What Is a Good Credit Score? FICO and VantageScore Ranges

A good credit score is generally 670 or higher on the 300 to 850 scale that FICO and VantageScore use. Scores from 740 up are usually called very good to excellent and tend to unlock the best rates. There is no single official cutoff, because every lender sets its own bar, but the bands below are the widely used reference.

A credit score is a tool lenders use to estimate the risk of lending to you, not a grade on your character. The two most common models, FICO and VantageScore, both run from 300 to 850. Their exact bands differ a little, but they broadly agree on what counts as strong, fair, and poor.

Credit score ranges at a glance

Here is how the 300 to 850 range is commonly divided. Treat these as general guidance, not hard rules, because each lender applies its own thresholds.

For a fuller walk through each band and what it unlocks, see our breakdown of the credit score range.

Is your specific score good? A quick reference

People often want to know whether one exact number is good or bad. The short answer is that it depends on the band it falls in and what you are trying to do with it. Here is where common scores land.

So a 645 or a 665 is fair and a little short of good, a 684 and a 708 are both good, and a 781 or 784 is very good. Notice that the jump from fair to good, right around 670, tends to matter far more for the terms you are offered than the difference between two very good scores. Above roughly 740 the gains flatten out, which is why a 784 and an 812 usually get the same rate.

Is a 700 credit score good?

Yes. A 700 credit score sits in the good band and qualifies most people for mainstream credit cards, auto loans, and conventional mortgages, though not always at the lowest advertised rate. To reach the best pricing tiers, lenders often want to see 740 or higher, so 700 is a strong base to build on rather than a finish line.

What is the average credit score?

The average FICO score in the United States has hovered around the low 700s in recent years, which places the typical American in the good band. Averages move slowly and vary by age, since older borrowers have had longer to build history. Where you sit relative to the average matters less than whether your own score is trending up.

FICO and VantageScore are not the same number

You have more than one credit score, and they often differ. FICO and VantageScore use different formulas, weigh factors slightly differently, and may pull from different bureau data. There are also multiple active versions of each model. Seeing a 720 in one app and a 705 in another is normal, not an error. Watch the trend over time instead of fixating on a single figure on a single day.

What is a good credit score to buy a house?

For a conventional mortgage, many lenders look for 620 as a minimum, but the best rates usually start around 740. FHA loans can go lower, sometimes to 580 or below with a larger down payment. A higher score can save tens of thousands of dollars over a 30-year loan, so it is worth preparing. We cover this in detail in our look at credit for a mortgage.

What is a good credit score to buy a car?

Auto lenders approve a wide range of scores, but the interest rate you pay swings sharply on your band. Borrowers in the very good and excellent ranges see the lowest APRs, while fair-band borrowers can pay several points more. You can be approved with a fair score, so the real question is what rate that score earns you, not whether you qualify at all.

What is a good credit score to rent an apartment?

Many landlords and property managers look for a score in the low-to-mid 600s, often around 620 to 650, though standards vary by market and by how competitive the unit is. In tight rental markets the bar can be higher. See our full guide on the credit score to rent an apartment for what landlords actually check.

What lenders actually look at

A score is a starting point, not the whole decision. When you apply, lenders typically also weigh:

• Income and debt. Your ability to repay, often expressed as a debt-to-income ratio, sits alongside the score.
• The specific product. A mortgage, a car loan, and a credit card each carry different risk profiles and thresholds.
• Recent activity. A flurry of new accounts or rising balances can give a lender pause even with a decent score.

Good is relative to your goal. A score that easily approves a credit card might be on the edge for a mortgage at the best rate. Aim for the band your next goal requires, not an abstract perfect number.

How can I raise my score into a good range?

The factors that set your band are the same ones that move every score: paying on time, keeping balances low relative to your limits, letting accounts age, and applying for new credit deliberately. Nothing drags a band down faster than a missed payment, so if one is already on your file, read what actually works to remove a late payment from your credit report. Of these, lowering your credit utilization ratio is often the quickest visible win, because it can update as soon as a lower balance is reported. For the full set of levers in priority order, see how to improve your credit score.

Does checking your score lower it?

No. Checking your own score is a soft inquiry and does not lower it, so you can and should monitor it regularly. Only a hard inquiry from a lender you applied with can shave off a few points. We unpack the difference in our piece on hard versus soft credit inquiries.

Where Creditpal fits

Creditpal connects your profile read-only and explains where you stand in plain language, then shows the likely direction of changes with the credit score simulator so you can see what might move you toward the next band, never a promised number. It is educational coaching, not a lender funnel. To pull your reports for free, go to annualcreditreport.com, and for your consumer rights, visit the CFPB at consumerfinance.gov.