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Average Credit Score by Generation: How Does Yours Stack Up?

February 7, 2025

4 min Read

Written by Caitlyn Moorhead

Edited by Chris Cluff

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No matter how old you are, once you’re an adult paying your bills is just a part of life. Added to that, with the ebb and flow of income due to job loss or career change, your credit card balances can also go up and down. In this current, somewhat volatile economy, you may have literally and figuratively hit your credit limit more than once.

The length of your credit history can be long at any age, but what really affects your credit score the most? If you ask FICO’s credit scoring model, your payment history is the most important factor in calculating credit scores, and this can explain why both credit mixes and scores vary so much by generation. Before scores are broken down by age, it can help to know some national average statistics — here are a few key takeaways according to FICO:

The average credit score in the United States is 717.
High interest rates and lingering inflation contribute to more missed payments, debt accumulation and difficulties in improving your credit score.
Minnesota has the highest average credit score at 742, while Mississippi has the lowest average at 680.

However, outside the national averages, some generations are doing better than others. Here’s a look at the average credit score at every age.

Gen Z’s Credit Score: 680

Gen Z is an age group that hasn’t had a lot of time to build credit, deal with credit card issuers or even secure personal loans. A younger generation is not where you’d expect to find higher credit scores but even with that in mind, the average credit score for Americans ages 18 to 28 is 680. This puts the average adult in this generation in the range of a “good” credit score (670 to 739).

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Millennials’ Credit Score: 691-704

FICO breaks down the average credit score by age range, and as millennials span over two of those age brackets the scores have a wider range. For example, people from age 30 to 39 have an average score of 691 whereas people from can 40 to 49 land at 704. As millennials currently fall between the ages of 29 to 44, the average credit score is closer to about 698.

Gen X’s Credit Score: 704-721

Generation X — ages 45 to 60 — has an average credit score has an approximate average credit score of about 713, which is just a few points lower than the national average overall. Scores and credit utilization ratios alike can vary with this generation as not only are they next up for retirement but also seem to be less financially stable than previous generations when they were in this age bracket.

Gen Xers aged 45 to 49 would have an average score of about 701 whereas the older end of that generation’s spectrum would be closer to 721. Credit scores in this range are good; but credit scores of 740 and above are “very good” while 800 and higher are considered excellent.

Baby Boomers’ Credit Score: 752

Americans ages 61 to 79 have an average credit score of 752. This puts them in the “very good” credit score range (740 to 799). Boomers are mostly retired or will be at full retirement age within the next few years so it’s better they have a sturdier financial foundation to live out their golden years more comfortably. They’ve also had the most time to grow their wealth and pay off debts.

The Silent Generation’s Average Credit Score: 760

Americans ages 80 and older have the highest average credit score of around 760. This generation has been retired for some time and is smaller due to the fact the average life expectancy in the U.S. is only 77 years.

Final Take To GO: Credit Bureaus vs. Every Generation Average Credit Score

The bottom line is that knowing how your credit score compares to not only the national average but also to your contemporaries can help you gauge where you may need to edit your spending to build your credit. If the numbers on your report are dipping lower than you’d like, here are some tips to improve your credit score: