A credit score of 670 or higher is generally considered good on the FICO scale, which ranges from 300 to 850. If your score is in that range or above, most lenders, landlords, and credit card issuers will view you as a relatively low-risk borrower. The national average FICO Score sits at 714, which means the typical American falls squarely in “good” territory.
Score Ranges for FICO and VantageScore
Two major scoring models dominate the credit world: FICO and VantageScore. Both use a 300 to 850 scale, but they draw the lines between categories at slightly different points.
For FICO Scores, the tiers break down like this:
- Poor: 300 to 579
- Fair: 580 to 669
- Good: 670 to 739
- Very good: 740 to 799
- Exceptional: 800 to 850
VantageScore sets its “good” threshold a bit higher, at 700. Most mortgage lenders, auto lenders, and credit card issuers pull a FICO Score, so the 670 cutoff is the one you’ll encounter most often. When you check your score through a free banking app or credit monitoring service, look at which model it’s reporting so you know which scale applies.
Where the Average American Falls
The average U.S. FICO Score is 714, according to FICO’s own data from early 2026. That number has been drifting downward since 2023, dropping 2 points in the past year alone. The decline is largely tied to resumed student loan payment reporting and a modest uptick in mortgage delinquencies. If your score is near that 714 mark, you’re right in the middle of the pack, comfortably in the “good” range but with room to climb into “very good” or higher.
What a Good Score Gets You
The practical value of a good credit score shows up in the interest rates and products available to you. The difference between tiers can translate into thousands of dollars over the life of a loan.
Mortgage rates illustrate this clearly. Based on Consumer Financial Protection Bureau data from April 2025, a borrower with a 700 credit score shopping for a 30-year fixed conventional loan on a $400,000 home with 10% down could see rates ranging from about 5.875% to 8.125%. A borrower with a 625 score, by contrast, faced a range of 6.125% to 8.875% for the same loan. That gap of a quarter point or more at the low end adds up to tens of thousands of dollars in interest over 30 years.
For rentals, landlords who run credit checks typically look for a FICO Score above 670. A score in that range signals to a property manager that you’re likely to pay rent on time. Falling below that threshold won’t necessarily disqualify you, but you may be asked for a larger security deposit or a co-signer.
Credit Cards and Score Requirements
A good credit score (670 to 739) opens the door to most standard rewards credit cards, including cash-back and mid-tier travel cards. You’ll qualify for competitive interest rates and reasonable annual fees.
Premium travel cards with large sign-up bonuses and luxury perks are a different story. These cards, which can carry annual fees of $500 or more, typically require scores in the “very good” or “exceptional” range. A card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, with its $795 annual fee, generally requires excellent credit, meaning a FICO Score of at least 740 and often higher. If your score is in the low 700s, you’ll have plenty of solid card options, but the top-tier products may remain out of reach until you move up a tier.
How to Move From Good to Very Good
If your score already sits in the 670 to 739 range, the jump to “very good” (740 and above) is achievable with a few focused habits. The two biggest factors in your FICO Score are payment history and credit utilization, which together account for roughly 65% of the calculation.
Payment history is straightforward: pay every bill on time, every month. Even one payment reported 30 days late can knock your score down significantly, and the mark stays on your credit report for seven years. Setting up autopay for at least the minimum due on each account eliminates the risk of a missed payment.
Credit utilization measures how much of your available credit you’re using. If you have $10,000 in total credit limits and carry a $3,000 balance, your utilization is 30%. Keeping that ratio below 30% is a common guideline, but borrowers with very good and exceptional scores typically stay under 10%. Paying down balances or requesting a credit limit increase (without increasing your spending) both help lower this ratio.
Length of credit history also matters. Keeping older accounts open, even if you rarely use them, preserves the average age of your accounts. Closing your oldest card can shorten your history and temporarily ding your score. Limiting new credit applications helps too, since each hard inquiry shaves a few points off your score for up to a year.
Most people who consistently follow these habits can move from “good” to “very good” within 6 to 12 months, depending on their starting point and whether any negative items are dragging the score down.
Which Score Lenders Actually See
You have dozens of credit scores, not just one. FICO alone produces multiple versions tailored to specific industries: one optimized for mortgage lending, another for auto loans, another for credit cards. The score you see on a free monitoring app may differ from what a lender pulls by 20 points or more.
This is normal and not a cause for concern. The free scores you monitor are directionally accurate. If your free score shows 710, you’re very likely in the “good” range regardless of which specific FICO version a lender uses. The important thing is to track trends over time rather than fixating on a single number. A score that’s been climbing steadily over several months tells you your habits are working, even if the exact number varies by source.