What state has the highest average credit score?

Minnesota consistently has the highest average credit score at around 742. Other top states include Wisconsin, South Dakota, Vermont, and North Dakota, all averaging 730+.

What state has the lowest average credit score?

Mississippi has the lowest average credit score at around 680. Louisiana, Alabama, Texas, and Georgia also rank among the lowest, typically averaging 680-695.

Why do credit scores vary by state?

Credit scores vary by state due to differences in income levels, unemployment rates, cost of living, education levels, and regional economic conditions. States with higher median incomes and lower unemployment typically have higher average credit scores.

Average Credit Score by State: How Does Your State Rank?

Credit scores vary significantly by state due to economic differences, income levels, and regional factors. Here’s how every state ranks.

Quick answer: Minnesota has the highest average credit score (742), while Mississippi has the lowest (680). The national average is about 714. Most Midwest and New England states rank highest.

Average Credit Score by State (Ranked)

Rank	State	Average Score
1	Minnesota	742
2	Wisconsin	737
3	South Dakota	735
4	Vermont	734
5	North Dakota	733
6	New Hampshire	732
7	Massachusetts	731
8	Montana	730
9	Nebraska	730
10	Iowa	729
11	Washington	728
12	Oregon	727
13	Hawaii	726
14	Colorado	725
15	Connecticut	724
16	Utah	724
17	Maine	723
18	Virginia	722
19	Wyoming	722
20	Rhode Island	721
21	Idaho	720
22	New Jersey	719
23	Kansas	718
24	Alaska	717
25	California	716
—	National Average	714
26	Pennsylvania	714
27	Maryland	713
28	Illinois	712
29	New York	712
30	Michigan	711
31	Ohio	710
32	Delaware	708
33	Missouri	707
34	Arizona	706
35	Indiana	705
36	Florida	704
37	North Carolina	702
38	Tennessee	700
39	Kentucky	699
40	New Mexico	698
41	Nevada	697
42	South Carolina	696
43	Arkansas	695
44	West Virginia	694
45	Oklahoma	693
46	Georgia	692
47	Texas	691
48	Alabama	688
49	Louisiana	684
50	Mississippi	680

Credit Score by Region

Region	Average Score
Midwest	725
New England	727
West	718
Mid-Atlantic	714
Southeast	698
Southwest	697

Top 10 and Bottom 10 States

Highest Average Credit Scores

State	Score	Above National Avg
Minnesota	742	+28
Wisconsin	737	+23
South Dakota	735	+21
Vermont	734	+20
North Dakota	733	+19
New Hampshire	732	+18
Massachusetts	731	+17
Montana	730	+16
Nebraska	730	+16
Iowa	729	+15

Lowest Average Credit Scores

State	Score	Below National Avg
Mississippi	680	-34
Louisiana	684	-30
Alabama	688	-26
Texas	691	-23
Georgia	692	-22
Oklahoma	693	-21
West Virginia	694	-20
Arkansas	695	-19
South Carolina	696	-18
Nevada	697	-17

Credit Score by State vs. Key Metrics

Correlation with Income

State	Credit Score	Median Income	Income Rank
Minnesota	742	$77,720	10
Massachusetts	731	$89,645	2
Mississippi	680	$48,716	50
Louisiana	684	$52,087	47

Higher income states tend to have higher credit scores.

Correlation with Unemployment

State	Credit Score	Unemployment Rate
Minnesota	742	2.8%
South Dakota	735	2.0%
Mississippi	680	4.1%
Nevada	697	5.1%

Lower unemployment generally correlates with higher scores.

Credit Score Distribution by State

Minnesota (Highest)

Score Range	% of Population
800+	28%
750-799	24%
700-749	20%
650-699	14%
600-649	8%
Below 600	6%

Mississippi (Lowest)

Score Range	% of Population
800+	15%
750-799	17%
700-749	18%
650-699	18%
600-649	15%
Below 600	17%

Percentage with “Good” Credit (670+) by State

State	% with 670+ Score
Minnesota	78%
Wisconsin	76%
Vermont	75%
Mississippi	55%
Louisiana	58%
Alabama	60%
National Average	68%

Why State Scores Vary

Factor	High-Score States	Low-Score States
Median income	Higher	Lower
Unemployment	Lower	Higher
Education levels	Higher	Lower
Cost of living	Often higher	Often lower
Financial literacy	Better access	Less access
Economic stability	More stable	More volatile

Credit Score Trends by State

Fastest Improving States (5-Year Change)

State	Change
Nevada	+15 points
Florida	+12 points
Arizona	+11 points
California	+10 points

Most Stable States

State	Change
Minnesota	+3 points
Wisconsin	+3 points
Mississippi	+4 points

Major Cities vs. State Averages

City	Score	State Average
Minneapolis, MN	745	742
San Francisco, CA	732	716
Boston, MA	735	731
Jackson, MS	665	680
New Orleans, LA	672	684
Houston, TX	685	691
Detroit, MI	685	711
Miami, FL	690	704

Urban areas often differ from state averages.

Credit Card Debt by State

State	Avg. Debt	Credit Score
Alaska	$8,200	717
Connecticut	$7,900	724
New Jersey	$7,800	719
Mississippi	$5,300	680
Wisconsin	$5,700	737
Iowa	$5,500	729

Higher debt doesn’t always mean lower scores — it depends on utilization and payment history.

Delinquency Rates by State

State	90+ Day Delinquency	Credit Score
Mississippi	8.5%	680
Louisiana	7.8%	684
Alabama	7.2%	688
Minnesota	3.2%	742
Wisconsin	3.4%	737
North Dakota	3.5%	733

Lower delinquency rates correlate strongly with higher average scores.

What This Means for You

Living in a High-Score State

Consideration	Impact
Higher competition	Need better score for best rates
More financial resources	Better access to credit education
Lower default risk area	Lenders may have stricter standards

Living in a Low-Score State

Consideration	Impact
Above-average score is easier	Being at 700 puts you ahead of most
More subprime lenders	May face more predatory options
Score improvement valuable	Big impact on standing out

Bottom Line

Minnesota has the highest average credit score (742)
Mississippi has the lowest (680)
The national average is 714
Midwest and New England states rank highest overall
Southeast states tend to rank lowest
Scores correlate with income, unemployment, and education
A 700+ score puts you above average in most states
A 740+ score puts you in excellent standing nationwide

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