What a 685 credit score gets you
Mortgage
Options available
Conventional and FHA loans are open. Mortgage lenders pull reports from all three bureaus and may use Classic FICO or VantageScore 4.0, which Fannie Mae lists for approved lenders subject to program availability and FHA will accept from January 2027. Either way, Fannie Mae prices both on the same grid of 20-point bands.
Car loan
Options available
Approved widely and priced in the 680–699 band on the published FICO rates. Car lenders can also use industry versions such as the FICO Auto Score, which runs from 250 to 900, so the number on the dealer's screen may not read 685.
Credit cards
Possible
Mainstream cards approve here. Issuers can check a FICO Bankcard Score, another industry version on the 250–900 scale, and the offer will reflect that number along with your income and recent applications.
Renting
Options available
Many tenant screening companies sell their own risk scores or simple accept-or-reject recommendations, the CFPB found, so a landlord may never see 685 at all. A clean report and steady income carry the application.
These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.
What 685 costs you in interest
On the published FICO staircases, 685 shares its bar with every score from 680 to 699. The next bar, at 700, is lower on both loans. The car rate drops more, but the smaller mortgage drop applies to a far larger balance, so per month it can be the bigger number.
$350,000 mortgage, 30-year fixed
At 685: 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 685: 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 685
| Score | Reference rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 685 | 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 685 to 700
Before working on the number, find out which number you are working on.
- Get your reports from all three bureaus. AnnualCreditReport.com is free. If one bureau shows a collection or a late payment the others do not, that single file may be dragging down the score a lender sees.
- Dispute what is wrong with each bureau that shows it. A correction at one bureau does not travel to the other two on its own.
- Cut the card balances that get reported. Amounts owed is 30% of FICO's formula and it reacts to the next statement. Pay down before the closing date.
- Leave old accounts open and skip new ones. Length of history and new credit together make up a quarter of the score.
Then watch more than one score. If two apps disagree, neither is broken: they read different bureau files or use different models, and the lender will pull its own.
What a Good score means (670 to 739)
A good score can give you a wider choice of lenders. This is the stretch where published reference bands can still change the estimate. 20.1% of Americans with a FICO score are in this range, according to Experian's 2025 data. What the good range means in practice.
Questions about a 685 score
Do lenders use FICO or VantageScore?
Both. myFICO says FICO Score 8 is the version most widely used by lenders. Fannie Mae lists VantageScore 4.0 for approved lenders, subject to program availability, and FHA will accept it for case numbers assigned from January 1, 2027.
Sources (11)
- myFICO Loan Savings Calculator (rates by FICO band, data: Curinos), updated daily
- myFICO: FICO Score versions (base and industry-specific score ranges)
- myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
- CFPB: What is a credit score?
- Fannie Mae Selling Guide B3-5.1-01, General Requirements for Credit Scores
- Fannie Mae Loan-Level Price Adjustment Matrix, September 30, 2026
- HUD Handbook 4000.1 (FHA minimum credit scores) and Mortgagee Letter 2026-11, October 8, 2026
- CFPB: Tenant background checks market report, November 2022
- AnnualCreditReport.com (free reports from all three bureaus)
- 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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