to the credit bureaus, which doesn't automatically happen. You can find our guides on the best credit builder loans and best rent reporting services here.
Keeping tabs on your credit score is a good habit to get into, so you'll know your financial standing in the eyes of creditors at any given point. Until the end of 2023, you can request weekly free credit reports from AnnualCreditReport.com. After 2023, you can request three free credit reports annually, one from each of the credit bureaus.
You can also check your credit scorewith a credit monitoring service. Some of the best credit monitoring services are even free.
Average credit scores by state frequently asked questions
Why are credit scores worse in the South?
Credit scores across southern states are the result of medical debt, according to an analysis from The Washington Post. On average, residents in these states have higher medical debts than residents in other states, which the analysis attributes to whether or not those stated expanded Medicaid. While medical debt has been deprioritized in FICO score calculations and nixed entirely on VantageScore calculations, the financial effect is still significant enough to bring down credit scores in the South.
Does bad credit follow you to another state?
Yes, bad credit will follow you from state to state.
What state has the lowest average credit score?
Mississippi has the lowest average FICO credit score of all states in 2023 at 680, which is 38 points below the national average. Mississippi also had the lowest average credit score in 2018, at 666.
Associate Editor at Personal Finance Insider
Paul Kim is an associate editor at Personal Finance Insider. He edits and writes about credit scores, debt, and identity theft.When he's not writing, Paul loves cooking and eating. He hates cilantro.
