You check your score, it says 683, and you still can’t tell whether to relax or worry.
On the FICO scale, the score most lenders look at, a good credit score is 670 to 739. But which number a lender actually sees is a different question, and it’s the one most guides skip.
Short answer: A good credit score in the US is 670 to 739 on the FICO scale, which runs from 300 to 850. 740 to 799 is very good, and 800 and up is exceptional. The national average is 714, so most people are already in the good band. VantageScore, the other big model, draws the lines a little differently.
Want to see where you could land? The free Credit Score Improvement Planner turns your starting point into a month-by-month plan. For the bigger picture on debt, start with our how to pay off debt guide.
The ranges, band by band
These are the FICO ranges, as listed by Raisin and Capital One:
| FICO band | Score range |
|---|---|
| Exceptional | 800 to 850 |
| Very good | 740 to 799 |
| Good | 670 to 739 |
| Fair | 580 to 669 |
| Poor | 300 to 579 |
VantageScore, the rival model, uses four names: superprime 781 to 850, prime 661 to 780, near prime 601 to 660 and subprime 300 to 600 (Capital One). Same 300 to 850 scale, different cut-offs. So a 665 is Fair on FICO but prime on VantageScore.
A few examples on the FICO scale: 665 is Fair. 679 and 726 are Good. 746, 759 and 780 are Very Good. Nothing magic happens at 700 or 750. Those are just round numbers people remember.
Where the average sits
FICO’s August 2026 report puts the average US score at 714. It was flat between October 2025 and April 2026 and down one point on a year earlier (FICO report). That puts the average person at the lower-middle of Good, a long way from Exceptional.
One group is moving the other way. The same FICO report says consumers with a recent student loan delinquency, about 3.2 million people, have seen their scores fall by 38 points on average (FICO report). One late payment can matter far more than the national average suggests.
What a good score actually gets you
Capital One says higher scores generally help with both approval and rates, and that poor scores can make approval harder (Capital One). For mortgages, the lines are more specific. Conventional loans typically need at least 620. FHA loans allow a 3.5% down payment at 580 or more, and ask for 10% down between 500 and 579 (LendingTree). Individual lenders can set higher minimums.
The dollar cost is easiest to see on a loan. These are example interest rates, not quotes, on a $25,000 loan repaid over 60 months, worked out with the standard loan formula:
| Example rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|
| 7% | $495.03 | $4,701.80 |
| 12% | $556.11 | $8,366.67 |
| 18% | $634.84 | $13,090.14 |
Illustrative only. Real rates depend on the lender, the loan and your full profile.
Between the 7% and 18% examples, the interest bill differs by about $8,388.34. If you’re carrying card balances, the Minimum Payment Trap Calculator shows how much interest the minimum payment keeps adding.
Why your score changes from app to app
There isn’t one credit score. There are three credit bureaus and several scoring models, so you have several scores at once. Credit Karma shows VantageScore 3.0 from Equifax and TransUnion, and it says lenders don’t all use the same model; some use industry-specific scores, such as an auto-loan score (Credit Karma). Capital One makes a similar point: the FICO Score 8 you see may not be the model your lender uses (Capital One).
The practical rule: use one source consistently to watch the trend, and treat any single number as an estimate of what a lender will see.
What goes into a FICO score
myFICO lists five categories, with weights that reflect the general population and may differ for you (myFICO):
- Payment history, 35%. Whether you’ve paid past accounts on time.
- Amounts owed, 30%. How much of your available credit you’re using.
- Length of credit history, 15%. How old your accounts are.
- New credit, 10%. Opening several accounts in a short time.
- Credit mix, 10%. The variety of credit types. You don’t need one of each.
Two categories make up 65% of the score: paying on time and how much of your limits you use. Our guides on credit utilization and on how to dispute errors on your credit report cover the two levers most people can pull quickly. The newer AZEO method post looks at whether leaving one small balance helps.
Moving up a band
Because payment history and balances carry the most weight, those are where to start. The step-by-step version is in how to improve your credit score fast, and the longer one is the complete guide to improving your credit score. Reading this from the UK? The scales differ, so use our UK credit score guide instead.
What people usually ask next
Is 700 a good credit score?
Yes. On the FICO scale 700 sits inside the Good band, 670 to 739 (Capital One). On VantageScore, 661 to 780 counts as prime, so 700 is good there too.
Is a 650 credit score bad?
Not bad, but not good yet. FICO calls 580 to 669 Fair, and VantageScore calls 601 to 660 near prime. Conventional mortgage lenders typically ask for at least 620 (LendingTree), so 650 can still qualify, usually on weaker terms. Our guide to a bad credit score covers the lower bands.
Why is my score different on two apps?
Different apps show different scoring models, and the bureaus each hold slightly different data. Credit Karma, for example, shows VantageScore 3.0 from Equifax and TransUnion, not Experian (Credit Karma). Compare like with like: same app, same model, month to month.
Do I need an 800 to get the best rates?
Exceptional starts at 800, and Capital One says excellent scores may secure the best rates and terms (Capital One). I couldn’t find a source giving the exact point where extra score stops helping, because each lender sets its own tiers. Ask the lender which tier you’re in.
Is the average American score good?
Roughly, yes. FICO’s August 2026 report puts the national average at 714 (FICO), which is inside the Good band. Average isn’t the same as best, though.
Where can I see my score for free?
Our guide on how to check your credit score for free walks through the options and what each one actually shows you.
Does my income affect my credit score?
No. Income is not one of the five factors in a FICO score. FICO’s own survey found 65% of people wrongly think income counts or are unsure (FICO report). Lenders may still ask for income when you apply for credit.
Does checking my own score lower it?
No. Checking your own score is a soft check and does not hurt it (TransUnion). FICO found 27% of people wrongly believe it does (FICO report).
Can I dispute my credit score itself?
You can’t dispute the score number, but you can dispute inaccurate information on your credit report (TransUnion). See our guide on how to dispute errors on your credit report.
Disclaimer: DebtShift is an educational platform operated by H Ali Logistics Ltd. This article is general education, not financial advice. For free, nonprofit credit counseling, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) at nfcc.org or 877-360-6322.
Sources
- Capital One, Credit score ranges: what they are and what they mean
- Raisin, What is a good FICO score?
- myFICO, What’s in my FICO Scores?
- FICO Score Credit Insights Report, Fall 2026 (press release)
- Credit Karma, Is Credit Karma accurate?
- LendingTree, FHA vs. conventional loans
The loan table is illustrative: the interest rates are examples, and the payments are calculated with the standard loan formula.
Last reviewed October 2026
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