What Is a Good Credit Score in the USA?

In the USA, a good credit score starts at 670 on the FICO scale. Most lenders consider 670–739 "good," 740–799 "very good," and 800–850 "excellent." If your score is below 670, you may still get approved, but your interest rates will be higher.

What Lenders Think of Each Range

Score Range	Rating	What Lenders See
300–579	Poor	High risk. Often denied or charged very high rates.
580–669	Fair	Below average. Some lenders approve. Rates are higher.
670–739	Good	Acceptable risk. Most lenders approve. Decent rates.
740–799	Very Good	Low risk. Better rates and higher limits.
800–850	Excellent	Very low risk. Best rates, best terms, fastest approval.

What a Good Score Gets You

• Mortgage: A score of 740+ gets you the best mortgage rates.
• Auto loan: 720+ gets you prime rates, saving thousands over the loan term.
• Credit cards: 670+ qualifies for most reward cards. 740+ gets premium cards.
• Personal loans: 660+ is the typical cutoff for unsecured loans at reasonable rates.
• Renting: Many landlords want 620–650 minimum. Better scores mean better apartments.

The National Average

The average FICO score in the USA is about 717. This means most Americans fall in the "good" range. Younger adults and people who recently started building credit tend to score lower.

How to Move From Fair to Good

1. Pay every bill on time. Set up autopay for at least the minimum payment.
2. Lower your credit utilization. Keep it under 30%, ideally under 10%.
3. Do not close old cards. Age of accounts matters.
4. Dispute errors on your report. Wrong late payments or accounts can drag you down.
5. Avoid new credit applications. Each hard inquiry lowers your score temporarily.

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