The 10 US cities where Americans have the best credit
Scruggelgreen/Shutterstock
Your credit score says a lot about you.
A high score means you probably pay your bills on time and you don't max out your credit cards.
The average credit score of the people who live in a community also can say a lot, like whether jobs are plentiful or take-home pay is high.
It's difficult to be precise about why some cities have better average credit scores than others, but "there are cultural issues, there are economic issues that tend to weigh in with scores," says Rod Griffin, the director of public education for Experian.
The credit bureau recently calculated the average credit score for more than 200 metropolitan areas in the United States. The nationwide average VantageScore credit score is 673.
Here are the 10 cities with the highest credit scores.
10. Madison, Wisconsin
Jordan Richmond/FlickrAverage credit score: 702
Average debt: $35,815
Average credit card balance: $4,545
Credit utilization: 26%
6. (TIE) Fargo, North Dakota
ShutterstockAverage credit score: 703
Average debt: $37,966
Average credit card balance: $4,661
Credit utilization: 25%
6. (TIE) LaCrosse, Wisconsin
Publichall/Wikimedia CommonsAverage credit score: 703
Average debt: $32,895
Average credit card balance: $4,223
Credit utilization: 25%
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