A good FICO score falls between 670 and 739 on a scale of 300 to 850. That range sits right in the middle of FICO’s five credit score tiers, and it’s roughly where the average American lands. As of early 2026, the national average FICO score is 714. If you’re at or above that mark, you’re in solid shape for most lending decisions, though moving higher unlocks noticeably better terms.
The Five FICO Score Tiers
FICO divides its 300-to-850 scale into five categories:
- Exceptional (800 to 850): The top tier. You’ll qualify for the lowest interest rates available and get approved for nearly any credit product.
- Very Good (740 to 799): Still well above average. Lenders consider you a low-risk borrower, and your rates will be close to what exceptional borrowers receive.
- Good (670 to 739): You’re seen as an acceptable borrower. Most lenders will approve you, though your interest rates may be moderately higher than those offered to top-tier applicants.
- Fair (580 to 669): You’ll likely get approved for credit, but at higher rates. Some lenders may require larger down payments or additional conditions.
- Poor (300 to 579): Approval is difficult. When you do qualify, expect high interest rates, secured cards, or subprime loan products.
These categories aren’t just labels. They directly influence what you pay. A borrower with a score of 700 looking at a 30-year fixed mortgage would see an average rate around 6.63%, based on March 2026 data. A borrower with an 800 score would pay about 6.25% for the same loan. That 0.38 percentage point gap may sound small, but on a $350,000 mortgage, it adds up to roughly $25,000 in extra interest over the life of the loan.
What “Good” Gets You in Practice
A good FICO score (670 to 739) opens the door to most mainstream financial products. You can qualify for conventional mortgages, standard auto loans, and rewards credit cards. You won’t be turned away from most lenders.
Where you’ll notice the difference is in pricing. Credit card issuers may offer you a mid-range APR rather than the lowest advertised rate. Auto lenders will approve you comfortably, since most prefer borrowers with scores of 661 or higher, but your rate will be higher than what someone in the 740-plus range receives. For mortgages, you’ll qualify but pay more per month than a borrower with an exceptional score on the same loan amount.
The practical takeaway: a good score is enough to get approved. Pushing into the “very good” range (740 and above) is where the real savings start showing up.
Why Your Score May Differ by Lender
FICO doesn’t produce just one score. There are dozens of versions tailored to specific lending decisions, and they don’t all use the same scale. The base FICO score (the one most people check through their bank or a free monitoring service) runs from 300 to 850. But industry-specific versions work differently.
FICO Auto Scores, for example, range from 250 to 900. These scores are weighted to predict how likely you are to repay a car loan specifically, and lenders use their own classification system. In auto lending, scores are often grouped as deep subprime (500 or below), subprime (501 to 600), nonprime (601 to 660), prime (661 to 780), and super prime (781 and above). So a “good” score for a car loan doesn’t map perfectly onto the base FICO tiers you see when you check your score online.
FICO also has specialized scores for credit cards, mortgages, and personal loans, each fine-tuned for that type of borrowing. Your score in one model may be 20 or 30 points different from another, depending on how each version weighs your credit behavior.
How FICO 10T Changes the Picture
The newest generation of FICO scoring, called FICO 10T, adds a layer that older models like FICO 8 don’t consider: trends over time. Most scoring models look at a snapshot of your credit report, focusing on the most recently reported data. FICO 10T examines at least 24 months of history to identify patterns.
Credit utilization is a clear example. If you’re carrying a high balance this month, an older model sees that as a negative signal regardless of context. FICO 10T also checks whether your utilization has been climbing or falling over time. A borrower who has been steadily paying down balances looks different from one who has been running them up, even if both have the same balance today. This means that consistent improvement in your credit habits carries more weight under FICO 10T than it did under previous versions.
The Factors That Determine Your Score
Your FICO score is calculated from five categories of information on your credit report, each carrying a different weight. Payment history is the single biggest factor, accounting for about 35% of your score. Even one missed payment can drop your score significantly, and late payments stay on your report for seven years.
Amounts owed makes up roughly 30%. This isn’t just how much total debt you carry. It’s primarily your credit utilization ratio: the percentage of your available credit you’re currently using. Keeping utilization below 30% is a common guideline, but borrowers in the exceptional range typically stay under 10%.
Length of credit history (15%) rewards you for keeping accounts open over time. The age of your oldest account, the average age of all your accounts, and how recently you’ve used certain accounts all feed into this. Closing an old credit card can shorten your history and lower your score.
Credit mix (10%) considers the variety of accounts you manage. Having a combination of revolving credit (like credit cards) and installment loans (like a mortgage or auto loan) shows lenders you can handle different types of debt. You don’t need to take on debt just to diversify, but having a thin profile with only one type of account can limit your score.
New credit (10%) tracks how many accounts you’ve recently opened and how many hard inquiries are on your report. Applying for several credit products in a short window can signal risk, though FICO does group multiple mortgage or auto loan inquiries within a 14- to 45-day window as a single inquiry, since it recognizes you’re rate shopping rather than taking on multiple debts.
Moving From Good to Very Good
If your score is in the 670 to 739 range and you want to push higher, the most effective moves target the two biggest scoring factors. Pay every bill on time, every month. Set up autopay for at least the minimum on all accounts so nothing slips through.
Next, reduce your credit utilization. If you’re using 40% of your available credit, paying down balances or requesting a credit limit increase (without spending more) can move the needle quickly. Utilization updates monthly as your card issuers report to the credit bureaus, so changes here can improve your score within one to two billing cycles.
Avoid opening new accounts unless you genuinely need them. Each application generates a hard inquiry, and new accounts lower your average account age. If you have older accounts you’re not using, keep them open. The available credit they provide lowers your utilization ratio, and their age boosts your credit history length.
Reaching the 740 threshold is where you’ll start seeing the best rates on mortgages, auto loans, and credit cards. Getting to 800 provides a slight additional edge, but the biggest jump in lending terms happens when you cross from good into very good territory.