Average credit score by state

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice. See Lexington Law’s editorial disclosure for more information.

The average credit score by state varies quite a bit—the difference between the highest and lowest average scores is more than 60 points. Minnesota has the highest average score at 739, with Wisconsin (732), South Dakota (731), Vermont (731) and North Dakota (730) also in the top five. 

The average score of each state ranges from 675 to 739, and we’ve got details for every state below. Read on to see data as well as tips for bringing up your own credit score.

State-by-state average credit scores

The average credit score for each state varies, though most states are within 30 points of the national average score of 710. 

Below is a list of the average credit score by state as well as how the average changed between 2019 and 2020. 

State	Average credit score (2019)	Average credit score (2020)	Change (year-over-year)
Alabama	680	686	6
Alaska	707	714	7
Arizona	696	706	10
Arkansas	683	690	7
California	708	716	8
Colorado	718	725	7
Connecticut	717	723	6
Delaware	701	710	9
District of Columbia	703	713	10
Florida	694	701	7
Georgia	682	689	7
Hawaii	723	727	4
Idaho	711	720	9
Illinois	709	716	7
Indiana	699	707	8
Iowa	720	726	6
Kansas	711	717	6
Kentucky	692	698	6
Louisiana	677	684	7
Maine	715	721	6
Maryland	704	712	8
Massachusetts	723	729	6
Michigan	706	714	8
Minnesota	733	739	6
Mississippi	667	675	8
Missouri	701	707	6
Montana	720	726	6
Nebraska	723	728	5
Nevada	686	695	9
New Hampshire	724	729	5
New Jersey	714	721	7
New Mexico	686	694	8
New York	712	718	6
North Carolina	694	703	9
North Dakota	727	730	3
Ohio	705	711	6
Oklahoma	682	690	8
Oregon	718	727	9
Pennsylvania	713	720	7
Rhode Island	713	719	6
South Carolina	681	689	8
South Dakota	727	731	4
Tennessee	690	697	7
Texas	680	688	8
Utah	716	723	7
Vermont	726	731	5
Virginia	709	717	8
Washington	723	730	7
West Virginia	687	695	8
Wisconsin	723	732	9
Wyoming	712	719	7

Over the past year, credit scores increased in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia. The average increase was seven points, though half of the states saw an even larger increase. The biggest increases were in Arizona and the District of Columbia, where the average scores increased by 10 points in just one year. 

States with the highest and lowest credit scores

Average credit scores by state vary due to economic conditions and the financial habits of each state’s residents. Notably, the variation in credit scores doesn’t necessarily correspond with the amount of credit card debt. For example, the states with the highest and lowest average credit scores—Minnesota and Mississippi, respectively—both have around $4,500 of credit card debt on average. 

The states with the highest average credit scores include:

• Minnesota: 739
• Wisconsin: 732
• South Dakota: 731
• Vermont: 731
• North Dakota: 730

On the other hand, these states had the lowest average credit scores:

• Mississippi: 675
• Louisiana: 684
• Alabama: 686
• Texas: 688
• Georgia: 689

Regardless of current placement, every state saw an increase in average credit score over the past year. Individuals can make an impact on their own scores by learning a bit more about how scores are calculated and taking small steps to improve credit.

How to improve your credit score regardless of your state’s average

No matter what the average credit score in your state is, your own score comes down to your individual choices with credit. Understanding the factors that make up your score—payment history, credit utilization, length of credit history, different types of credit and new credit—can help you make savvy decisions that may improve your credit score. 

Experian, one of the three credit bureaus, reported that Americans reduced their credit card debt by 14 percent from 2019 to 2020. In turn, this lowered overall credit utilization—in other words, Americans were using less of the credit available to them, which typically leads to a rise in credit score.

According to FICO®, a credit score between 670 and 739 is a good credit score, a score between 740 and 799 is very good and a score above 800 is exceptional. If you’re looking to make gains in your own credit score, consider starting with these tips:

• Lower your utilization. Having credit available gives you flexibility, but your score generally increases when you use less than 30 percent of the credit at your disposal. 
• Make on-time payments. Late payments and delinquent accounts can negatively affect your score, but paying on time will improve your payment history, a significant factor in your score.
• Avoid carrying a balance. While difficult financial circumstances can sometimes make this impossible, you’ll want to try to avoid carrying a balance on your credit cards if you can, as the interest charges can begin to make your debt swell over time—possibly even leading to a collection account if you get behind on payments.

In addition to monitoring your credit score, you’ll want to get a copy of your credit report, which lists your credit history, including both open and closed accounts. Scanning your report for accuracy is crucial since an inaccurate negative item could be bringing down your score unnecessarily. 

Consider working with a credit repair consultant to determine whether you can dispute your credit report, potentially leading to an increase in your score. 

Note: Articles have only been reviewed by the indicated attorney, not written by them. The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, act as legal, financial or credit advice; instead, it is for general informational purposes only. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client or fiduciary relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website owner, authors, reviewers, contributors, contributing firms, or their respective agents or employers.