Is a FICO score of 661 good?
Sarah Martinez
Updated on March 31, 2026
A FICO® Score of 661 places you within a population of consumers whose credit may be seen as Fair. Your 661 FICO® Score is lower than the average U.S. credit score. Consumers with FICO® Scores in the good range (670-739) or higher are generally offered significantly better borrowing terms.
Is 661 a good credit score for buying a car?
One of the first things that’s important to understand about credit scores and auto loans is that there’s more than one scoring system….Understanding credit scores for auto loans.
| Average car loan interest rates by credit score | ||
|---|---|---|
| Score Range | New Cars | Used Cars |
| 850 – 781 | 3.82% | 4.43% |
| 780 – 661 | 4.75% | 6.15% |
How can I improve my credit score of 661?
Here’s how to improve a 661 credit score: Pay Off Collections Accounts: Once you bring a collection account’s balance down to zero, it stops affecting your VantageScore 3.0 credit score. Reduce Utilization: It’s best to use less than 30% of the available credit on your credit card accounts each month.
Can I buy a house with a credit score of 661?
If your credit score is a 661 or higher, and you meet other requirements, you should not have any problem getting a mortgage. The types of programs that are available to borrowers with a 661 credit score are: conventional loans, FHA loans, VA loans, USDA loans, jumbo loans, and non-prime loans.
Is 661 a good credit score to buy a house?
If your credit score is a 661 or higher, and you meet other requirements, you should not have any problem getting a mortgage. Credit scores in the 620-680 range are generally considered fair credit. With a 661 score, you may potentially be eligible for several different types of mortgage programs.
Can I get a credit card with a 661 credit score?
WalletHub’s Rating: No – Based on the rate at which people with 661 credit scores get approved for credit cards that require “good credit” or better, we believe you actually need a credit score of 700-749 to have good credit.
Can you get approved for a car loan with a 661 credit score?
A credit score of 660 or up should get you a car loan at a good interest rate, and lower scores can still qualify. But a higher score will almost certainly get you a lower interest rate on the loan. A target credit score of 660 or above should get you a car loan with an interest rate around 6% or below.
Is it good to have a credit score of 661?
661 is a fair credit score. Someone with a credit score of 661 will probably be able to get a loan, but pay higher interest and with worse terms compared to someone with a higher credit score.
What do you need to know about a FICO score?
FICO scores are based on the information collected on individual consumers by the three major credit bureaus, including their payment history, credit utilization, and the age of their accounts.
Is it good to have a FICO score of 700?
FICO Scores range from 300 to 850. The higher the score, the better you look to potential lenders. So, generally speaking, a 700 score is good — but, we’ll dive deeper than that. As you can see from the chart below, the average American is struggling to get over that 700 score hurdle.
Is there a difference between FICO 8 and FICO 9?
FICO 9 was introduced in 2016 and is available to both lenders and consumers. While not as widely used as FICO 8, this scoring model has some features that could help certain consumers improve their credit scores. Third-party collection accounts that have been paid in full no longer have a negative impact for credit scoring.
