What a 700 credit score gets you
Mortgage
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Several loan programs may be available, subject to their requirements. On a conventional loan you are in the 700–719 band of Fannie Mae's price adjustments, which charges less than the bands below it and more than 740 and up. The fee depends on your down payment as well as your score: the grid is set by both.
Car loan
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This is where the car loan gets noticeably cheaper than at 699. Experian's Q2 2026 data still lumps you into a single prime tier with everyone from 661 to 780 (6.15% on new cars, 8.81% on used), but lenders pricing on FICO bands split that tier much more finely.
Credit cards
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Most rewards cards are within reach. For the premium tier, issuers look hard at income, and a run of recent applications can sink an otherwise fine 700.
Renting
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Your credit will not be the obstacle. Rent payments rarely appear in credit files (the CFPB put it at about 2% of renters), so for many landlords the score stands in for a payment record they cannot see.
These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.
What 700 costs you in interest
On the car chart, 700 sits on the far side of one of the biggest drops in the Good range: the 680–699 bar stands clearly taller than yours. The mortgage chart is flatter here. Your bar and the 720 bar are nearly level, and the next real step down is at 740.
$350,000 mortgage, 30-year fixed
At 700: 7.63%, $2,478 a month, $542,254 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 Next | 7.58% | $2,466 | $537,923 | +$24,960 |
| 700–719 You | 7.63% | $2,478 | $542,254 | +$29,290 |
| 680–699 | 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 700: 6.85%, $691 a month, $6,434 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 Next | 6.4% | $683 | $5,991 | +$196 |
| 700–719 You | 6.85% | $691 | $6,434 | +$640 |
| 680–699 | 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 720 compared with 700
| Score | Reference rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 700 | 7.63% | $2,478.48 | $542,253.55 |
| 720 | 7.58% | $2,466.45 | $537,922.84 |
At 720, the estimate is $12.03 less per month and $4,330.71 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 700 to 720, and whether to bother
Most of the money in the Good range is already behind you. Twenty more points still trims a car rate and, slightly, a mortgage rate. Whether that is worth the effort depends on what you are about to borrow.
- Guard the 700 first. One point below it and you lose the step you just made. Keep new accounts off your file for the months before any loan.
- Report a small slice of your limits. Amounts owed is 30% of a FICO score. Paying cards before the statement closes is the fastest lever left.
- Let your accounts age. Length of history is 15% of the score and improves by itself. Closing an old card works against it.
- If a mortgage is a year off, aim for 740 instead. The same habits get you there, and that is where the mortgage price moves.
A car loan at 700 is already a fair deal. If the purchase cannot wait, skipping 720 costs you little.
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 700 score
What is the average credit score in the US?
FICO put the average FICO Score at 714 in March 2026. Experian's figure for 2025 was 713 on FICO Score 8. A 700 is a little below either.
Is 700 a good credit score to buy a car?
Yes. It can support a competitive application, subject to lender requirements, and it is the score where the published FICO car-loan rates step down from the 680 to 699 band.
Sources (7)
- myFICO Loan Savings Calculator (rates by FICO band, data: Curinos), updated daily
- myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
- FICO: Average FICO Score dips to 714 (FICO Score Credit Insights), March 24, 2026
- Experian: What is the average credit score in the U.S.? (share of consumers in each FICO range), 2025 data, published March 2026
- Fannie Mae Loan-Level Price Adjustment Matrix, September 30, 2026
- Experian: State of the Automotive Finance Market, Q2 2026, August 2026
- CFPB: Tenant background checks market report, November 2022
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