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  1. Credit
  2. Credit Score

Which States Have the Best and Worst Credit Scores?

Published: Mar 28, 2016 2 min read

GoBankingRates released a study of credit scores today, examining them on a state-by-state basis. Not surprisingly, certain parts of the country didn't fare so well.

The southern states dominated the lower end of the spectrum, and the upper Midwest did surprisingly well—better than the Northeast even. According to GoBankingRates, the Experian data used weighs where you live into account fairly heavily, so this list may be no big surprise.

While the South's poor showing may not be shocking, the Midwest has credit scores that are the envy of the rest of America, for the most part: Six out of the top 10 states for highest average credit scores are in the upper middle part of the country.

Best Credit Scores

  1. Minnesota 704
  2. North Dakota 696.5
  3. Wisconsin 695.8
  4. South Dakota 694.3
  5. Vermont 693.4
  6. New Jersey 693
  7. Nebraska 690.7
  8. Iowa 690.2
  9. Hawaii 689.7
  10. Montana 688.4

Worst Credit Scores

  1. Georgia 636.0
  2. Mississippi 637.1
  3. Louisiana 643.6
  4. Nevada 644.3
  5. Texas 646.9
  6. Oklahoma 649.5
  7. South Carolina 650.3
  8. Alabama 652.4
  9. Tennessee 653.6
  10. New Mexico 653.7

"These states with the lowest credit scores also had lower median household incomes; nine states had incomes below the national median of $53,657, according to Census Bureau data," the GoBankingRates study explained. "Low incomes are a significant risk factor for mismanagement of debt."

Calculator: Should I consolidate my personal debt into a new loan?

Check out GoBankingRates.com for the full state-by-state credit score list and a map.