What Is a Good Credit Score? (And What Each Range Buys You)

"Good" depends on what you're trying to buy. Here's the standard breakdown for FICO's 300-850 range, and what each band realistically unlocks.

The ranges

• 800-850 Exceptional. You get the best advertised rates on everything. Lenders compete for you.
• 740-799 Very good. Functionally the same rates as exceptional in most lending. Above 740, more points mostly buy bragging rights.
• 670-739 Good. You'll be approved for most credit at decent-but-not-best rates. Most apartment applications pass without drama.
• 580-669 Fair. Approvals get harder and pricier. Subprime auto rates, bigger apartment deposits, secured cards as the main option.
• Below 580 Poor. Most mainstream credit is out of reach. The work here is foundational: secured cards, builder loans, dispute errors, stabilize.

What the bands buy in real life

Apartments

Most landlords start screening around 600-650. Below that, expect larger deposits, co-signer requests, or rejections in competitive buildings. Some large property managers auto-decline below their cutoff with no human review. Above 700, you usually pass the credit gate without it being a topic.

Auto loans

The rate spread here is brutal. The difference between a 660 and a 760 on a 60-month $30,000 loan can be several percentage points of APR - thousands of dollars for the same car. This is where score work pays for itself fastest.

Mortgages

Conventional loans generally want 620+, FHA can go to 580 with 3.5% down (500 with 10% down). But approval isn't the prize - pricing is. Mortgage rates are tiered in 20-point score bands, and the best pricing typically starts at 740-760. On a 30-year loan, a single tier is real money every month.

Credit cards

Premium rewards cards want roughly 700+. Below that, expect either plain cards, lower limits, or secured cards (deposit-backed) - which, used right, are a legit rebuilding tool, not a consolation prize.

The honest takeaway

700 is the number that changes how the world treats you - it's where I was aiming from 650, and the difference in deposits and quotes was immediate. 740 is where pricing stops improving meaningfully. Past that, protect what you built rather than obsessing over points.

Quick answers

Is 650 a bad score?

It's "fair" - workable, but expensive. You'll get approved for some things and overpay for most of them. The climb from 650 to 700 is very doable in months, not years, if utilization and any errors are the problem.

How many people have 800+?

Roughly a fifth to a quarter of scorable consumers, depending on the year and model. It's not magic - it's boring habits held for years.