Americans’ average FICO credit score is holding steady, but experts say this number masks some affordability pressures and reveals how rising costs are shaping their financial decisions.
Today, the average U.S. FICO score sits at 714, down one point from a year ago but unchanged from October 2025, according to a new FICO® Score Credit Insights report.
A FICO credit score is a three-digit number that reflects the information in your credit reports and considers your payment history, amounts owed, credit history length, new credit, and credit mix. This score is used by lenders to make decisions about whether you qualify for mortgages, credit cards, loans, and more.
The report serves as a snapshot of consumers’ credit health as rising costs tied to auto loans, housing, and credit cards put pressure on household budgets.
Read more: How are credit scores calculated?
Affordability remains an issue
Affordability remains a struggle for many Americans, particularly among lower-scoring and thin-file borrowers.
The report showed that the average monthly payment for a first-time home buyer increased 57% since 2019, and mortgage balances for borrowers with scores below 620 have grown 43% since April 2019.
Auto loan balances for the lowest-scoring borrowers were also up 36%, and subsequent 90-plus-day delinquency rates for both mortgages and autos rose exclusively in the lowest-score bands, remaining flat across all higher score ranges.
“The stability we’re seeing in the national average FICO score isn’t necessarily because things have gotten easier for consumers — costs have risen across nearly every credit product people use, from mortgages to auto loans to credit cards,” said Tommy Lee, senior director at FICO. “What’s kept the average steady is that delinquency has actually improved or held steady across every major loan type. That’s a story about financial discipline under pressure, not economic ease.”
Delinquency remained stable or improved across most products, according to the FICO report. The share of mortgage borrowers in early-stage delinquency eased from 1.42% to 1.35% year over year, while 30-day auto delinquency improved by 5 basis points to 2.6%.
This comes on the heels of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s quarterly report on household debt and credit, which showed that credit card balances rose by $21 billion to stand at $1.26 trillion — a 1.7% increase from the previous quarter and nearing last year’s high of $1.28 trillion.
Some of the strategies Americans are using to cover costs include using buy now, pay later services to keep large expenses from straining their budgets and relying on others for ongoing financial support.
Even so, it seems many Americans are still prioritizing their financial health, with nearly three-quarters of Americans checking their FICO scores multiple times a year.
“Younger consumers in particular are treating credit as a tool they’re actively managing, not something that happens to them,” Lee said. “That said, things have not been easy for younger generations.”
He said that about 74% of Gen Z consumers rely on some form of financial support, most often from parents, and, more broadly, 37% of all Americans say the same, with 19% citing parents specifically.
“And 68% of Gen Z homeowners told us housing costs have made it harder to keep up with other expenses,” Lee said. “The credit gains are real, but they’re happening alongside — not in spite of — meaningful financial strain.”
Tips to build and maintain a healthy FICO score
According to FICO, most creditors will consider your scores “good” if they fall between 670 and 739 (on a scale of 300 to 850), with higher scores signaling a lower-risk applicant and lower scores signaling a higher-risk applicant.
Some of the best ways to maintain a healthy score include:
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Making payments on time: Payment history is the most heavily weighted factor in your score calculation, so it’s important to make payments on time and avoid late or missed payments, defaults, charge-offs, collections, bankruptcies, and foreclosures.
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Making more than the minimum payment to reduce your credit utilization: The second most important factor in your FICO score is the amounts owed or how much credit you’re using. Working to reduce your balances by making extra payments or paying more than the minimum amount can boost your score.
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Limiting new credit applications: Each time you apply for a new credit card or loan, it will result in a hard inquiry. Too many hard inquiries in a short amount of time can negatively impact your score, so it’s best to avoid new applications unless absolutely necessary.
Read more: What is a FICO score, and why should you know yours?
