What a 790 credit score gets you
Mortgage
Options available
Top band in the mortgage reference table shown here, with 10 points to spare before you would fall out of it. What is left to decide is the loan itself and the lender offering it.
Car loan
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Top band on published car-loan tables, and Superprime in Experian's VantageScore-based data, where that tier averaged 4.41% on new cars and 6.29% on used ones in Q2 2026. A car lender may be looking at a FICO Auto Score, which runs from 250 to 900, so the number on their screen can differ from yours.
Credit cards
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Anything you apply for, within your income. The costly mistake at this score is carrying a balance at all: the Fed's average rate on accounts charged interest was 22.15%, and no score fixes that.
Renting
Options available
Not a question at this score. A landlord will look at income and rental history long before the last ten points of your score.
These are broad credit-score categories, not approval odds. Lenders also assess income, debt, credit history and their own requirements.
What 790 costs you in interest
790 sits in the lowest bar of both staircases, the same bar that runs from 780 to 850. Your marker is 10 points inside it, and that distance is the only figure on these charts that still matters to you.
$350,000 mortgage, 30-year fixed
At 790: 7.29%, $2,397 a month, $512,963 in interest over the loan.
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780–850 You | 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 | 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 790: 6.2%, $680 a month, $5,794 in interest.
| Score band | Rate | Monthly | Total interest | vs. best |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 780–850 You | 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 | 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 790 compared with 790
| Score | Reference rate | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 790 | 7.29% | $2,397.12 | $512,963.26 |
| 790 | 7.29% | $2,397.12 | $512,963.26 |
Both scores share the same published FICO band. The estimated payment difference is $0. This does not mean all lenders offer the same rate.
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.
Does reaching 800 change anything?
It changes the label in your credit app. It does not change a rate on any published table, because lenders that price by score band stop splitting hairs at 780. Pushing on and staying put take the same habits:
- Keep every account on autopay. Payment history is 35% of a FICO score, and a late payment is the fastest way out of the top band. An accurate one can stay on your report for up to seven years.
- Let the oldest accounts keep aging. Length of history is 15% of the score and the one factor that improves while you do nothing.
- Do not open cards to chase a higher limit. The inquiry and the young account cost points now, for a utilization benefit you no longer need.
Ten points under 800 is a fine place to stop thinking about your score. The slack is there so that one high statement or one new card costs you nothing.
What a Very good score means (740 to 799)
Near the top of every lender's price list. The rungs left are small, and almost all on the mortgage. 27.5% of Americans with a FICO score are in this range, according to Experian's 2025 data. What the very good range means in practice.
Questions about a 790 score
Is 790 an excellent credit score?
FICO calls it Very good; its Exceptional label starts at 800. On VantageScore, 790 is Superprime. 790 and 850 share the top bands in our reference datasets; actual offers can differ.
What is the difference between a 790 and an 800 credit score?
The FICO label: Very good versus Exceptional. On published mortgage and car-loan rate tables both scores sit in the same top band, which starts at 780.
Sources (8)
- myFICO Loan Savings Calculator (rates by FICO band, data: Curinos), updated daily
- Fannie Mae Loan-Level Price Adjustment Matrix, September 30, 2026
- myFICO: What is a FICO Score? (score ranges and what goes into them)
- VantageScore: The complete guide to your VantageScore, June 2025
- Experian: State of the Automotive Finance Market, Q2 2026, August 2026
- myFICO: FICO Score versions (base and industry-specific score ranges)
- Federal Reserve G.19 Consumer Credit (credit card interest rates), October 7, 2026
- 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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