The average credit score in the United States is 713, according to Experian data from the end of 2025, and it just fell for the first time since 2013. The average hides a wide spread, though. About 70% of Americans score 670 or better, while roughly 15% sit below 580, and those two groups live in very different borrowing worlds.
Here's what 100 points can mean in dollars. On a $10,000 three-year personal loan, a borrower with a 640 score might be quoted around 25% APR, while a borrower at 740 might see 12%. Same loan, same term. The 640 borrower pays roughly $66 more every month and about $2,350 more in interest before the loan is done.
These figures are illustrative. Actual rates, payments and terms depend on your credit profile, income, the lender and the state you live in.
So your score isn't just a number on an app. It's a price tag. This guide walks through what the ranges actually mean, the average score by age, whether 600 or 630 counts as good, and how to check your own score without hurting it.
Credit Score Ranges: What the Numbers Mean
Two scoring models dominate in the US: FICO, which most lenders use when they price a loan, and VantageScore, which powers many free score apps. Both run from 300 to 850. That answers a common search directly: the lowest possible credit score is 300, under either model. Almost nobody sits at 300 in real life. Getting there would take defaults on essentially every account, and even most badly bruised credit files score above 450.
