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Credit Trends
While the average credit score in the United States is 664, the average credit score in states can vary considerably.
We thought it would be fun to share some interesting tidbits of information that shine through as we look at credit scores across the states. These credit score facts are based on information compiled from a large database of credit scores in the United States. This means the term national average credit score and average US credit score can be used interchangeably.
From the Credit Karma database, we know the following facts about credit scores by states for this month:
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MN and AK in the lead. I guess the cold weather gives people more time to make sure all their bills are paid.
ebrandel 3 years ago
Both states have social welfare. AK has the oil revenues giveaway (and the tax on extracting oil). MN is kind of socialist. When the government is your buffer, it's probably easier to manage debt. For one, one might be less likely to acquire debt.
wildgift 2 years ago
Actually NJ has MN beat, and given the high taxes here, I think that's pretty impressive.
Then again, this site says my score is something like 765 when it's really only 726, so it makes you question the accuracy a bit...
Jeo123 1 year ago
You are falling for the common myth that you only have one score. In actuality, consumers have dozens of scores for each of the different bureaus. For example, what bureau is the 726 from?
CK Moderator
Wildgift........let's see..........
Mn - 695
NJ - 683
Yea, I think you're right.......NJ's has MN beat! lmao
And if you check taxes, both states have high taxes.
BJBoxcars 1 year ago
Actually - take a look at MA - they have AK beat hands down - NJ too.
aboehler07 1 year ago
IL is in the same position as AK
rburton116 1 year ago
Actually, Massachusetts and Hawaii are leading with 688 and 689, respectively.
tryin4him 10 months ago
Cold weather often means you HAVE to pay your bill. Though some states have made it illegal for utilities companies to shut off electric or gas during the coldest months of the year, that's not true everywhere. Pretty solid incentive to pay at least some of your bills when you know you might freeze to death otherwise.
Sagakun 8 months ago
About Alaksa...the money from the state is not that much considaring the cost of home heating oil. This past year my renters paid an average of $550 a month. It is not a big house either, only 1100 sqaure feet. Just a thought.
shortmuffin 8 months ago
Social welfare? You need help
mchinama 4 months ago
Actually Wisconsin is the highest!
jtatina 1 month ago
Utility bills don't count on your credit unless they go into collection. I know because my credit rating is excellent and I pay my cable bill late every month
bmd1 3 weeks ago
Yeah, MN is a "socialist" state with welfare for all. What a moron. Just because a state offers a a very basic safety net for when things go in the crapper doesn't justify you insinuating that folks in MN don't have to worry about their finances nor that we're all on the "take".
If anyone has a right to make denegrating comments its those of us in the state that actually end up paying anything in taxes at the end of the year. For everyone else all I can say is STFU.
Dem3tre 4 days ago
Excellent tool to manage finances
peladito 2 years ago
Actually, this is a pretty impressive story nationwide!
peterjameshu 2 years ago
Wow Darwon - Good observation, maybe that is why all of the deregulation from the Bush Administration is why AIG and all of the banks need bailouts.
Edkelly 2 years ago
VERY INTERESTING INFORMATION.
THANK YOU!
Martin7 2 years ago
Correction: *MA* and AK are in the lead
matas 2 years ago
Your credit score does not represent your level of responsibility with money...it represents your level of responsibility with DEBT.
Most of the states with higher average scores also have higher costs of living, and the associated level of indebtedness that goes with that, this includes of course, higher credit limits and in turn, more variety in balance to limit ratios, as well as much more depth in personal credit history where people have had and paid off larger numbers of loans and credit cards.
In rural states there are still many people who have little to no credit history, people who still pay their bills primarily by cash or check and don't make use of credit cards at all. Because they have very brief credit histories, naturally their credit scores will be lower.
Remember, a credit score simply tells a lender how likely you are to pay your bill on time...it says nothing about how you manage your money outside of those constraints.
bryantn 2 years ago
Very, very true bryantn. In the US, you are guilty until proven inocent in the case of a credit score. If you have no loans or credit cards, you have a low or no credit rating. If on the other hand, you have a high mortgage and lots of credit cards, you get a high credit rating. there is something intrinsically wrong with this system.
VanEnoo 2 years ago
MA and NJ are in the lead...
skolluri 2 years ago
MN and DC are in the lead.
dharr2q 2 years ago
No one is even close to 695 of Minnesota. Go them I guess. What makes them good and most of the rest of us suck?
deadclock 2 years ago
Perhaps a factor for DC is that it has a high percentage of well-paid government employees with good health insurance and a huge percentage of bankruptcies are as a result of inability to pay medical bills.
As for Minnesota, it does have probably the cleanest politics in the nation. Possibly an intolerance for corruption also extends into personal behavior...ie, if you borrow, you pay back.
Then again, maybe it's just random happenstance.
sfnoev 2 years ago
DC is at 694 one point behind MN. CA and AK are tied.
geoffsd 1 year ago
The numbers change each month (per the moderator). I see Wisconson and ND and NJ have the best scores so far....as of today. I can tell you that ND state gov. has a budget surplus (for several years now). ND is also fairly conservative, and has alot of obese. It's cold, so it keeps the indigant and minorities out. It's pretty much all English speaking. I'll put it this way...ND keeps the "Rif- Raf" OUT!
michkref 10 months ago
Midwestern work ethic and values.
mdzik 2 months ago
You can correlate a lot of things from this. Political party, sure. Percent of obesity is another.
Interesting comment about correlation of political party to credit scores. Some truth, but mostly non-truths. As was said before, credit scores measure how well you pay off your debt. So if you dont have debt, it shows a lower score. Fiscal responsibility in some cultures have different meanings. In Southern Cal, it would be to make on-time payments on your 10 credit cards that were spent on material unessentials, like clothes and chrome wheels on a BMW. In the rural Midwest, financial responsibility would be to save up money and buy a used car with cash. Yet, who would have the higher "credit score"? The Californian. Now if there were a color coded map based on debt/income ratio, I wouldn't be shocked to see a reversal, except of course for the deep south.
cactusjuba 2 years ago
I completely agree with your statement here. The west tend to be financially irresponsible while the east tends to be financially responsible, however we tend to pay cash for items, yet our credit score suffers from that...since we weren't taught to go out and get a credit card and build our credit in that fashion.
imkain 2 years ago
Talk about stereotyping. I saved up and bought a new mini truck with cash. I carry little debt and pay my bills ahead of time. My score is around 770, and I'm 100% Californian, Los Angeleno. I'm also a liberal, and support unions.
wildgift 2 years ago
How is all of that Hope and Change working out for you in California?
rmdbuild 9 months ago