What a 680 credit score gets you
Mortgage
Options available
Conventional loans and FHA loans are both open. Meeting a score threshold does not establish approval. The lender also assesses the whole application. Down payment, income and debts matter as much as the score from here.
Car loan
Options available
Banks, credit unions and captive lenders may offer financing, subject to their requirements. The published reference band is more expensive than the band starting at 700. The cost section below has the figures.
Credit cards
Possible
Most mainstream rewards cards approve in this range. Premium travel cards often want more, and the APR you are offered will be near the top of the card's range.
Renting
Options available
Landlords that screen on credit generally accept a score like this. Rent history, income and any collections weigh as much as the number.
These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.
What 680 costs you in interest
Look at the two staircases below. On the mortgage, 680 to 699 sits in the middle of a fairly gentle slope. On the car loan the slope is steep right where you are: the bands below 720 pay a lot more than the bands above it.
$350,000 mortgage, 30-year fixed
At 680: 7.75%, $2,507 a month, $552,679 in interest over the loan.
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780–850 | 7.29% | $2,397 | $512,963 | – |
| 760–779 | 7.39% | $2,421 | $521,539 | +$8,576 |
| 740–759 | 7.47% | $2,440 | $528,423 | +$15,460 |
| 720–739 | 7.58% | $2,466 | $537,923 | +$24,960 |
| 700–719 Next | 7.63% | $2,478 | $542,254 | +$29,290 |
| 680–699 You | 7.75% | $2,507 | $552,679 | +$39,716 |
| 660–679 | 7.79% | $2,517 | $556,165 | +$43,201 |
| 640–659 | 7.9% | $2,544 | $565,775 | +$52,812 |
| 620–639 | 8.08% | $2,588 | $581,580 | +$68,617 |
$35,000 new car, 60 months
At 680: 7.5%, $701 a month, $7,080 in interest.
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780–850 | 6.2% | $680 | $5,794 | – |
| 760–779 | 6.24% | $681 | $5,834 | +$39 |
| 740–759 | 6.38% | $683 | $5,971 | +$177 |
| 720–739 | 6.4% | $683 | $5,991 | +$196 |
| 700–719 Next | 6.85% | $691 | $6,434 | +$640 |
| 680–699 You | 7.5% | $701 | $7,080 | +$1,285 |
| 660–679 | 8.3% | $715 | $7,883 | +$2,088 |
| 640–659 | 9.19% | $730 | $8,786 | +$2,992 |
National averages by FICO band from myFICO (data: Curinos), as of October 29, 2026. The rate you are offered depends on the lender, your down payment, income and debts. Where these rates come from.
What would a different score cost?
Same loan. Two scores. See the difference.
At 700 compared with 680
| Score | Reference rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 680 | 7.75% | $2,507.44 | $552,679.43 |
| 700 | 7.63% | $2,478.48 | $542,253.55 |
At 700, the estimate is $28.96 less per month and $10,425.88 less interest over the full term.
Reference rates: 30-year fixed mortgages, October 29, 2026, myFICO (Curinos). Changing the amount or term holds these rates constant. 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 680 to 700
A twenty-point gain has no guaranteed timetable. Start with the records behind the score and the timing of the loan:
- Pay card balances down before the statement date, not the due date. Many card issuers report the statement balance; ask yours about its reporting schedule. If your cards report 40% of their limits, getting that under 10% is the single fastest lever FICO gives you, and it shows up as soon as the next statements are reported.
- Stop applying for a few months. Every application adds a hard inquiry, and the FTC lists too many recent applications among the things that can hurt a score. If you are shopping for a mortgage, keep the quotes close together: several mortgage inquiries in a short period often count as one.
- Leave old cards open. Closing one removes its limit from your utilization math and, eventually, its age from your history.
- Pull all three reports and read them. A collection that is not yours or a payment wrongly marked late can be worth more than everything above. Disputes are free.
What does not work: paying someone to "fix" your score, or opening a new card just to raise your total limit right before a loan application. The new account and the inquiry cost you points first.
What a Good score means (670 to 739)
About one in five Americans with a FICO score sits here, according to Experian's 2025 data. FICO's Good range is wide, and the bottom of it and the top of it are not the same experience. At 670 several borrowing options may be available, subject to lender requirements and priced like a slightly risky borrower. At 739 you are one rung from the prices lenders keep for their best customers. Nearly all of the money in this range is in car loans and credit cards, where lenders still split hairs; mortgage pricing is flatter here and only tightens further up.
What usually separates the bottom of the range from the top is not a missed payment. It is how much of your card limits you are using when the statements are reported, how young your accounts are, and how many applications you have made lately. Those are the things that move fastest, which is why this range rewards a few months of attention more than any other.
Questions about a 680 score
Can I buy a house with a 680 credit score?
Yes. 680 clears the published minimums for conventional and FHA loans. Your rate will be higher than a 740 borrower's, and the lender will look just as hard at your down payment and debt-to-income ratio.
Is 680 good enough for a car loan?
A 680 can qualify for car financing, subject to the lender’s requirements. The issue is price: lenders charge the 680 to 699 band noticeably more than borrowers at 700 and above.
Sources (9)
- myFICO Loan Savings Calculator (rates by FICO band, data: Curinos), updated daily
- 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
- HUD Handbook 4000.1 (FHA minimum credit scores) and Mortgagee Letter 2026-11, October 8, 2026
- FTC: Credit scores
- AnnualCreditReport.com (free reports from all three bureaus)
- CFPB: How do I dispute an error on my credit report?
- myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
- 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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