Your credit score can be either a valuable ally or a millstone around your neck. For people with a long, documented history of making good on their financial obligations, you can expect to secure better rates on loans — which ultimately translates to thousands of dollars in savings over the course of a 30-year mortgage, for instance. But, if you’ve struggled to pay your bills or made a point of avoiding debt altogether, you might find that a lower credit rating will throw a wrench into certain aspects of your life plan.
After all, greater creditworthiness can mean more freedom for consumers to make major purchases. To see if Americans in different parts of the country have an easier — or harder — time accessing credit, GOBankingRates compiled data from Experian that shows the average VantageScore in every state, providing a panoramic snapshot of the nation’s credit.
