FICO Score Credit Insights: Average FICO Score Holds Steady at 714; Consumers Show Resilience
(Illustration courtesy of Goran Grudić via pexels.com)
FICO, Bozeman, Mont., reported the average U.S. FICO Score is 714–unchanged since October 2025 but down one point from a year ago–as student loan delinquency reporting matures.
The firm’s Fall 2026 FICO Score Credit Insights report found that improving delinquency rates across every major loan type offset ongoing affordability pressure.
“Affordability is the defining story in our latest edition of the FICO Score Credit Insights report,” noted Ethan Dornhelm, head of scores analytics at FICO. “Costs have risen across nearly every credit product consumers use, and yet delinquency has improved or held steady across every major loan type.”
Dornhelm said the stability of the national average FICO Score at 714 reflects the resilience many consumers continue to demonstrate. “At the same time, the data shows that resilience isn’t being tested equally, with lower-scoring and thin-file borrowers facing the greatest pressure,” he added.
Key findings from the FICO Score Credit Insights report:
Average FICO Score holds at 714: The national average FICO Score was flat from October 2025 to April 2026, down one point year-over-year. “That stability carries echoes of the K-shaped economy we reported in previous reports,” the report said.
Delinquencies stable or improving across most products: Early-stage mortgage delinquency eased from 1.42% to 1.35% year-over-year, and auto 30-day delinquency improved five basis points to 2.6%. Bankcard and personal loan delinquency were largely unchanged.
Mortgage affordability pressures persist: The average monthly payment for a first-time homebuyer reached $2,563, a 57% increase since 2019. “That has outpaced inflation since rates began climbing in 2022,” FICO said.
Younger generations continue to build credit strength: Gen Z and Millennials have posted the largest FICO Score gains since before the pandemic–up 17 and 10 points, respectively–continuing a multi-year trend of building credit history and habits.
Pressure concentrated among lower-scoring borrowers: Mortgage balances for borrowers with FICO Scores below 620 have grown 43% since April 2019, and auto loan balances for the lowest-scoring borrowers are up 36%, both outpacing the 30% inflation rate over the same period while higher-scoring borrowers tracked closer to it. “That cost pressure is showing up in performance: subsequent 90-day-plus delinquency rates for both mortgage and auto rose exclusively in the lowest score bands, holding flat across every higher score range,” the report said.
Student loan borrowers show diverging paths: FICO said approximately 3.2 million consumers with a payment due had a recent student-loan delinquency and experienced an average 38-point year-over-year decline in their FICO Score, while consistent payers gained six points and those without recent delinquency gained 16 points.
Consumers remain engaged with their credit, but knowledge gaps persist
New consumer research conducted by The Harris Poll for FICO found that Americans remain “highly engaged” in managing their credit, with 84% saying maintaining or enhancing their credit score is a priority for 2027 and 89% have taken at least one step in the past year to improve their financial health, most commonly checking their credit score (56%, up from 49% in 2024). Nearly three-quarters (72%) of Americans check their score multiple times a year or more often. But despite the engagement, knowledge gaps and credit myths persist as more than one in 4 (27%) believe checking your credit score lowers it, and nearly two-thirds (65%) either incorrectly believe income factors into a credit score or are unsure.
