Updated November 3, 2026
It is natural to wonder whether your credit score is where it should be for your age. A person getting their first credit card has a different starting point from someone who has managed accounts for decades.
Age-group averages can provide context. They are less useful as personal targets. Your next financial goal, the information in your credit reports and the score a lender uses matter more than whether you are ahead of your peers.
What is the average FICO® Score by age in 2026?
Experian’s June 2026 data show average FICO® Scores ranging from 678 for Generation Z to 760 for the Silent Generation. The national average in that same dataset was 713. [1]
Generation | Birth years* | Approximate age during 2026* | Average FICO® Score |
|---|---|---|---|
Generation Z—adult consumers | 1997 onward | 18–29 | 678 |
Millennials | 1981–1996 | 30–45 | 690 |
Generation X | 1965–1980 | 46–61 | 710 |
Baby boomers | 1946–1964 | 62–80 | 747 |
Silent Generation | 1928–1945 | 81–98 | 760 |
Source: Experian, June 2026. These are a midyear snapshot, not full-year 2026 results. [1]
Birth years and ages are explanatory cohort labels, not a separate age-by-age dataset. Ages indicate birthdays reached during 2026; a person may be one year younger before their birthday. The published averages are by generation, not by individual age. People without a calculable score are not represented by a score average.
Does getting older raise your FICO® Score?
Your birthday does not earn you credit score points. FICO explicitly excludes your age from its calculations. Salary and employment history are also excluded, although a lender may consider financial information outside the score when reviewing an application. [2]
What can change over time is your credit history. Established accounts have had more time to age, and years of payment records give scoring models more information. FICO considers the age of your oldest and newest accounts as well as the average age of your accounts. [3]
That helps explain why age and credit scores can move together without age being a scoring factor. It does not mean every older borrower has strong credit or every younger borrower has weak credit.
What is a good FICO® Score for your age?
The standard score categories do not change with your age. Base FICO® Scores generally range from 300 to 850. [4]
FICO® Score | General rating |
|---|---|
Below 580 | Poor |
580–669 | Fair |
670–739 | Good |
740–799 | Very good |
800–850 | Exceptional |
A hypothetical 720 score falls in the good range whether the borrower is 25 or 65. Being above your generation’s average does not guarantee loan approval or a particular interest rate. Lenders set their own requirements. [4]
What should you focus on at each stage of life?
Starting out: Build a reliable payment routine. Reminders and automatic minimum payments can help prevent an overlooked bill, provided enough money is available in the payment account. Avoid opening several accounts simply to make your credit file look more established.
Managing a household: Watch card balances relative to limits, especially when large expenses overlap. For example, a $2,000 reported balance on a $5,000 limit equals 40% utilization. Paying it down to $500 reduces that ratio to 10%. That calculation does not predict a particular score increase.
Approaching or living in retirement: Keep reviewing your reports and payment arrangements. A long credit history still needs attention; an unfamiliar account or missed bill deserves investigation regardless of your previous score.
These priorities reflect the same underlying factors: FICO’s general framework assigns 35% to payment history, 30% to amounts owed, 15% to credit history length, and 10% each to new credit and credit mix. Their importance can vary by credit profile. [3]
Compare the same score over time
Before deciding that your score is improving or falling, check the score version, credit bureau and date.
A general-purpose FICO® Score is not interchangeable with every mortgage or auto score. Different models can produce different results, and lenders may use a version other than the one you see. [5]
For a useful personal comparison, follow the same score version from the same bureau over time. Review the reasons supplied with it, then investigate the report information behind those reasons. [6]
Frequently asked questions
Can a young adult have a higher score than an older adult?
Yes. FICO says a long credit history is not required for a good score when the rest of the credit file is strong. [3]
Will checking my own score hurt it?
Checking your own credit is not the same as applying for a loan. FICO excludes consumer-initiated credit inquiries from its score calculations. [2]
Should I borrow money just to improve my credit mix?
FICO says you do not need every type of account. Taking on a payment you do not need deserves more consideration than trying to optimize one scoring category. [3]
Is being above average enough to get approved?
An average describes a group. It is not a lender’s approval threshold. Income, existing obligations, the loan product and other underwriting requirements can affect the decision alongside credit information. [3][4]
Know where you stand—and what to check next
Use the age comparison as background. Give more attention to your payment record, reported balances and the accuracy of your credit information. Those details offer a more useful starting point than trying to match someone else’s number.
Sources
FICO is a registered trademark of Fair Isaac Corporation.