#state-by-state-analysis

#state-by-state-analysis

Across most states, it takes 18 to 36 months to raise an average FICO score to the 760 prime threshold, assuming an improvement of about 20 points per year. Mississippi and Louisiana require the longest timelines, with borrowers needing 4 years and 3.5 years of consistent progress, respectively. At the opposite end, Minnesota offers the fastest path, with an average timeline of just 0.9 years, due to a high statewide average score of 742.

To judge the burden of overuse of the plastic cards powering your wallet, the number of days of work required to pay off common outstanding credit card debts was calculated. This math says that a typical Californian card balance is equivalent to eight days' worth of the average wage. That ties Connecticut for the fourth-lowest burden among the states. Californians' credit card debt is also below the median 9.9-day burden across 50 states. Only New York (6.3 days), Massachusetts (6.8), and Washington state (7.9) were better.