According to Experian’s State of Credit report for 2017, Minnesota residents have the highest average credit score at the state level in the nation at 709, which falls into Experian’s “good” range of credit scores between 670 and 739. Vermont has the next-highest average score at 702, followed by New Hampshire at 701, South Dakota at 700, and Massachusetts at 699.
Mississippi has the lowest average credit score at 647, which credit expert John Ulzheimer attributes to the state’s high credit delinquency rate and higher than average credit card utilization ratio.
"Consumers with good credit scores tend to get cards with higher initial limits and larger limit increases. That allows them to have higher balances while also having higher scores," Ulzheimer says. "Consumers with poor credit scores tend to have lower limits so even modest balances cause a higher utilization ratio and, thus, lower scores."
Over half of states have a “good” average credit score, while the remaining 19 states fall into the “fair” range between 580 and 669. Ulzheimer notes that 22.3% of Americans have a credit score at or above a “very good” 781.
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