What is the average credit score?

Americans’ average FICO score was 714, according to the March 2026 bi-annual FICO® Score Credit Insights report, and the average VantageScore score was 701 as of May 2026. Credit scores can vary between scoring companies because they use somewhat different formulas and prioritize the factors that go into scores differently. But both averages fall squarely in the good range out of a highest possible score of 850.

On average, older adults have higher credit scores than younger adults, and the average credit score has declined slightly compared to the previous year. Average credit scores also vary by state.

• Why you have more than one credit score
• What is the average FICO score?
• What is the average VantageScore?
• Is the average credit score good?
• What can you do to improve a below-average score?
• Next steps: Check your score
• FAQs about average credit scores

Why you have more than one credit score

People usually have multiple credit scores because there are different scoring models that use varying methods to calculate your scores.

FICO and VantageScore are the two biggest, most well-known scoring companies, but there are others out there, too. Most scoring models look at similar types of information about your financial history, but they each consider some factors more heavily than others and use different formulas to come up with the final number.

Another reason your credit scores differ is that there are three major credit bureaus that compile credit reports. Not all creditors report your account activity to every bureau, so the information in your credit file may not look the same from one bureau to the next. As a result, a credit score that’s calculated based on a credit report from one bureau might be different from a score calculated with data from another bureau.

In addition, credit scoring companies may generate industry-specific scoring models for particular purposes like auto loan applications and credit card applications.

What is the average FICO score?

The average FICO score was 714 in October 2025, according to FICO’s March 2026 Credit Insights report.

The tables below show the average FICO score by age, the average over time and the average by state.

Average FICO score by age group

Average FICO score trend

Average FICO score by state

What is the average VantageScore?

The average VantageScore was 701 in May 2026, according to VantageScore’s CreditGauge.

The following tables show how the average VantageScore has varied over time and how it differs by state.

Average VantageScore trend

Average VantageScore by state

Is the average credit score good?

The average credit score falls in the good range according to major scoring models. The average FICO score, 714, sits in the 670–739 range of FICO scores that are typically considered good. The average VantageScore is 701, which is within the 661–780 range that’s usually viewed as good for VantageScore credit scores.

While the current averages happen to land in the good category, an average score isn’t necessarily a good score. The average score represents a central point when you compare everyone’s credit scores. A good score is a score that scoring models and many lenders view favorably and that might help you access better credit offers.

The typical score can be a good score, but it doesn’t have to be.

What can you do to improve a below-average score?

If your score is below the average, you have a few options to strengthen your credit, but adding positive payment history over time can help significantly. Signing up for a bill reporting service, asking someone with good credit to add you as an authorized user on one of their cards, using a credit builder account or getting a secured card are tactics you might consider to work on building positive payment history.

A bill reporting service such as Credit Spark from Credit Karma can report your on-time payments for utilities, cell phone bills and other eligible expenses to the credit bureaus, which helps you add to your history of on-time payments.

Being designated an authorized user on someone else’s card can also contribute to your payment history, as long as the card issuer reports the account’s activity to the credit bureaus under your name.

Credit-builder accounts, including Credit Karma’s Credit Builder plan, allow you to make payments toward a loan or add savings to a savings account and report those payments to one or more of the credit bureaus. The loan proceeds or savings account are locked while you participate in the program. Once you’ve paid off the loan or reached a savings threshold, the plan releases the money to you.

With a secured credit card, you make a deposit, and your credit limit is usually set at the amount you’ve put down. You can then borrow up to the limit, and the card reports your payments to the credit bureaus to add to your positive payment history.

Next steps: Check your score

Knowing where your credit scores stand relative to the averages can help you decide how you might want to work on your credit. If your scores are above average, think about protecting your strong credit by keeping up the financial habits you’ve already developed.

If you want to raise your scores, consistently adding to your on-time payment history while limiting your credit use to 30% of your limit (under 10% is ideal) can make a big difference.

Not sure what your scores are? Consider checking your VantageScore 3.0 score for free on Credit Karma.

Sourcing

• Chris Horymski, “What Is the Average Credit Score in the US?” Experian, March 30, 2026, https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/what-is-the-average-credit-score-in-the-u-s/.
• “FICO® Score Credit Insights,” March 24, 2026, https://www.fico.com/en/newsroom/fico-score-credit-insights-report-average-fico-score-dips-714.
• “CreditGauge Powered by VantageScore™,” accessed July 26, 2026, https://vantagescore.com/insights/creditgauge.