According to FICO, only 1.6% of the population has an 850 credit score. It's incredibly tough to get there, but reaching an 850 score is possible.
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
Even better, just over 1 in 5 people (21.2%) have an exceptional FICO credit score of 800 or above, all but guaranteeing access to the best products and interest rates.
The average FICO credit score in the US is 717, according to the latest FICO data. The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024.
South Burlington, Vt., is the city with the highest credit score, while Detroit is the city with the lowest, according to personal finance site WalletHub.
There's no single, specific credit score that will automatically qualify you for a mortgage (though having the maximum score of 850 certainly never hurts). However, while lenders might not set precise qualifying numbers, they do have minimum credit score requirements.
"From the standpoint of qualifying for credit, it doesn't matter whether you have a perfect 850 or a score just below that," said Ethan Dornhelm, VP of FICO Scores and predictive analytics. "To lenders, a consumer with a score in the 800s is a sparkling applicant."
Your 840 FICO® Score falls in the range of scores, from 800 to 850, that is categorized as Exceptional. Your FICO® Score is well above the average credit score, and you are likely to receive easy approvals when applying for new credit. 21% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Exceptional range.
Paying your mortgage in full usually does not have a significant impact on your credit score. But once the mortgage is removed from your credit history, your score may drop slightly because of a reduced credit mix — that is, you no longer have as large a variety of types of debt.
Your 825 FICO® Score is nearly perfect and will be seen as a sign of near-flawless credit management. Your likelihood of defaulting on your bills will be considered extremely low, and you can expect lenders to offer you their best deals, including the lowest-available interest rates.
The average score in April 2024 stood at 715 The score as displayed ranges from 300 to 850 and is based on three different consumer reporting agencies (CRAs) in the United States, namely Equifax, TransUnion and Experian.
At the close of 2019, the average household had a credit card debt of $7,499. During the first quarter of 2021, it dropped to $6,209. In 2022, credit card debt rose again to $7,951 and has increased linearly. In 2023, it reached $8,599 — $75 shy of the 2024 average.
For a $400,000 home, you'll likely need a good to excellent credit score: 740+: Best rates and terms. 700-739: Slightly higher rates. 660-699: Higher rates, may require larger down payment.
The credit score required and other eligibility factors for buying a car vary by lender and loan terms. Still, you typically need a good credit score of 661 or higher to qualify for an auto loan. About 69% of retail vehicle financing is for borrowers with credit scores of 661 or higher, according to Experian.
To buy a $250,000 house, you'll likely need a credit score of 620 or higher to secure a conventional home loan.
Nearly half of Americans score between 750 and 850, in the very good to exceptional range, while less than 25% of Americans have a score between 300 and 649, the poor to fair credit score range.
What is considered a “normal” credit limit among most Americans? The average American had access to $29,855 in credit across all of their credit cards as of the third quarter of 2023, according to Experian. But the average credit card balance was $6,501 during the same quarter— well below the average credit limit.
Average American Debt by Age
Here's a look at how much nonmortgage debt Americans have by age group, and the average non-mortgage per capita debt for each group: 18-29-year-olds: $69 billion total, $12,871 average. 30-39-year-olds: $1.17 trillion, $26,532 average. 40-49-year-olds: $1.13 trillion $27,838 average.
Making a late payment
Your payment history on loan and credit accounts can play a prominent role in calculating credit scores. Even one late payment on a credit card account or loan can result in a credit score decrease, depending on the scoring model used.