Average Credit Scores by Age, State, and Income
7 Min Read | Last updated: July 23, 2026
Average credit scores vary by age, state, and income. Understand the trends behind the numbers, and what really helps build a stronger score.
At-A-Glance
- Factors like your age, state, and even income level don’t inherently affect your credit score.
- Yet there may be correlations between average credit score and age, state, and how much you make.
- With responsible credit practices, you may be able to improve your score, no matter your age, where you live, or how much you make.
If you’re trying to gauge your credit score, it’s natural to want to know how yours stacks up against the average American. However, the average credit score can vary significantly by demographics such as age, location, and income bracket. For example, 24-year-olds in New York making $60,000 per year may not have the same average score as Baby Boomers in Illinois earning six figures.
By understanding how age group, state, and income affect average credit scores around the nation, you can better understand the status of your score and make more realistic plans to improve it. No matter your personal characteristics, there are steps you can take to raise your credit score to a number that you’re happy with.
Average Credit Score by Age
Your age doesn’t inherently affect your credit score, but it can indirectly influence it. The average length of your credit history is part of how your credit score is calculated, so if you’re older, you may have simply had access to credit for longer. That said, it’s entirely possible for a young person to have a high score and an older person to have a low score, because responsibly managing your credit accounts is crucial at any age.
Still, average credit scores tend to increase with age, as shown in this table with information from credit reporting bureau Experian:
Average Credit Score by Age, Third Quarter 20251
| Age | Average FICO Score |
|---|---|
| 18-28 | 678 |
| 29-44 | 689 |
| 45-60 | 709 |
| 61-79 | 747 |
| 80+ | 760 |
Why the upward trend? For one, we have to earn our credit scores, which takes time.
Consider how age plays a role in relation to the five variables used to calculate a FICO score and their relative weighting in FICO’s scoring model:2
- 35% Payment History
It can take some time to learn how to properly use credit accounts and manage debt. Older people may have learned, from decades of experience, how to pay off their balances responsibly and developed budgeting systems that work for them. - 30% Amounts Owed
As we age, our income tends to grow. And income can affect the credit limit we receive from lenders. The lower your credit utilization ratio, or how much of your total available credit limit is in use, the greater the chance it will positively affect your credit score. - 15% Length of Credit History
Account age increases over time, and as long as you keep your oldest accounts open, they’ll be calculated into your average account age. If you’re 55 years old and opened your first credit account at 25, you may have a much longer credit history than Gen Z account holders. - 10% Credit Mix
Credit scorers like to see that you can responsibly handle various types of debt. As you age, you’ll likely have more opportunities to open different types of accounts. An 18-year-old might only use a credit card, while a 40-year-old might have a car loan, a mortgage, a personal loan, and several credit cards. - 10% New Credit
Any time you open a new account, you’ll see a ding in your credit score. This is because the lender makes a hard inquiry into your account, which may temporarily affect your score.3 If you’re older and already have all of your desired accounts established, you may be less likely to incur hard inquiries that lower your score.
On the whole, as people get older, they generally mature and become more responsible with their money. Plus, the more time that passes, the more time you have to recover from credit mistakes. Many negative credit items will stop affecting your credit score within seven years—as long as you maintain good credit habits.4
Average Credit Score by State
Like your age, where you live doesn’t inherently impact your credit score. However, each state has its own economic circumstances and opportunities, such as the unemployment rate and average income. Plus, some states may have older populations, which, as you now know, can indirectly shape credit scores. Here are some of the states with the highest credit scores in the country:
10 States with Highest Average Credit Scores5
| State | Average FICO Score |
|---|---|
| Minnesota | 741 |
| Vermont | 737 |
| Wisconsin | 737 |
| New Hampshire | 735 |
| Washington | 734 |
| Massachusetts | 731 |
| South Dakota | 731 |
| Maine | 731 |
| Hawaii | 730 |
| Montana | 730 |
No matter where your score compares to your state average, it’s not enough reason to throw a parade or raise alarms on its own. Remember, everybody has their own unique circumstances, income, and debt obligations. In some cases, you may decide that even though you’re above your state’s average score, you still have some work to do. Or, conversely, you may realize that your score is in better shape than you thought.
How Does Income Affect Your Credit Score?
Like age or where you live, your income doesn’t necessarily have a direct impact on your credit score. However, your debt-to-income ratio , or how much you earn versus how much you owe, typically plays a role in how lenders assign you a credit limit; if you make more money and you owe less money, you may qualify for a larger credit limit. A higher limit could make it easier to keep your credit utilization below 30%, which can positively affect your credit score.6
Additionally, more income may make it easier to repay debts. If one person makes $45,000 per year and another makes $80,000 per year, it may be easier for the higher-earning person to repay $5,000 in credit card debt. Of course, their ability to repay may also hinge on their personal expenses and debt obligations, but purely based on income earned, it’s reasonable to assume that higher-earning individuals can typically repay their balances more easily.
Still, it’s important to remember that despite a potential correlation between average credit score and income, you don’t need to earn a lot in order to build an excellent credit score. Financial responsibility takes precedence. So as long as you spend mindfully—and always pay your bills on time—you are more likely to establish and maintain great credit.
Frequently Asked Questions
At the end of 2025, the average credit score in the United States was 713.7 That said, if you look closer, the average credit score varies significantly depending on your age and where you live, and your income bracket could also play a role.
Your age isn’t inherently factored into your credit score, but older people with a longer credit history may have their scores boosted if they’ve kept their accounts in good standing for many years. Likewise, older people may have more experience with managing their accounts, so they may have developed more responsible credit practices.
The Takeaway
Average credit scores tend to vary by age, state, and income, yet none of these factors are used to help calculate your credit score. They can, however, indirectly affect your ability to satisfy the five factors used to determine your credit score. All things considered, with good financial practices, anyone can build an excellent credit score, regardless of their age, salary, or where they live.
1,2,3,5,6,7 “What Is the Average Credit Score in the US?,” Experian
4 “How Long Do Collections Stay on Your Credit Report?,” Experian
Tony Azzara is a business technology writer and researcher based in Queens, NY, whose work focuses primarily on financial services technology.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
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