What a 610 credit score gets you
Mortgage
Possible
FHA at 3.5% down is open. Conventional is the lender's call: Fannie Mae's automated system has no minimum score, but a file that gets sent to manual underwriting needs 620, and that is exactly the case where ten points decide the loan.
Car loan
Possible
Car financing may be available, subject to lender requirements. If your VantageScore 4.0 is in the 601-660 tier, Experian’s Q2 2026 averages were 9.71% new and 13.93% used. A FICO 610 does not establish that VantageScore; compare actual APR, amount and term.
Credit cards
Limited
In the CFPB's survey of card terms, 619 and below is the poor tier, so cards built for fair credit are what you are choosing from for now: small limits, high APRs. Ten more points would put you in the bracket the survey calls good.
Renting
Possible
Landlords set their own bar, and many screening companies hand them an accept-or-reject recommendation rather than a raw score. Ask which screener a landlord uses and offer proof of income before it runs.
These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.
What 610 costs you in interest
Neither myFICO staircase covers 610: mortgage bands begin at 620 and car bands at 640. On Experian's averages by VantageScore tier, though, 610 has already taken the biggest step down on the chart, from Subprime into Nonprime.
If your VantageScore 4.0 is 610
Nonprime · 601–660. A FICO 610 does not establish this VantageScore.
$422.09/mo · $5,326 total interest
$464.64/mo · $7,878 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
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 781–850 | 4.41% | $651 | $4,064 | – |
| 661–780 | 6.15% | $679 | $5,746 | +$1,681 |
| 601–660 | 9.71% | $739 | $9,320 | +$5,255 |
| 501–600 | 13.52% | $806 | $13,342 | +$9,278 |
| 300–500 | 16.11% | $853 | $16,191 | +$12,126 |
Read it from your bar. The tier below you is the most expensive jump on the chart; the tier above, Prime, starts at 661, which is 51 points away on VantageScore. For a car loan in the next few months, the Nonprime averages are the realistic benchmark. Bear in mind that a lender may pull a FICO Auto Score instead, which runs on a different scale altogether, 250 to 900.
For a mortgage, FHA is the realistic route until 620. Its 3.5% down payment applies at 610 exactly as it does at 619, and there is no FHA rate table by score, so the rate depends on the lender you pick.
Your FHA down payment, in dollars
Compare the FHA minimum at 610 with 620 using the same home price.
3.5% minimum down payment
3.5% minimum down payment
The FHA minimum does not change at this step.
The minimum down payment is only one part of the loan decision. 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 →What would a different score cost?
Same loan. Two scores. See the difference.
VantageScore 4.0 scenarios · Experian Q2 2026. A FICO 610 does not establish a VantageScore of 610.
At 661 compared with 610
| Score | Reference rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 610 | 9.71% | $422.09 | $5,325.56 |
| 661 | 6.15% | $388.05 | $3,283.15 |
At 661, the estimate is $34.04 less per month and $2,042.41 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 610 to 620
Ten points is not a predictable timetable. Start with the reason for the score and the date you need the loan. If a mortgage application is weeks away, work on what the lender's pull will see on that day.
- Know which score reads 610. You have more than one. Fannie Mae requires classic FICO scores, from all three bureaus, for manually underwritten loans, so that is the number to check if 620 is your target.
- Pay card balances before the statement closes. Amounts owed are 30% of a FICO score, and they react as soon as issuers report lower balances. Of everything here, it is the step most likely to show up within one cycle.
- Open nothing. A new account adds an inquiry and lowers the average age of your accounts, both pulling the wrong way just when you need the points.
- Keep paid-off cards open. Their limits keep your utilization low; closing one to simplify can cost the points you just earned.
If an error on a report is behind the 610, fix that first. A late payment that was not late or a collection that is not yours can weigh more than any balance, and disputing it with each bureau is free.
What a Fair score means (580 to 669)
The doors open: FHA mortgages, most car lenders, starter cards. The prices are the problem. 14.9% of Americans with a FICO score are in this range, according to Experian's 2025 data. What the fair range means in practice.
Questions about a 610 score
Can I get a conventional loan with a 610 credit score?
Possibly. Since November 2025 Fannie Mae has had no minimum score for loans approved through its automated underwriting, but lenders can keep their own minimums, and manual underwriting still requires 620 for a fixed-rate loan.
Can I rent an apartment with a 610 credit score?
Often, but it depends on the landlord: there is no official minimum score for renting. At 610 some landlords will ask for a larger deposit or a co-signer, so have proof of income ready.
Sources (12)
- HUD Handbook 4000.1 (FHA minimum credit scores) and Mortgagee Letter 2026-11, October 8, 2026
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-01, General Requirements for Credit Scores
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide Announcement SEL-2025-09 (minimum score removed for DU loans), November 5, 2025
- Experian: State of the Automotive Finance Market, Q2 2026, August 2026
- VantageScore: The complete guide to your VantageScore, June 2025
- myFICO: FICO Score versions (base and industry-specific score ranges)
- CFPB: Large banks charge higher credit card interest rates than small banks and credit unions, February 2024
- CFPB: Tenant background checks market report, November 2022
- CFPB: What is a credit score?
- myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
- CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
- Experian: What is the average credit score in the U.S.? (share of consumers in each FICO range), 2025 data, published March 2026
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