Scores 500 520 550 580 600 620 640 650 660 670 680 690 700 720 740 750 760 780 800 820 850

Is 560 a good credit score?

No, 560 is a poor score, and it is close enough to 580 that timing matters. It is in FICO's Poor range and Subprime on VantageScore. Twenty points separate you from the FHA line for 3.5% down, so anyone planning to buy a home should weigh waiting against buying now.

By the Credit Score Ladder editorial teamReviewed October 14, 2026Car benchmarks: Q2 202611 sources

What reaching 580 is worth

Points to go +20 From 560 to 580
Car financing · quarterly benchmark 13.52% APR New-car average if VantageScore 4.0 is 560 Used car: 19.1% · Experian Q2 2026
Mortgage · FHA down payment 10% down FHA program minimum at this decision score At 580: 3.5% down · See cash example

At 580 FHA's minimum down payment drops to 3.5% and FICO relabels you Fair. A gap of twenty points is the kind a paid-down card balance or a corrected error can sometimes close. If the cause is a recent late payment, expect it to take longer.

Car averages use VantageScore 4.0; FHA requirements use the lender’s decision score. These models are not interchangeable. Neither figure guarantees approval.

Make it your loanCompare with your amount and term

What a 560 credit score gets you

Mortgage

Limited

FHA with at least 10% down. Conventional is not formally closed: Fannie Mae removed its minimum score for loans run through its automated underwriting in November 2025. But Fannie's loan-level price adjustments are highest for scores of 639 and below, and individual lenders may still say no.

Car loan

Limited

Car financing may be available, subject to lender requirements. If your VantageScore 4.0 is in the 501-600 tier, Experian’s Q2 2026 averages were 13.52% new and 19.1% used. A FICO 560 does not establish that VantageScore; compare actual APR, amount and term.

Credit cards

Limited

Secured cards are the reliable option, and a few unsecured cards built for poor credit exist, with small limits. One card used lightly is enough.

Renting

Possible

Possible, with conditions. No official minimum score exists, and what a landlord sees in the report itself, such as collections or past-due balances, can matter more than the number.

These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.

What 560 costs you in interest

Published FICO-band rates begin at 620 for mortgages and 640 for car loans, so 560 has no bar on either staircase. The car chart below uses Experian's VantageScore tiers. The mortgage cost at this score depends on the route you take more than on any rate table.

Car financing · Q2 2026

If your VantageScore 4.0 is 560

Subprime · 501–600. A FICO 560 does not establish this VantageScore.

New car average APR13.52%

$460.40/mo · $7,624 total interest

Used car average APR19.1%

$519.91/mo · $11,195 total interest

Illustration: $20,000 financed over 60 months at the quarterly average APR. Experian averages cover different loan terms; these are payment scenarios, not quotes for a 60-month loan. Compare your amount and another VantageScore →

$35,000 new car, 60 months, by VantageScore tier

16.11%300
13.52%501
9.71%601
6.15%661
4.41%781
VantageScore 4.0 tiers, not a conversion of your FICO score. Experian Q2 2026
Score bandRateMonthlyTotal interestvs. best
781–8504.41%$651$4,064–
661–7806.15%$679$5,746+$1,681
601–6609.71%$739$9,320+$5,255
501–60013.52%$806$13,342+$9,278
300–50016.11%$853$16,191+$12,126

Experian's subprime averages describe borrowers scored with VantageScore, not an automatic quote for a FICO 560. A different model may put you in a different tier.

FHA permits 10% down at this score, compared with 3.5% at 580, subject to other program and lender requirements. Conventional options depend on the full application. Ask for the applicable fees and requirements rather than treating a score as approval.

For a home purchase

What changes in your down payment?

Compare the FHA minimum at 560 with 580 using the same home price.

At 560$25,000

10% minimum down payment

At 580$8,750

3.5% minimum down payment

Less down payment required$16,250

Cash requirement changes. This is not an interest saving.

Putting less down means borrowing more for the same home. Compare the monthly payment and cash reserve as well as the upfront requirement. Closing costs, mortgage insurance and lender requirements are additional. These examples assume the price equals the FHA adjusted value; a lower appraisal can change the cash needed.

Source: HUD FHA credit-score and LTV rules →
Your next move, in dollars

What would a different score cost?

Same loan. Two scores. See the difference.

Experian · VantageScore 4.0Q2 2026
Choose your loan

Enter VantageScore 4.0 values. These are not a conversion of your FICO score.

Adjust the figures to match the loan you have in mind.

VantageScore 4.0 scenarios · Experian Q2 2026. A FICO 560 does not establish a VantageScore of 560.

Estimated monthly saving
$38.31/mo

At 601 compared with 560

Full-term interest saving$2,298.62
Estimated principal and interest on $20,000 over 60 months
ScoreReference rateMonthly paymentTotal interest
56013.52%$460.40$7,624.18
6019.71%$422.09$5,325.56

At 601, the estimate is $38.31 less per month and $2,298.62 less interest over the full term.

Car APR averages by VantageScore 4.0 tier, Experian Q2 2026. Both scores use the same quarterly dataset. Terms and amounts are illustrative; the averages are not specific to a 60-month loan. Methodology.

What this estimate includes

Estimates use national average bands, not an offer or approval prediction. Your lender may use a different score. Mortgage payments exclude taxes, insurance, mortgage insurance and fees. Full-term interest assumes no refinancing, early payoff or extra payments.

How to get from 560 to 580

Twenty points. If a home purchase is on the calendar, this is the climb with the clearest payoff in the Poor range, because it cuts the FHA down payment to about a third. Work on what moves soonest.

  1. Find out what is holding the score. Pull all three reports. A 560 with high card balances and a 560 with a recent collection need different plans.
  2. If it is balances, pay them down before the statements report. Amounts owed are 30% of a FICO score, and this is the factor that can move within a month.
  3. If it is an error, dispute it now. The bureaus must investigate, and a corrected item counts once the report updates.
  4. Freeze new applications until after closing. New credit is 10% of the score, and lenders see recent inquiries on the report.

Talk to an FHA lender before you start. It pulls all three bureaus, and the scores in that report, not the one in an app, are the numbers worth moving.

What a Poor score means (300 to 579)

Credit is still possible, but on the lender's terms: deposits, co-signers and high rates. 14.7% of Americans with a FICO score are in this range, according to Experian's 2025 data. What the poor range means in practice.

Questions about a 560 score

Can I get a conventional loan with a 560 credit score?

Possibly. Fannie Mae has no minimum score for loans approved through its automated system, but lenders can set their own, and loans at 639 and below carry Fannie's highest loan-level price adjustments.

Can I get a VA loan with a 560 credit score?

VA itself sets no minimum score, so the answer depends on the lender. VA's own advice is to contact more than one lender and compare.

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Sources (11)
  1. HUD Handbook 4000.1 (FHA minimum credit scores) and Mortgagee Letter 2026-11, October 8, 2026
  2. Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2025-09 (minimum score removed for DU loans), November 5, 2025
  3. Fannie Mae Loan-Level Price Adjustment Matrix, September 30, 2026
  4. VA Home Loan Buyer's Guide (no VA minimum credit score)
  5. Experian: State of the Automotive Finance Market, Q2 2026, August 2026
  6. myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
  7. AnnualCreditReport.com (free reports from all three bureaus)
  8. CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
  9. CFPB: Tenant background checks market report, November 2022
  10. Experian: What is the average credit score in the U.S.? (share of consumers in each FICO range), 2025 data, published March 2026
  11. FTC: Credit scores

Written and checked by the Credit Score Ladder editorial team. Reviewed October 14, 2026; rates refresh daily. Found an error? See our editorial guidelines.