Here is the average credit score at every age in the U.S.—see how yours stacks up (2024)

Although Americans' average credit scores recently dropped for the first time in a decade, many appear to be maintaining a relatively healthy score.

The average credit score dipped by one point, from 718 to 717, according to FICO's March 6 blog post. Your FICO and VantageScore credit score can fall anywhere between 300 and 850, and a 717 score is considered to be "very good," according to the VantageScore model.

Here are VantageScore's rankings and ranges:

  • Very Poor: 300 to 499
  • Poor: 500 to 600
  • Good: 601 to 660
  • Very Good: 661 to 780
  • Exceptional: 781 to 850

When you break down the average credit score by age, most Americans appear to have a good score as well.

Here's the average credit score by generation as of March 2024, per VantageScore CreditGauge data shared with CNBC Make It:

  • Gen Z (18 to 27): 665
  • Millennials (28 to 43): 687
  • Gen X (44 to 59): 710
  • Baby boomers (60 to 78): 746
  • Silent generation (79 to 96): 750

Many factors are used to calculate your credit score, including your payment history, the amounts you owe, your credit mix and how often you've recently opened a new line of credit. It's understandable that older generations tend to have higher scores since they've had a longer time to establish and maintain their credit.

However, Generation Z and millennials are more likely to move up to a higher credit tier at a faster rate than older generations, according to OpenLending and TransUnion's "Financing the Future" report.

How to take your credit score to the next level

When it comes to boosting your credit score, expert advice is pretty straightforward: Do your best to pay down your debt.

"The best way to improve your credit score in both the long and short run is to pay down your loan balances," Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst at LendingTree, tells CNBC Make It. "That can obviously be easier said than done, but it should always be the goal."

Another way to help your score move up is to ask your lender to increase your credit limit, which helps improve your credit utilization ratio, Schulz says. Your credit utilization rate is the amount of your total available credit that you're using.

For example, if you have one credit card with a $4,000 limit and you're carrying a balance of $1,000, your credit utilization would be 25%. If your lender increases your limit to $6,000, it would lower your credit utilization to around 16%.

If your credit utilization rises above 30%, it can start to negatively impact your score, according to Experian.

However, if your request to increase your credit limit is granted, it's important not to spend up to that new limit, "otherwise you'll be digging your hole even deeper," Schulz says.

Ultimately, maintaining a healthy credit score comes down to consistency.

"It is about paying your bills on time every single time, keeping your balances as low as possible and not applying for too much credit too often," he says. "If you do these things consistently for years, your credit is going to be just fine."

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Here is the average credit score at every age in the U.S.—see how yours stacks up (1)

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Here's the 'magic formula' behind a perfect credit score

Here is the average credit score at every age in the U.S.—see how yours stacks up (2024)

FAQs

Here is the average credit score at every age in the U.S.—see how yours stacks up? ›

Here's the average credit score by generation as of March 2024, per VantageScore CreditGauge data shared with CNBC Make It: Gen Z (18 to 27): 665. Millennials (28 to 43): 687. Gen X (44 to 59): 710.

What is the average credit score in America by age? ›

Here's the average credit score by generation as of March 2024, per VantageScore CreditGauge data shared with CNBC Make It: Gen Z (18 to 27): 665. Millennials (28 to 43): 687. Gen X (44 to 59): 710.

How rare is an 800 credit score? ›

According to a report by FICO, only 23% of the scorable population has a credit score of 800 or above.

How many Americans have a credit score above 700? ›

71.3% of Americans have a FICO Score of 670 (good) or better. 21.2% have an exceptional FICO credit score of 800 or above.

How many people in the US have a 750 credit score? ›

Your credit score helps lenders decide if you qualify for products like credit cards and loans, and your interest rate. A score of 750 puts you in a strong position. Roughly 48% of Americans had a score of 750 or above as of April 2023, according to credit scoring company FICO. FICO Blog.

What age group has an 800 credit score? ›

And best of all is the so-called Silent Generation. This group includes people aged 78 and over. They're the only ones who rate a very good score on the FICO 8 scale.

How to get 800 credit score? ›

Making on-time payments to creditors, keeping your credit utilization low, having a long credit history, maintaining a good mix of credit types, and occasionally applying for new credit lines are the factors that can get you into the 800 credit score club.

Does anyone have a 900 credit score? ›

A credit score of 900 is not possible, but older scoring models that are no longer used once went up to 900 or higher. The highest possible credit score you can get now is 850.

What is a perfect credit score to buy a house? ›

It's recommended you have a credit score of 620 or higher when you apply for a conventional loan. If your score is below 620, lenders either won't be able to approve your loan or may be required to offer you a higher interest rate, which can result in higher monthly mortgage payments.

How rare is an 850 credit score? ›

As of the third quarter of 2023, 1.54% of U.S. consumers had a FICO Score of 850, according to Experian data. Some notable traits of consumers with a perfect credit score include an above average number of credit cards, lower credit utilization rate and lower than average total debt.

How rare is an 820 credit score? ›

Your score falls in the range of scores, from 800 to 850, that is considered Exceptional. Your FICO® Score and is well above the average credit score. Consumers with scores in this range may expect easy approvals when applying for new credit. 21% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Exceptional range.

What is the average credit card debt in the US? ›

Overall, the national average card debt among cardholders with unpaid balances in the fourth quarter of 2023 was $6,864, down from $6,993 in the third quarter. That includes debt from bank cards and retail credit cards.

At what point does credit score not matter? ›

While having a perfect 850 credit score is impressive, you don't necessarily need it to unlock the best benefits. "Typically, once you hit the mid-700s, you're considered to have excellent credit and there's no practical benefit to scoring any higher," says Ted Rossman, Bankrate's senior industry analyst.

Is 750 a good credit score for a 25 year old? ›

Your FICO® Score falls within a range, from 740 to 799, that may be considered Very Good. A 750 FICO® Score is above the average credit score.

Is 650 a good credit score? ›

As someone with a 650 credit score, you are firmly in the “fair” territory of credit. You can usually qualify for financial products like a mortgage or car loan, but you will likely pay higher interest rates than someone with a better credit score. The "good" credit range starts at 690.

Is a 700 credit score good for a 20 year old? ›

So, given the fact that the average credit score for people in their 20s is 630 and a “good” credit score is typically around 700, it's safe to say a good credit score in your 20s is in the high 600s or low 700s.

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