Your credit score ranges from 300 to 850. There are technically many types of credit scores, and not all of them use this scale, but the most popular ones do. That includes the FICO® Score system, which is what's most widely used by lenders.
Since higher scores are better, an 850 is a perfect score. It's also notoriously difficult to reach. While improving your credit score isn't too difficult, getting the highest possible score is. It takes many years and quite a bit of work managing your credit.
So, just how rare is it to have a perfect credit score? A credit score study by The Motley Fool Ascent has the answer. After we look at that, we'll also cover why perfection isn't necessary when it comes to your credit score.
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How many Americans have an 850 credit score?
Only 1.31% of Americans with a FICO® Score have a perfect 850 credit score. While a score this high is rare among any demographic, older generations are more likely to have perfect credit. Baby boomers make up a whopping 59.4% of the people with an 850 credit score. Millennials, on the other hand, make up just 4.1%, and Generation Z a mere 0.1%.
In terms of actual numbers, there were 258 million credit-eligible people as of the 2020 U.S. Census. However, some adults don't have enough data on their credit history for FICO to be able to calculate a score for them. They're considered "credit invisible."
FICO data scientists have estimated that 232 million U.S. consumers could be scored under the FICO® Score system. Based on that number, about 3.04 million Americans would have an 850 credit score.
Nobody needs perfect credit
The financial benefits of perfect credit are the same as having very good credit. The only special thing about perfect credit is bragging rights -- but showing off an 850 probably isn't going to make you the life of the party.
In terms of how high your credit score needs to be, a FICO® Score of at least 760 is fine. At that point, your score is high enough to pass any credit check, qualify for any financial product, and get the lowest rates on loans. You'll likely be able to qualify for all these:
- Best credit cards
- Low-interest mortgages
- Low-interest personal loans
To be clear, no credit score guarantees you'll be approved for whatever you want. You can still get denied for a credit card or mortgage with a 760 credit score, or an 850. Lenders look at much more than just your credit score. But once you have a FICO® Score of 760, your credit won't hold you back from anything.
To sum it up, an 850 credit score is a lot of work for no real reward. A high credit score is beneficial, but an 850 isn't necessary.
How to improve your credit score
If it's not where you want it to be yet, here are a few tips that will help you raise your credit score:
- Have at least one credit card you use regularly. To build credit, you need to borrow money and pay it back. A credit card is one of the best ways to do this. If you pay your full balance every month, you don't get charged credit card interest.
- Always pay your bills by the due date. Your payment history is the most significant factor in your credit score. A late payment (meaning one that's past due by 30 days or more) on a credit card or loan can severely damage your credit.
- Keep your balance below 30% of your credit limit. For example, if your card has a limit of $10,000, aim to always have the balance below $3,000. Another important part of your credit score is your credit utilization ratio, and using too much of your credit can cause issues.
- Be selective when applying for new credit cards and loans. Opening new accounts and applying for new credit cards can lower your credit score. When you're trying to improve your credit, it's best to keep these to a minimum.
Some people think building credit is complicated, but it's really not. If you follow those habits, you can make fast progress with your credit score.
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FAQs
Although a lot of people might like the idea of a perfect credit score, they'd likely have a hard time actually achieving it. In the U.S., only about 1.7 percent of the scorable population had a perfect 850 FICO credit score in April 2023, according to FICO data.
What percentage of people have a perfect 850 credit score? ›
And when it comes to credit, 850 is the highest the FICO® Score☉ scale goes. For more and more U.S. consumers, practice is making perfect. According to recent Experian data, 1.54% of consumers have a "perfect" FICO® Score of 850.
What percentage of US population has 800 credit score? ›
Twenty-three percent of Americans have a credit score between 800 and 850, considered "exceptional" by FICO. A credit score at the top of that range -- 850 -- is considered a perfect score. Twenty-four percent have a FICO® Score between 750 and 799, making the "very good" bracket.
What percentage of Americans have an 840 credit score? ›
Your 840 FICO® Score falls in the range of scores, from 800 to 850, that is categorized as Exceptional. Your FICO® Score is well above the average credit score, and you are likely to receive easy approvals when applying for new credit. 21% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Exceptional range.
Does anyone have a 900 credit score? ›
While older models of credit scores used to go as high as 900, you can no longer achieve a 900 credit score. The highest score you can receive today is 850. Anything above 800 is considered an excellent credit score.
How many people have 830 credit scores? ›
14.5% of people have a credit score of 800 or higher:
All columns may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
What is the average credit score in America in 2024? ›
The average VantageScore is 701 as of January 2024.
What is the average American FICO Score? ›
The latest credit score data is in and as of October 2023, the national average FICO® Score now stands at 717. This is one point lower than it was earlier in 2023 and reflects the first time the metric has decreased in a decade as shown in Figure 1.
How rare is a 750 credit score? ›
A 750 FICO® Score is above the average credit score. Borrowers with scores in the Very Good range typically qualify for lenders' better interest rates and product offers. 25% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Very Good range.
What is the average credit score by age? ›
Average FICO 8 score by age
| Age group | Average FICO 8 score |
|---|
| 30-39 | 692 |
| 40-49 | 706 |
| 50-59 | 724 |
| 60+ | 753 |
1 more rowMar 7, 2024
The average American household now owes $7,951 in credit card debt, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the U.S. Census Bureau. But that's just the average.
How many people have a 820 credit score? ›
Membership in the 800+ credit score club is quite exclusive, with fewer than 1 in 6 people boasting a score that high, according to WalletHub data.
How many Americans have 825 credit score? ›
Fewer than one-fourth of U.S. adults have credit scores of 800 or higher. Generally speaking, it takes a rather long history of responsible credit behavior to build your score to this level. A credit score of 825 tells lenders that you are highly likely to pay back money that you borrow.
What percentage of Americans have an 850 credit score? ›
Only 1.31% of Americans with a FICO® Score have a perfect 850 credit score. While a score this high is rare among any demographic, older generations are more likely to have perfect credit.
How many Americans have a credit score over 810? ›
Your 810 FICO® Score falls in the range of scores, from 800 to 850, that is categorized as Exceptional. Your FICO® Score is well above the average credit score, and you are likely to receive easy approvals when applying for new credit. 21% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Exceptional range.
How hard is it to get a 850 credit score? ›
After all, three million Americans have climbed the Mount Everest of credit score figures. If they can pull it off, why can't you do the same? A score of 850 can only be achieved with 10+ years of credit, excellent on-time payment history, low credit utilization, and no recent hard inquiries, which is a tall ask.
Is a credit score of 720 to 850 considered excellent? ›
A 720 credit score on the common credit scoring range of 300-850 is right at the border of “good” and “excellent.” In fact, when your score hits 720, you've just crossed over into the excellent score band. That's great news, unless your score was higher and you're worried about what a loss of points might mean.
Is 800 credit score rare? ›
According to a report by FICO, only 23% of the scorable population has a credit score of 800 or above.
How common is a 790 credit score? ›
A 790 FICO® Score is above the average credit score. Borrowers with scores in the Very Good range typically qualify for lenders' better interest rates and product offers. 25% of all consumers have FICO® Scores in the Very Good range.
