You Might Be Considered 'Lower-Class' If Your Credit Score Is Below This Number

Credit scores are not a perfect retelling of an individual's financial journey, but they correlate with income and can determine how others see you — especially banks and credit lenders. In 2025, the average credit score was 715. And according to Motley Fool's credit analysis. A 715 credit score falls in the "good" category and generally suggests that an individual has a good income and a good history of managing debt.

But things look very different for lower-class households in terms of credit scores. The Pew Research Center defines low-income households as those making less than $56,600 annually. And according to Motley Fool's analysis, the average credit score for low-income households was only 658, which is considered "fair" by Experian. Despite having a large influence on credit scores, income is only part of a credit score, they are also influenced by age, length of credit history, credit utilization, and accounts in collection. A fair credit score can suggest that an individual has a history of outstanding debt and less than ideal money management skills.

A fair credit score is nearly the lowest ranking, second only to a "poor" rating. While a fair credit score does dip into the bad threshold of 630, it also classifies you as a greater risk to banks and lenders. As such, a bank may not approve you for credit products, and for the ones you are approved, they can come with higher interest or fees. Luckily, a fair credit score is still fixable even at the lower end of the income scale but it may take some time.

Improving your credit score will require paying down debt, but there are a few methods that can save you a bit of money. For example, you can also ask your credit issuer for a lower interest rate. Banks will often provide this courtesy when individuals are in financial hardship, which can help reduce your credit card balance. Additionally, you can ask your bank to increase your credit limit on a loan or credit card. This could be a temptation to spend more but by increasing your limit and keeping it a spending cushion, you lower your utilization, which is one of the factors that affects credit scores. Experian also recommends bringing past-due accounts to current status and ensuring on-time future payments. While this will require spending your income, it can be achievable with a budget that prioritizes debt payoff and ensures you don't increase account balances. Ultimately, improving a fair credit score will cost you time and money, but it can benefit you with lower interest rates on mortgages and loans and better approval odds for different debt products.